US Real-Time Payments Need the Cloud to Scale

As these systems become more prevalent across the financial landscape, they’re setting new benchmarks for transaction speed, efficiency and accessibility.

This trend is being propelled by proactive initiatives from financial institutions and central banks worldwide, who are actively endorsing and implementing faster, more streamlined payment capabilities.

Innovation in real-time payments is demonstrating significant momentum across diverse markets, as seen in the latest Real-Time Payments map. In the United States, institutions managing substantial assets are overhauling their payment infrastructure by adopting cloud-based platforms to process various transaction types, including real-time payments, across key networks like the RTP® Network and the FedNow® Service.

This strategic upgrade aims to deliver tangible benefits to business clients, such as accelerated fund availability, improved cash management and reduced settlement risks.

Across the Atlantic, European players like Viva.com are expanding their reach with near-instant money movement solutions, leveraging networks like Mastercard Move in numerous countries, including the U.K., to facilitate rapid cross-border transfers vital for small- to mid-sized businesses navigating everyday financial operations.

Southern Europe is also witnessing collaborative efforts, with major national payment schemes integrating to enable seamless cross-border P2P payments using familiar mobile apps, linking millions of users and institutions and positioning themselves as strong alternatives to traditional international systems.

Meanwhile, Latin America’s dominant real-time system, Pix in Brazil, is poised to introduce an installment feature, Pix Parcelado, designed to compete with credit cards and expand access to financing for the underbanked, demonstrating how real-time systems are evolving beyond simple transfers to incorporate sophisticated financial products.

The report highlights key data points illustrating the varied stages and scale of real-time payment adoption globally:

• Real-time payment systems have a history dating back decades in some regions, with Japan being noted as having a live system as early as 1973, showcasing the long-term evolution of instant transaction capabilities.
• Momentum continues with future systems anticipated, such as Canada’s expected launch in 2026, indicating ongoing expansion into developed economies.
• Regional collaborations are achieving significant scale, such as the Southern European initiative under the EuroPA framework, which integrates more than 50 million users and 186 financial institutions across Italy, Spain and Portugal.

Beyond these specific examples, the report provides a broader view of real-time payment status across numerous countries. It maps out the “live” status and initial implementation year for systems across North America, South America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.

This geographical coverage underscores the widespread nature of this payment revolution, revealing a global mosaic of adoption timelines and underlying motivations, from enhancing domestic efficiency to fostering financial inclusion through innovative features including buy now, pay later installments.