Starting today, all electronic payments made on weekends and public holidays in New Zealand can now be processed on the same day, 365 days a year. This was made possible via Payments NZ, which manages New Zealand’s core payment clearing systems.
Everyday Processing
Previously, banks were only able to send and settle payment transactions during business days. But now, consumers will be able to both make and receive electronic payments between bank accounts, within the same or a different bank, regardless of the day it occurs. High value transactions, in the case of house settlements, will not be affected by this change and will continue to operate within the five-business day model.
Businesses will benefit from this move as it will enhance cash flow, and waiting a business day for a transaction to be completed will no longer be necessary.
All banks participating within the Bulk Electronic Clearing System (BECS)—which manages automatic payments, direct debits, direct credits, and bill payments—were required to install the 365-payment capability by May 26.
In a prepared statement, Steve Wiggins, Chief Executive at Payments NZ said, “We’re excited to see the next evolution of payments in Aotearoa, which is the end of the traditional ‘five business days’ model for electronic bank payments.”
“Previously, banks could only send and settle payment transactions on business days. But from this weekend, consumers and businesses will be able to transact every day of the year and no longer need to wait for a traditional business day,” he said.
Customers are expecting faster payments, more than ever before. A specific use case where this can be seen involves account-to-account money transfers (A2A). We’ve covered this growing use case where consumers might want to send money to an external account, from a credit union to a bank, with a simple push of a button.
