Welcome to Innovating Payments Top 3 News Headlines for the Week of August 3, 2026.
As the payments landscape continues to shift toward instant payments, Nacha reported a nearly 30% increase in Same Day ACH payments in Q2, helping to drive overall network volume, which itself was up 6.2%.
And as stablecoins continue to be a featured topic in DC, the Federal Reserve convened at the Fifth Conference on the International Roles of the U.S. Dollar, offering commentary on how they see these digital assets impacting the dollar's role on a global scale.
Finally, PYMNTS notes that digital wallets continue to gain traction for in-store purchases-and are growing as de facto accounts, with consumers regularly allowing balances to remain within these apps.
Read on for more.
1. Large Gains in Same Day ACH Help Drive ACH Network in Second Quarter of 2026 (Nacha)
A nearly 30% jump in the number of Same Day ACH payments and a nearly 10% increase in business-to-business payments helped drive the ACH Network's second quarter 2026 growth.
For the quarter, volume on the ACH Network totaled 9.3 billion payments valued at $25.9 trillion, respective increases of 6.2% and 11.1% over the same period in 2025.
Same Day ACH handled 435.7 million payments in the second quarter, up 29.5%, while the value of those payments climbed 28.1% to $1.3 trillion.
"The phenomenal growth of Same Day ACH demonstrates its value as a safe, fast payment method for consumers, businesses and other organizations," said Jane Larimer, Nacha President and CEO. "In 2027, the dollar limit will increase to $10 million, further strengthening Same Day ACH's position in the market as a compelling faster payment method." (Read more.)
2. Stablecoins complement dollar: Fed (Payments Dive)
Summarizing comments from Fifth Conference on the International Roles of the U.S. Dollar, Payments Dive reported that stablecoins will likely bolster the dollar's role in the global financial system given the extent to which these digital assets are overwhelmingly tied to the dollar.
Opening the conference, Federal Reserve Gov. Christopher Waller shared, "The private sector is moving rapidly to expand access to dollar-denominated assets, innovate in new financial services, and explore potential business opportunities that perhaps did not make sense with legacy technologies. In doing so, there will be complements to the traditional financial sector, but there will also be areas of competition. As an economist, I believe that is a good thing-more competition generally leads to better outcomes for both consumers and society as a whole." (Read more.)
3. Digital Wallets Reach More Than 1 in 10 In-Store Payments (PYMNTS)
According to the new PYMNTS report, "Apple Pay @11: Usage Is Up, but Competitors Are Gaining Ground," mobile wallet use is rising in stores and online, while Apple Pay's rivals are also attracting more users. More than three in 10 consumers used a mobile wallet in a store during the previous week, more than double the share reported in 2024. The report also finds that consumers increasingly fund wallet purchases with balances held directly inside digital platforms. (Read more.)
The rate of payments innovation seemingly continues to accelerate, and financial institutions have to keep up with what's next to remain competitive. NEACH parses, aggregates, and analyzes the latest news and information to help FIs in discerning what matters and what's next.
That's one reason we're holding the Future of Payments Symposium, taking place November 2-3, in Newport, R.I., where topics ranging from instant payments to reputation management in today's environment will take center stage. We hope you'll be able to join us as we unpack the developments that will impact your bottom line in the coming year. And feel free to reach out to our Payments Hotline at 855-NEACHQA or info@neach.org at any time for support.
NEACH - New England Automated Clearing House Association is a neutral, member-focused advocate. Our role is to give you the intelligence, context, and connections you need to make informed strategic decisions. We bring together industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators so you can evaluate innovation through the lens of your institution’s mission and market strategy. For more information, visit neach.org.
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AUTHOR: Joe Casali, AAP, NCP
Executive Vice President
As the EVP of Payments Innovation for NEACH, Joe focuses on exploring innovative solutions and technologies that will help position members for success, both now and in the future. Connect with Joe to read more of his blogs, articles, and posts.
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