Real-time payments reshape North America's financial infrastructure. The U.S. real-time payment networks are accelerating dramatically, with transaction volumes projected to reach 8 billion in 2026 and nearly 13.9 billion by 2028, representing a 31.7% compound annual growth rate. The Clearing House reported record milestones on its RTP network in 2025, while FedNow gains traction with major institutions like Capital One and PNC Bank joining. Canada is transforming its infrastructure with the planned Real-Time Rail launch, enabling irrevocable ISO 20022-based payments around the clock. Mexico's SPEI system continues expanding with SPEI 2.0 introducing mass processing and multicurrency capabilities. Across all three nations, real-time payments are transitioning from experimental pilots to essential financial infrastructure, fundamentally changing how money moves.
