Top Vendors Offering Real-Time Payments for Credit Unions

The top vendors offering real-time payments for credit unions are Alacriti, Jack Henry, Alloya Corporate FCU, Nymbus, Corporate One FCU, Velera, and FIS. Each supports TCH’s RTP® network, the FedNow® Service, or both, with differences in send-and-receive capability, settlement models, fraud controls, and core integration. 

Your best choice depends on your core system, your target member use cases, and whether you need a full payment hub or settlement support only.

Key Takeaways

• TCH’s RTP® network reports 128 million transactions in Q1 2026 (TCH via Digital Transactions, 2026).
• Alacriti reports serving 20% of U.S. credit union members across its platform.
• Receive-only participation limits members to inbound payments. Send-and-receive opens the full use case set.
• RTP is accessible to institutions holding approximately 90% of U.S. demand deposit accounts.
• Core-agnostic vendors let credit unions add rails without depending on their core provider’s roadmap.

Why Credit Unions Are Prioritizing Real-Time Payments Now

Member demand is clear. Payroll recipients want same-day access to funds. Small business members need to move cash on their schedule. Me-to-me transfers between accounts at different institutions are table stakes for younger members. These use cases are driving board-level mandates at credit unions of all sizes.

The market has reached real scale. TCH’s RTP® network reports more than 1,200 enrolled institutions and 128 million transactions in Q1 2026 (TCH via Digital Transactions, 2026). The FedNow® Service launched in July 2023 and continues to add participating institutions.

A March 2024 briefing that Fried Frank prepared for the UNC School of Law Banking Institute reported that 481 banks and credit unions participated in TCH’s RTP® network as of December 2023 (Fried Frank & UNC School of Law Banking Institute, 2024). At the time, TCH estimated the network was accessible to institutions holding about 90% of U.S. demand deposit accounts (The Clearing House via Fried Frank & UNC School of Law Banking Institute, 2024). 

Vendor selection determines which rails you can offer, how fast you can add new ones, and whether you end up locked into a single platform.

7 Real-Time Payments Providers Built for Credit Unions

Alacriti (Orbipay Payments Hub)

Orbipay Payments Hub connects credit unions to TCH’s RTP® network and the FedNow® Service through a single cloud-native platform that also supports ACH, wire, and Visa Direct. Adding a new rail after the first connection doesn’t require a platform replacement. The architecture scales rail by rail.

Connexus Credit Union and NET Credit Union have expanded their instant payment capabilities with Alacriti. Fraud prevention is available through Alacriti’s Socure partnership, integrated directly into the payment flow. Alacriti reports serving 20% of U.S. credit union members. The platform integrates with Jack Henry, Fiserv, and other core systems without dependency on any of them.

Alacriti’s Orbipay Payments Hub serves 20% of U.S. credit union members.

Jack Henry (PayCenter / Instant Payment Hub)

Jack Henry has deep relationships across the community FI segment and is certified for both FedNow® Service send and receive functions. Its Defender fraud platform adds meaningful controls.

The key consideration: payment capabilities are tied to the Jack Henry core. Credit unions on other cores, or those that want payment hub independence, will find flexibility constrained by Jack Henry’s core-first architecture.

Alloya Corporate FCU

Alloya is a corporate credit union that provides settlement services for real-time payments, including cases where processing runs through a different vendor. It’s a complementary option, not a full payment hub.

Smaller credit unions that need a settlement pathway without building direct Fed or TCH connections may find Alloya a practical starting point.

Nymbus

Nymbus offers a modern banking platform with real-time payment connectivity aimed at credit unions building digital-first member experiences. It suits institutions pursuing a full digital transformation, not just payment-rail connectivity.

Credit unions looking for a standalone payment hub without migrating their core will find Nymbus’s broader platform scope a meaningful consideration. How much that matters depends on your appetite for change.

Corporate One FCU

Like Alloya, Corporate One is a corporate credit union providing settlement infrastructure for real-time payments. It serves member credit unions that want network access without building direct connections to the Fed or TCH.

Credit unions already banking with Corporate One will find this a low-friction path to receive-side real-time payment capability. Confirm send capability timelines and rail coverage before committing.

