Catalyst recently hosted a webinar, with experts from Neural Payments, exploring the accelerating shift toward instant payments and the strategic implications for credit unions. The session highlighted a reality that is becoming impossible to ignore: the payments landscape is transforming faster than at any point in modern financial history. Member expectations, business demands and competitive pressures are converging to make real‑time payments a foundational capability, not a future consideration.

As Justin Lutes, VP of Correspondent Services at Catalyst, shared during the session, “80% of organizations identify faster payments as a must‑have” and “64% of consumers cited immediate need as a reason for choosing instant payouts.” These aren’t abstract trends. They are direct signals that the credit union movement must modernize its payments infrastructure to remain relevant, competitive and member‑centric.

Instant payments are no longer optional – they’re foundational

The rapid adoption of the FedNow^® Service and RTP^® network underscores how quickly real time payments are becoming standard. FedNow has grown from a small group of early adopters to over 1,600 participating institutions as of end of Q1 2026 while RTP continues to expand across the industry. 

Credit unions that do not offer instant payments risk losing deposits and member loyalty. According to Lutes, “Your members expect it… They won’t ask for it or complain. They will just go somewhere else that has it.”

Instant payments are no longer a competitive edge. They are the cost of staying in the game.

Catalyst’s Open Payment Hub: a modern architecture for a modern era

Catalyst’s digital payments strategy is centered on a modern, open payment hub that integrates instant payments, digital experiences and settlement into a unified architecture that credit unions can deploy at their own pace through a single unified connection.

The hub is intentionally modular, allowing institutions to adopt the full suite or select specific capabilities. Key capabilities include:

• FedNow Service and RTP send/receive
• Multi-rail capabilities, including common debit platforms
• Wallet exchange and emerging stablecoin readiness
• Business disbursements and payouts
• Integrated settlement and liquidity management

The goal is simple: empower credit unions to deliver seamless, secure and modern payment experiences without adding operational burden.

Member directed payments without the friction

One of the most compelling aspects of the platform is its member centric design. Both consumer and business members can easily send money to virtually anyone using a single interface that intelligently routes payments across the most appropriate rails. As Wes Brown, Head of Sales at Neural Payments illustrated, the experience is unified: “We’ve eliminated all of those options… we’ve grouped it all into one send experience.”

The platform delivers on the key considerations members think about:

• “Did the money get there?”
• “Was it fast?”
• “Was it easy?”

Catalyst’s platform delivers on all three.

Fraud mitigation built for instant payments

Instant payments require instant risk management. The built-in fraud engine gives credit unions control without complexity. This approach balances security with usability, including: dynamic exclusion lists, real time alerts, graduated KYC and step-up authentication and institution defined risk thresholds.

The impact is significant. As Mick Oppy, Founder and CEO of Neural Payments noted, “with just four rules, you can block 99.9% of your volume.” This allows credit unions to confidently enable instant payment Send while maintaining strong protection against account takeover and scams.

Preparing for what’s next: stablecoins, wallets and beyond

Catalyst is dedicated not only to enhancing current payment infrastructure, but also to proactively preparing for future advancements.  The platform already supports crypto wallet exchange use cases and Catalyst is building the use cases and technology stack to manage stablecoins and digital assets in way that benefits both credit unions and their members. 

While commercial readiness is still evolving, the message is clear: the Catalyst platform is designed to lead industry evolution, not chase it.

A future ready strategy for the credit union movement

Catalyst’s mission is rooted in service to its member‑owners. Every enhancement to the Digital Payments Platform is designed to strengthen credit unions’ ability to compete and deliver exceptional member value. Instant payments are a strategic imperative and we’re committed to guiding credit unions through every step of the journey.

Catalyst is ready when you are. Schedule a consultation to learn how you can unlock the future of payments today.

Watch the full Smarter Payments Start Here webinar

To explore these insights in more depth, including the live demo and Q&A, you can watch the full webinar recording here.