Instant Payouts: RTP, FedNow, Push-to-Card and ACH Compared
Customers have stopped waiting. When someone cashes out earnings or is owed a refund, they expect the money now, not on Thursday. Instant payouts make that possible, but "instant" can mean several different payment rails, each with its own rules.
What are instant payouts?
An instant payout sends money to a person's bank account or debit card in seconds or minutes, at any hour, including nights, weekends and holidays. A standard bank transfer, by contrast, moves in batches on business days and can take one to three days to arrive.
Businesses use instant payouts wherever money flows back to people: withdrawals from wallets and accounts, seller and creator earnings on marketplaces, gig-worker pay, insurance claims and refunds.
US payout rails compared
| Rail | Speed | When it runs | Where it can send |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTP (Real-Time Payments) | Seconds | 24/7, every day | Bank accounts at participating banks |
| FedNow | Seconds | 24/7, every day | Bank accounts at participating banks |
| Push-to-card | Usually within minutes | 24/7, every day | Eligible debit cards |
| Same-day ACH | Same business day | Business days, in set windows | Almost any US bank account |
| Standard ACH | 1 to 3 business days | Business days | Almost any US bank account |
RTP
The RTP network is run by The Clearing House, which is owned by large US banks. It launched in 2017 and settles each payment in seconds, around the clock. A payout over RTP is final: once it is sent, the money is in the recipient's account.
FedNow
FedNow is the Federal Reserve's instant payment service, launched in 2023. It works like RTP, settling in seconds at any hour, and the number of banks and credit unions on it keeps growing. Some banks are on both networks, some on one, and some on neither yet.
Push-to-card
Push-to-card sends money to a debit card through the card networks' payout services. The money usually lands within minutes, and the customer only needs their card, which they often already used to pay. That makes it a simple way to send withdrawals back to where the money came from.
Same-day and standard ACH
ACH reaches almost every US bank account, which makes it the dependable fallback. Same-day ACH arrives the same business day if it is sent before the cut-off. Standard ACH takes one to three business days, and neither runs on weekends or bank holidays.
How to choose a payout rail
- Check the receiving bank first. If it supports RTP or FedNow, send instantly. If it doesn't, fall back to same-day ACH instead of failing.
- Offer a card option. Push-to-card can cover customers whose bank isn't on an instant network, if their debit card is eligible.
- Verify before you pay. Instant payouts are final, so confirm the account belongs to the customer before the first payout, for example with a one-time code or an identity check.
- Tell customers what to expect. "Arrives in seconds" or "arrives today" prevents support tickets.
How Soap helps
Soap sends payouts to debit cards and US bank accounts from the same integration you use to accept payments. Bank payouts go out in real time where the receiving bank supports it, and by same-day ACH where it doesn't. Payouts sit in the same dashboard as deposits and card payments. See pay by bank and bank payouts for details, and read how Lightning payments let eligible Cash App customers pay over Lightning.
Frequently asked questions
What are instant payouts?
Instant payouts send money to a person's bank account or debit card in seconds or minutes, at any hour, instead of the one to three business days a standard bank transfer takes. Businesses use them for withdrawals, seller and creator earnings, refunds and gig-worker pay.
What is the difference between RTP and FedNow?
Both are US instant payment networks that settle in seconds, 24/7. RTP is run by The Clearing House, a group owned by large banks, and launched in 2017. FedNow is run by the Federal Reserve and launched in 2023. A payout can only go over a network the receiving bank has joined.
What is the difference between ACH and RTP?
ACH moves money in batches on business days, so a transfer takes from the same day to a few days. RTP sends each payment on its own and settles it in seconds, at any hour, but only to banks on the RTP network.
How does push-to-card work?
Push-to-card sends money to a debit card through the card networks' payout services. The money usually reaches the cardholder's account within minutes, and the recipient only needs to share their card, not their bank details.
Are instant payouts available to every bank account?
Not yet. Many US banks and credit unions have joined RTP or FedNow, but not all. A good payout setup checks whether the receiving bank supports an instant rail and falls back to same-day ACH when it doesn't.
Talk to the Soap team
Want faster payouts for your customers? Talk to the Soap team.