The U.S. payments landscape has never offered more ways to move money. As payment options continue to expand, financial institutions are evaluating how different solutions align with their business needs, operational requirements, and customer expectations. A new report from the Faster Payments Council (FPC), “A Comprehensive Look at the U.S. Faster Payments Landscape for Optimal Operation,” provides a side-by-side comparison of today's faster payment methods, highlighting each method's unique capabilities and considerations.

The FPC’s report examines the growing range of payment options available in the United States. It compares the FedNow® Service, RTP® network, Visa® Direct, Mastercard Send™, Same Day ACH, stablecoins, and tokenized deposits in detail. It compares these options across settlement, finality, speed, transaction limits, fraud management, governance, liquidity, and other key characteristics.

The report highlights the distinct functionality each payment method can offer. For example, the FedNow Service and RTP network provide domestic instant settlement, while Visa Direct and Mastercard Send support card-based disbursements and broader reach. Same Day ACH remains an important option for high-volume batch payments. At the same time, stablecoins and tokenized deposits are introducing programmable capabilities and new approaches to settlement.

You can view the full report here.