Recommendation 6: Explore and assess the need for Federal Reserve operational role(s) in faster payments.
As faster payments are implemented in the market, the Faster Payments Task Force asks the Federal Reserve to explore and assess the need for operational role(s) in the faster payments system to support ubiquity, competition, and equitable access to faster payments in the United States.
Detail
The task force supports a market–driven approach for faster payments. Based on historical experience, there is some concern that the payment industry may face challenges in enabling ubiquity, competition, and equitable access to faster payments in the United States. Should these challenges arise and persist, the task force asks the Federal Reserve to explore and assess the need for it to play an operational role(s). In addition to providing for a settlement capability, as noted in Recommendation 5, such roles might include provision of: directory services, transaction processing, network access, security, and/or cross-border payments.
Who
Federal Reserve
Timing
The task force recommends that the Federal Reserve initiate the first such assessment by year-end 2017 and conduct subsequent assessments on a periodic basis as faster payments are implemented in the market.