More than two in five financial institutions (FIs) and payment providers expect to enable instant payment capabilities within the next two years, according to a Finextra Research survey commissioned by ACI Worldwide and published in November 2025.
The global survey, which included 162 respondents, found that 41% of organizations plan to offer instant payment sending capabilities within two years.
The Asia-Pacific region showed a more “fragmented” outlook compared to Europe, with institutions reporting varying deployment timelines and the highest level of uncertainty globally—13% of APAC respondents said they were “not sure.”
In comparison, 39% of European organizations plan to support instant payments within the next 12 months.
Globally, nearly half (46%) of organizations admitted they still have work to do to enhance digital payment readiness.
While 94% of respondents indicated some level of preparedness to handle the rising volume of end-user initiated digital payments, the report noted that 46%—those identifying as “somewhat prepared,” “not well prepared,” or “not prepared at all”—still need to strengthen their infrastructure.
“It is clear that scaling infrastructure to meet growing demand for end-user initiated digital payments must remain a priority,” the report concluded.
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