Resources for Today’s Launch of FedNow

Today is a historic day for payments in the US. After several years of preparation (and significant anticipation), the Federal Reserve has officially launched FedNow—the first new domestic payment rail in nearly 40 years. FedNow enables faster bank payments for financial institutions of any size, in any community, 24/7/365.

Modern Treasury has been bullish on FedNow since the payment system was announced in 2019, and our team has been writing extensively about it since 2020. The goal of this content has been to educate, hypothesize, and engage in wider conversations about the momentous potential government-issued faster payments represent.

The following roundup of articles, eBooks, and videos is aimed at helping business leaders understand and leverage the launch of FedNow. Happy reading!

All-in-one primers

• A Complete Primer on FedNow. This eBook includes everything you need to know about FedNow—from launch plans and use cases to costs and advantages.
• What is FedNow? This short article includes the essentials on FedNow. Learn about who can access this rail, FedNow vs. RTP, benefits, and more.
• Business Checklist for FedNow. From company strategy and bank scoping to operational readiness, tech specs, and security planning, check off essentials with this eBook.

Insight from the Fed

• Countdown to FedNow. A conversation from June’s Transfer conference featuring Connie Theien, SVP, Federal Reserve System. Theien discusses the implications of FedNow, with a focus on how banks and companies can prepare and why consumers stand to benefit.

Watch the full conversation from Transfer here.

Debunking misinformation

• Social Media Myths About FedNow. Learn the truth behind six popular social media myths about's FedNow launch—and dig into the real significance of this new payment rail.

Understanding impact

• Why FedNow’s Real-Time Payments Will Change Everything. This journal explores how businesses stand to benefit by embracing FedNow.
• Why Faster Payment Rails Are Game Changing for US Payments. Faster payment rails like FedNow are poised to remake domestic money movement. This journal explores how faster payments are different and what the near future could look like.
• FedNow is Our Chance at Real-Time Payments. Our Co-founder and CTO, Sam Aarons, sat on a FedNow steering committee. In this conversation, he shares why the launch of FedNow is so significant and what excites him about it.
• Real-Time Payments, A Generational Shift. RTP launched in 2017, and FedNow is here; faster payments in the US are becoming a reality and changing the way we think about money movement.

Digging into use cases

• Instant Bank Payments: The Promise of a Faster Future. In this webinar, leaders from Modern Treasury, Parafin, and J.P. Morgan discuss the next chapter of payments technology, including FedNow's launch.
• Use Cases for Faster Payments. This journal digs into several use cases for faster payments and their applications for businesses, consumers, and government agencies.

Prioritizing readiness

• Is Your Business Ready for Faster Payments? If only the preparation for instant payments were as delightful as the end-user experience. This journal shares four facets of good planning for real-time payment rails like FedNow.

Assessing functionality

• Interoperability Between RTP and FedNow. This eBook examines how the RTP Network and newly-launched FedNow may be able to work together.
• How Do Faster Payments Work? The payments landscape continues to shift towards speedier, more convenient options. In this journal, we explore how faster payments work in the US.

Minimizing fraud

• How to Minimize Faster Payments Fraud. The possibilities that faster payments like FedNow open up are exciting not just for business leaders, but fraudsters as well. Learn what makes faster payments fraud tricky and how companies can minimize their risk.

Building for adoption

• The Keys to Faster Payments Adoption. Widespread faster payment adoption hinges on a few key developments. This journal digs into three important drivers for the usage of rails like FedNow, as well as potential barriers to success.

FedNow going forward

Speaking of adoption, as Connie Theien observes, businesses can help ensure FedNow gains the traction required for significant levels of adoption. Theien advises,

"Start talking to your solution providers and your financial institution. The most important way that you can at least help us to increase reach is to express your interest… Our hope is that we can maybe even improve upon the five-year window that it took for Check 21 adoption and get the large majority of financial institutions on board and capable of supporting instant payments.”

Watch the full conversation between Theien and Sam Aarons here.

As your company explores the launch of FedNow, partners like Modern Treasury can be valuable allies. Our operating system for money movement helps businesses swiftly automate payments across bank partners and payment systems, including instant rails. Reach out to learn more any time.