8月6日,美聯儲公布了FedNow Service(以下簡稱FedNow)即時支付平臺的最新細節,借助該平臺,美國金融機構幾乎可以瞬間完成交易的清算和結算工作。
大約在一年之前,美聯儲宣布其計劃推出FedNow服務,此后便一直在就交互樣態和運營模式等問題征求公眾意見。美聯儲表示,推出FedNow的目標是打造一種能夠廣泛應用且提供“全天候”服務的即時支付基礎設施,“從而實現對美國支付系統的現代化改造,讓全美各地社區都可以享受到即時支付技術所能帶來的益處”。
美聯儲在其創立的一個多世紀里,一直在為金融系統提供支付和結算服務,而FedNow的出現則代表美聯儲向職能擴張和技術賦能邁出了重要一步,讓個人和企業甚至在周末和節假日也能隨時進行資金的快速轉賬,整個過程只需幾秒便可完成。
在即時轉賬方面,世界上許多國家和地區都已走在了美國前面,包括英國、印度、波蘭、墨西哥和尼日利亞在內的數十個發達國家和發展中國家都已建成了自己的即時支付基礎設施。雖然由美國大多數大型銀行和大型金融機構聯合組成的清算所(Clearing House)在2017年已經推出了自己的即時支付平臺——RTP,但截至目前,該系統尚未得到廣泛應用。
美聯儲與全美10,000多家各類金融機構擁有各種聯系,因此,它有能力開發一種覆蓋全美所有銀行的即時支付系統,為資金的即時流動提供支持。根據目前的規則,個人和企業最多可以通過FedNow服務匯出25,000美元,不過美聯儲在8月6日也表示,由于許多評論者認為應該上調交易限額,它將對這一數字進行重新評估。
先進的即時支付基礎設施所能帶來的好處是多方面的。除了可以讓各類企業更靈活地獲取并管理自己的現金流,方便個人更快捷地收付款,還能讓那些面臨財務困難的人避免因為透支或費用滯納而遭到罰款。
雖然許多銀行或PayPal、Square等非銀行支付服務已經能夠通過清算所的RTP網絡提供即時支付和轉賬服務,但此類服務通常會收取額外費用。而通過建立一個覆蓋范圍更廣的平臺,美聯儲相信FedNow服務將會刺激即時支付領域的“良性競爭,提升定價合理性、服務質量和創新效率”。
正如美聯儲理事萊爾·布雷納德在8月6日指出的那樣,新冠疫情期間,由于美國政府不得不將數十億美元的刺激資金轉給需要財政援助的美國民眾,對即時支付系統的需求也越發強烈。
布雷納德說:“新冠疫情緊急救濟金的迅速支出表明,打造一個覆蓋全美的可靠的即時支付基礎設施刻不容緩,對于現金流不足的家庭和小型企業而言尤其如此。”
但也并非所有的觀察者都認同美聯儲的做法。美聯儲在8月6日表示,已經收到2200多封反對者的來信,反對人士認為,“美聯儲不應與私營部門競爭”,而FedNow服務的出現則代表“美聯儲在以不適當的方式擴充自己的職能”。
對此,美聯儲反駁稱,它將會繼續在國家支付系統中扮演與此前相同的“運營角色”,即,與私營部門展開合作而非競爭。美聯儲指出,像清算所RTP系統這樣以單一私營平臺獨占一個市場的現象在美國“傳統”的支付系統中絕無僅有,而這種情況將給整個國家的支付系統安全和效率帶來重大風險,包括“讓美國即時支付基礎設施出現單點故障”的風險。
美聯儲表示,FedNow有望在2023或2024年正式上線,更多具體信息將于晚些時候對外披露。美聯儲計劃“分步”推出該平臺。首發平臺將提供“基礎功能,幫助銀行實現向全天候服務的過渡”,隨后則會不斷增加新的功能,并對平臺進行優化。(財富中文網)
譯者:Feb
8月6日,美聯儲公布了FedNow Service(以下簡稱FedNow)即時支付平臺的最新細節,借助該平臺,美國金融機構幾乎可以瞬間完成交易的清算和結算工作。
大約在一年之前,美聯儲宣布其計劃推出FedNow服務,此后便一直在就交互樣態和運營模式等問題征求公眾意見。美聯儲表示,推出FedNow的目標是打造一種能夠廣泛應用且提供“全天候”服務的即時支付基礎設施,“從而實現對美國支付系統的現代化改造,讓全美各地社區都可以享受到即時支付技術所能帶來的益處”。
美聯儲在其創立的一個多世紀里,一直在為金融系統提供支付和結算服務,而FedNow的出現則代表美聯儲向職能擴張和技術賦能邁出了重要一步,讓個人和企業甚至在周末和節假日也能隨時進行資金的快速轉賬,整個過程只需幾秒便可完成。
在即時轉賬方面,世界上許多國家和地區都已走在了美國前面,包括英國、印度、波蘭、墨西哥和尼日利亞在內的數十個發達國家和發展中國家都已建成了自己的即時支付基礎設施。雖然由美國大多數大型銀行和大型金融機構聯合組成的清算所(Clearing House)在2017年已經推出了自己的即時支付平臺——RTP,但截至目前,該系統尚未得到廣泛應用。
美聯儲與全美10,000多家各類金融機構擁有各種聯系,因此,它有能力開發一種覆蓋全美所有銀行的即時支付系統,為資金的即時流動提供支持。根據目前的規則,個人和企業最多可以通過FedNow服務匯出25,000美元,不過美聯儲在8月6日也表示,由于許多評論者認為應該上調交易限額,它將對這一數字進行重新評估。
先進的即時支付基礎設施所能帶來的好處是多方面的。除了可以讓各類企業更靈活地獲取并管理自己的現金流,方便個人更快捷地收付款,還能讓那些面臨財務困難的人避免因為透支或費用滯納而遭到罰款。
雖然許多銀行或PayPal、Square等非銀行支付服務已經能夠通過清算所的RTP網絡提供即時支付和轉賬服務,但此類服務通常會收取額外費用。而通過建立一個覆蓋范圍更廣的平臺,美聯儲相信FedNow服務將會刺激即時支付領域的“良性競爭,提升定價合理性、服務質量和創新效率”。
正如美聯儲理事萊爾·布雷納德在8月6日指出的那樣,新冠疫情期間,由于美國政府不得不將數十億美元的刺激資金轉給需要財政援助的美國民眾,對即時支付系統的需求也越發強烈。
布雷納德說:“新冠疫情緊急救濟金的迅速支出表明,打造一個覆蓋全美的可靠的即時支付基礎設施刻不容緩,對于現金流不足的家庭和小型企業而言尤其如此。”
但也并非所有的觀察者都認同美聯儲的做法。美聯儲在8月6日表示,已經收到2200多封反對者的來信,反對人士認為,“美聯儲不應與私營部門競爭”,而FedNow服務的出現則代表“美聯儲在以不適當的方式擴充自己的職能”。
對此,美聯儲反駁稱,它將會繼續在國家支付系統中扮演與此前相同的“運營角色”,即,與私營部門展開合作而非競爭。美聯儲指出,像清算所RTP系統這樣以單一私營平臺獨占一個市場的現象在美國“傳統”的支付系統中絕無僅有,而這種情況將給整個國家的支付系統安全和效率帶來重大風險,包括“讓美國即時支付基礎設施出現單點故障”的風險。
美聯儲表示,FedNow有望在2023或2024年正式上線,更多具體信息將于晚些時候對外披露。美聯儲計劃“分步”推出該平臺。首發平臺將提供“基礎功能,幫助銀行實現向全天候服務的過渡”,隨后則會不斷增加新的功能,并對平臺進行優化。(財富中文網)
譯者:Feb
On August 6, the Federal Reserve unveiled new details about FedNow Service—a new real-time payments platform that would enable financial institutions in the U.S. to clear and settle transactions in virtually instantaneous fashion.
The Fed announced its plans for FedNowService almost one year ago to the day, and has since been receiving public comments on the platform, what it should look like, and how it should operate.The goal is to develop a widely accessible, “24x7x365” instant payments infrastructure that would “modernize the U.S. payment system and bring the benefits of instant payments broadly to communities across the country,” according to the Fed.
While the Fed has provided payment and settlement services to the financial system since its founding more than a century ago, FedNow Service would represent an expansive, tech-enabled leap forward—one allowing individuals and businesses to transfer funds in a matter of seconds at any time, on any day (including weekends and holidays).
