The Faster Payments Council has kicked off 2026 with strong momentum, marked by the release of three timely resources that address some of the most important opportunities and challenges shaping the future of faster payments.
First, we released TheValue of ISO 20022 for U.S. B2B Instant Payments, developed by the Business Benefits of B2B Instant Payments Work Group (B2BWG). The blog explores how ISO 20022 is serving as a foundational standard for modernizing domestic B2B payments. The piece highlights how structured, data-rich messaging improves interoperability, automation, and reconciliation while addressing long-standing pain points like manual processing, limited remittance data, and ERP integration challenges. By outlining benefits for both financial institutions and corporates—along with key implementation considerations—the blog provides a practical roadmap for organizations evaluating how ISO 20022 supports straight-through processing, request-to-pay capabilities, and readiness for real-time payment rails.
This month, the B2BWG published another blog, B2B Instant Payments + E-Invoicing: A Perfect Marriage, that examines the powerful convergence of instant payments and e-invoicing. This resource details how combining real-time payment rails with structured e-invoice data can transform fragmented, manual B2B processes into fully automated, end-to-end digital solutions automating the payment lifecycle. From improved cash flow and lower operating costs to better visibility, reduced fraud risk, and streamlined reconciliation, the blog offers clear insight into how businesses can modernize current B2B payment practices while aligning with emerging standards and best practices.
Rounding out these releases is a blog that launched in mid-December from the Digital Assets Work Group, The Imperative of Digital Identity for Financial Institutions, which focuses on digital identity in an era of AI, agentic payments, and digital assets. Using an identity lifecycle framework—Onboard, Establish, and Experience—the blog helps financial institutions evaluate emerging solutions such as biometrics, verifiable credentials, decentralized identifiers, and AI-based fraud detection. It serves as a practical guide for strengthening security, improving customer experience, and reducing fraud as financial institutions adapt to faster, more complex digital payment environments.
Together, these publications reflect the FPC’s sustained focus on advancing education, driving adoption, and supporting the industry with practical guidance as payments continue to evolve. It might be a new year, but we remain focused on our existing goal. Be sure to check out these resources and more in the in the Publications & Resources section of our website.