The launch of FedNow was the most highly anticipated payment system news in the United States this year. The system enables users to send and receive money, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
However, a recent study by Fenergo reveals potential fraud risks that were not anticipated since the launch of FedNow. Although the immediacy of these payments is valuable, it can create hurdles regarding security protocols, regulatory compliance, and fraud prevention. Moreover, because faster payments reduce transaction clearing times, the potential for fraud is magnified. This requires more adept and advanced security and fraud protection solutions.
After a survey of high-level risk and compliance officers in various fintech companies, it was discovered that 42% considered it a challenge to ensure a seamless user experience while undergoing compliance operations for FedNow adoption. Furthermore, 78% of risk and compliance officers voiced concerns about inadequate staff training.
“In the rapidly evolving landscape of financial technology, compliance and risk officers at fintech payment companies are navigating uncharted waters with the launch of FedNow,” said Stella Clarke, Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer at Fenergo. “Our research highlights the significant hurdles in financial crime prevention and compliance efforts, painting a vivid picture of the challenges faced in this new era.”
A New Frontier for Faster Payments
The buildup to the launch of FedNow was abuzz with optimism. As the first government-developed instant payment system in the United States, FedNow was set to democratize access to instant payments for larger banks, smaller banks, and credit unions.
PaymentsJournal recently cited a study by Cornerstone Research that suggested 30% of FIs will launch real-time payments in 2023 and that 25% were waiting until FedNow was officially launched.
FedNow launched only in July, so it’s still early to determine how it will balance the sheer volume of payments that come through the system and customer privacy and security. Compliance processes associated with anti-money-laundering, know your customer (KYC), and fraud move at a much slower pace than the speed of payments.