The U.S. lags behind much of the world in this regard; dozens of developed and developing nations around the world—including the likes of the U.K., India, Poland, Mexico, and Nigeria—already operate their own real-time payments infrastructures.Though The Clearing House—a collective comprising most of America’s largest banks and financial institutions—did launch its own real-time payments platform, known as RTP, in 2017, that system remains far from universally adopted.
The Fed has relationships with more than 10,000 different financial institutions across the country, giving it the ability to develop a real-time payments system that virtually all American banks can access to facilitate the near-instant flow of funds.Individuals and businesses would be able to send up to $25,000 through the FedNow Service, though the Fed said on August 6 that it would reevaluate that figure after numerous commenters suggested a larger transaction limit.
The benefits of a state-of-the-art, real-time payment infrastructure would appear to be wide-ranging.In addition to allowing businesses of all types to access funds and manage their cash flow in a more flexible manner, it would also allow individuals to send and receive money more quickly, potentially helping those facing financial constraints to avoid penalties like overdraft and late fees.
While many banks and non-bank payment services (like PayPal and Square) already offer instant payments and transfers through The Clearing House's RTP network, such services often come with additional fees.By creating a wider-reaching platform, the Fed believes FedNow Service would stimulate “healthy competition” in the real-time payments space, and result in “efficiencies related to pricing, service quality, and innovation.”
As Federal Reserve governor Lael Brainard noted on August 6, the need for a ubiquitous real-time payments system has become increasingly apparent at a time when the U.S. government has had to transfer billions of dollars in stimulus funds to Americans in need of financial assistance during the coronavirus pandemic.
“The rapid expenditure of COVID emergency relief payments highlighted the critical importance of having a resilient instant payments infrastructure with nationwide reach, especially for households and small businesses with cashflow constraints,” Brainard said.
Not all observers agree with the Fed's approach.The central bank noted on August 6 that it received more than 2,200 letters from commenters arguing that it “should not operate in competition with the private sector,” and that FedNow Service would represent “an inappropriate expansion of the Federal Reserve’s role.”
But Fed itself counters by noting that it would be playing the same “operational role” within the national payment system that it always has—one working in conjunction with the private sector, rather than competing against it.It notes that no other “traditional” payment system in the U.S. has only one private-sector provider like The Clearing House’s RTP, and that such a dynamic would “create significant risks to the safety and efficiency of the nation’s payment system”—including “creat[ing] a single point of failure in the nation’s instant payments infrastructure.”
The central bank said its targeted launch date for FedNow Service remains “2023 or 2024,” with a more specific time frame to come.The Fed will take a “phased approach” to rolling out the platform; an initial launch will offer “baseline functionality” with the goal of “help[ing] banks manage the transition to a 24x7x365 service,” and that will be followed by additional features and enhancements to be “introduced over time.”