Velera

Velera (formerly PSCU/Co-op Solutions) brings scale and a credit-union-specific focus built over decades in card and payment processing. Its real-time payment capabilities are expanding across both the FedNow® Service and TCH’s RTP® network.

Credit unions that want a standalone, core-agnostic payment hub architecture should confirm how Velera’s real-time capabilities integrate with their existing processing stack.

FIS (Payments Hub Quantom)

FIS’s Payments Hub Quantom supports RTP, the FedNow® Service, ACH, wire, and P2P payments, with built-in fraud detection and ISO 20022 messaging. ISO 20022 is the international data standard for financial messages; it carries richer transaction data than older formats. The product is newer, with limited live credit union deployments as of 2025. If you’re evaluating FIS, ask for reference clients on your core system who went live within the past 12 months.

Vendor Comparison: Key Criteria at a Glance

Vendor	FedNow® Support	RTP® Support	Send and Receive	Core-Agnostic
Alacriti	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Jack Henry	Yes	Yes	Yes	No (core-tied)
Alloya Corporate FCU	Settlement only	Settlement only	Confirm	Yes (settlement layer)
FIS	Yes	Yes	Yes	Limited (newer product)
Velera	Expanding	Yes	Confirm	Confirm

TCH’s RTP® network has operated since 2017, making it the longer-running U.S. real-time rail.

What Questions Should a Credit Union Ask Any Real-Time Payments Vendor Before Signing a Contract?

Vendor materials cover the capabilities they want you to see. These questions surface the ones that determine fit for your institution.

• Do you support both TCH’s RTP® network and the FedNow® Service, and are both send and receive functions certified today?
• Is your platform core-agnostic, or does it require a specific core banking system?
• How do you handle fraud prevention for real-time transactions — is it integrated into the payment flow, or a separate add-on?
• What’s your implementation timeline, and can you provide reference clients on our core system who went live recently?
• Do you handle settlement directly, or through a corporate credit union intermediary, and what does that mean for our liquidity management?

What Is the Difference Between Send-Only, Receive-Only, and Full Send-and-Receive Capabilities, and Why Does It Matter for Member Value?

Receive-only means your members can accept real-time payments, such as inbound payroll deposits, government disbursements, and insurance claims, but can’t initiate them. It’s a useful starting point, not a complete offering. 

Send-and-receive capability opens the full range of member use cases: me-to-me transfers between institutions, outbound bill pay, small business disbursements, and payroll funding. That’s where the real member value is.

Confirm a vendor’s certification covers both before evaluating member-facing capabilities. A receive-only certification isn’t the same as full rail participation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What companies use real-time payments?

Participation spans credit unions, community banks, and large financial institutions. TCH’s RTP® network reports more than 1,200 enrolled institutions as of Q1 2026. The FedNow® Service is adding institutions across the country. Both rails are available to credit unions of all asset sizes, either through direct connection or via a corporate credit union settlement partner.

What is the largest real-time payment system in the world?

India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) processes billions of transactions annually and is the largest by volume globally. In the U.S., TCH’s RTP® network has operated since 2017 and remains the more widely adopted domestic rail by enrolled institution count. The FedNow® Service launched in 2023 and is growing its participation base alongside RTP.

How do I choose between a payment hub vendor and a corporate credit union for real-time payments?

A payment hub vendor like Alacriti manages the full transaction workflow across multiple rails, with integrated fraud controls and core connectivity. A corporate credit union like Alloya or Corporate One provides settlement infrastructure and network access, typically with less processing functionality.

Some credit unions use both: a hub vendor for processing and a corporate credit union for settlement support. Confirm which layer your institution actually needs before evaluating vendors.

Is real-time payment pricing more expensive than ACH?

Per-transaction costs for real-time payments are higher than ACH in most pricing models. ACH is a batch process built for volume at low cost. Real-time payments move funds instantly and irrevocably, which carries a premium.

Whether that cost is justified depends on the use case. Payroll disbursements and same-day business payments often support the higher transaction cost when speed directly affects member or business cash flow.