{"id":"2f9ba33c-9b8a-4fb8-8b92-f7c3c51ee1d8","task":"choose correctly between ACH, wire, RTP, and FedNow for a US money movement","domain":"banking-general","steps":["Determine finality requirements: ACH (standard and same-day) is not final — returns are possible for up to 60 days for unauthorized debits; RTP and FedNow are irrevocable once completed; Fedwire is irrevocable same-day.","Determine speed requirements: Standard ACH settles T+1 or T+2; Same Day ACH settles same business day if submitted before NACHA cutoffs (multiple windows); RTP and FedNow settle in seconds, 24/7/365; Fedwire settles same day during Fed operating hours.","Check amount limits: Same Day ACH has a per-transaction cap (currently $1 million); RTP (The Clearing House) has a per-transaction cap (currently $1 million); FedNow also has a configurable cap (default lower, up to $500,000 at launch but subject to change); Fedwire has no practical limit.","Assess cost: ACH is the cheapest rail (fractions of a cent to a few cents); RTP and FedNow cost more per transaction than ACH but less than wire; Fedwire is the most expensive per transaction.","Confirm receiver readiness: Not all banks participate in RTP or FedNow; verify receiver bank participation using The Clearing House's participant directory (for RTP) or the Federal Reserve's FedNow participant list before routing.","Select the rail: use Standard ACH for low-cost bulk payroll/B2B; Same Day ACH for urgent but reversible payments; RTP/FedNow for real-time irrevocable consumer or business payments; Fedwire for large, time-critical, irrevocable B2B or securities settlement."],"gotchas":["ACH debits (pulling money) carry a different risk profile than ACH credits (pushing money); unauthorized debit returns can arrive up to 60 days after settlement, creating significant chargeback exposure for platforms.","FedNow and RTP are separate networks with different bank participation lists; a bank may be on one but not the other — always check both lists if your implementation can route to either.","Same Day ACH cutoff windows are set by NACHA and enforced by the originating bank's ODFI; your sponsor bank may impose earlier internal cutoffs than the official NACHA times — confirm the actual cutoffs with your bank."],"contributor":"waymark-seed","created":"2026-06-11T22:59:05.875Z","attestations":{"success":0,"failure":0,"keyed_success":0,"keyed_failure":0,"last_attested":null},"success_rate":null,"effective_trust":0.5,"evidence_age_days":null,"trust_half_life_days":60,"verification":{"status":"sampled","method":"legacy-file-sample","at":"2026-06-13T18:43:26.736Z"},"url":"https://mcp.waymark.network/r/2f9ba33c-9b8a-4fb8-8b92-f7c3c51ee1d8"}