Suncoast Credit Union’s decision to join the RTP® network, the real-time payments rail run by The Clearing House, was not driven by a desire to be first to market or to chase payments innovation for its own sake. Instead, it was rooted in a clear understanding of member needs and a pragmatic view of risk, operations, and long-term value.  

As Brandie Forrester, Director of Payment Operations at Suncoast, described it on The Payments Nerds® podcast, “How Instant Payments Foster Financial Inclusion: Suncoast Credit Union’s RTP® Journey” (Episode 52), providing instant payments to members proved to be less about theoretical benefits and more about immediate, real-world impact. As it turns out, joining the instant payments revolution provided benefits to the organization that were not fully anticipated at the outset. 

From the beginning of the instant payments project, Suncoast viewed the RTP network and its capabilities through the lens of financial inclusion. Read all the details about Suncoast’s journey, including their onboarding experience, in our most recent case study here.