Real-Time Payment Systems
Instant money transfers, 24/7/365
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0 / 5 completed⚡ The Death of "3-5 Business Days"
For decades, bank transfers took days. ACH payments settled overnight. Wire transfers cost $25-50. But real-time payment (RTP) systems changed everything—money now moves in seconds, not days, 24/7/365 including weekends and holidays. The US launched FedNow in 2023, joining 60+ countries with instant payment networks. Brazil's PIX processes 130M transactions daily. India's UPI handles 10 billion payments monthly. The future of money is instant, always-on, and nearly free.
🚀 Why Real-Time Matters
Traditional payment rails were built in the 1970s when banks closed at 5pm and computers were room-sized. ACH processes in batches overnight. Wires require manual intervention. But modern businesses need instant settlement—gig workers want same-day pay, merchants need immediate cash flow, and consumers expect Venmo-speed for everything. RTP networks use modern infrastructure: always-on servers, instant settlement, and APIs that enable new use cases impossible with legacy systems.
Countries
Have real-time payment systems
Settlement
Typical transfer completion time
Availability
No business hours or holidays
Cost
Much cheaper than wires
🎯 Key Advantages
Instant Settlement
Funds available immediately—no waiting for batch processing or business hours
Irrevocable Transfers
Once confirmed, payments can't be reversed—reduces risk for merchants
Rich Data
ISO 20022 messaging includes detailed remittance info for reconciliation
Lower Costs
$0.01-0.05 per transaction vs $25+ for wires—90% cost reduction