United States vs Taiwan · Real-time payment systems compared
| Capability | FedNow | FISC |
|---|---|---|
| QR Code Payments | — | ✓ |
| Wallet Support | — | — |
| 24/7 Availability | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cross-Border | — | ◐ |
| ISO 20022 | ✓ | ◐ |
| Request to Pay | ✓ | — |
| Open API | ✓ | ◐ |
| Alias/Proxy | — | ◐ |
The Federal Reserve's instant payment service enabling US banks and credit unions to send and receive payments in seconds, 24/7/365. Launched in July 2023, FedNow is the first new Fed payment rail in 50 years and aims to democratise instant payments by giving all 10,000+ US depository institutions direct access (unlike the private-sector RTP). Supports credit transfers up to $500K with plans to add request-for-payment and other features. Note: FedNow shows extreme growth rates as it scales from a low base β value jumped 35x in Q3 2024 as larger institutions onboarded, which is typical for newly launched payment systems.
Taiwan's shared interbank real-time rail, operated by FISC (Financial Information Service Co.). Carries both institutional flows and consumer traffic β real-time transfers in every Taiwanese bank's mobile app, any-bank ATM withdrawals, and TWQR merchant payments. TWQR is FISC's national interoperable QR-code standard (launched 2019), used by consumer wallets Line Pay Money, JKO Pay, iPass Money and Pi ζι’ε . Live 24/7 since 1991, connecting 107 institutions, handling TWD plus five foreign currencies (USD, RMB, JPY, EUR, AUD). Settles through the CBC's RTGS.