The U.S. Faster Payments Council (FPC), a membership organization devoted to advancing safe, easy-to-use faster payments in the United States, today announced the release of its latest industry resource, Operational Considerations for Instant Payments Send-Side Guidelines. Produced by the FPC’s Operational Considerations Work Group (OCWG), sponsored by Endava, the resource provides financial institutions (FIs) with best practices and detailed guidance for successfully implementing instant payments sending capabilities.

“The OCWG Work Group has produced deliverables that are both substantial and practical,” said Miriam Sheril, Head of Product – US at Form3 and FPC Operational Considerations Work Group Chair. “This specific deliverable focuses on helping banks get ready to send payments, with rich detail supported by clear guidelines that make it easy to read and apply for specific purposes. It’s a collective effort we’re proud to see moving the industry forward.”

The new guidelines cover a wide range of operational factors financial institutions must address when enabling send-side functionality, including liquidity management, user experience and interface design, real-time reconciliation, fraud mitigation, compliance requirements, and exception processing. The guidelines also address business continuity, staffing and training considerations, and the critical role of accountholder education and disclosures in ensuring success.

“For FIs beginning or advancing their faster payments journey, this deep dive is an essential resource, covering critical back-office considerations and serving as a practical guide every step of the way,” said Tony Cook, Executive Vice President of Operations at FirstBank and Operational Considerations Work Group Vice Chair.

In addition to operational details, the guidelines highlight interoperability and routing considerations for financial institutions using both the RTP® network and the FedNow® Service, outlining strategies for managing liquidity, ensuring uptime, and developing fallback options when real-time networks are unavailable.

“The FPC continues to produce resources that help financial institutions move from exploration to execution of instant payments,” said Reed Luhtanen, FPC Executive Director and CEO. “This new resource provides the industry with actionable insights that will help accelerate adoption and ensure instant payments are implemented in a way that prioritizes security, resiliency, and accountholder trust.”