The Central Bank of Barbados has confirmed that BiMPay, the country’s new national instant payment system, will go live at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, June 12, 2026. At launch, all six commercial banks and the three largest credit unions will connect to the BiMPay rail, the infrastructure that will replace the automated clearing house and real-time processing systems for interbank transfers. The system is intended to allow instant interbank payments across Barbados. Seven participating institutions will also connect to the Central Bank’s BiMPay e-wallet at launch. The e-wallet supports payments using phone numbers, email addresses or QR codes, and allows users to send requests for payment. Scotiabank and AffinityPlus Credit Union will not initially connect to the e-wallet, so their customers will not be able to link bank accounts to the BiMPay app at go-live, although they will still be able to send and receive interbank payments through existing online banking platforms. The launch follows months of testing involving participating financial institutions and other payments ecosystem stakeholders. Scotiabank is expected to enable wallet access within 30 days of launch, while AffinityPlus Credit Union is expected to do so within 60 days. The Central Bank said it will provide further updates as additional functionality becomes available.
Central Bank of Barbados2026-06-11
Central Bank of Barbados confirms June 12 launch of BiMPay with all banks and three largest credit unions on the instant payments rail
The Central Bank of Barbados said BiMPay will go live at 11:59 p.m. on June 12, 2026, with all six commercial banks and the three largest credit unions connected to the new instant payments rail. Seven institutions will also join the BiMPay e-wallet at launch, while Scotiabank and AffinityPlus Credit Union are expected to add wallet access within 30 days and 60 days, respectively. Customers of those two institutions can still make interbank payments through existing online banking channels.