The Federal Reserve Board announced new pricing for payment services provided by Federal Reserve Banks, effective 1 January 2026, including check clearing, ACH transactions, instant payments, and wholesale payment and settlement services. Fees are expected to recover 108% of actual and imputed expenses, with an estimated 0.9% average price increase for mature services. The full 2026 fee schedule is available on FRBservices.org.
Policy & regulationRules & requirementsPayments and payment systems
The Federal Reserve Board announced new pricing, effective 1 January 2026, for payment services that the Federal Reserve Banks provide to banks and credit unions, including check clearing, automated clearing house (ACH) transactions, instant payments, and wholesale payment and settlement services.
Under its statutory cost-recovery requirement, the Federal Reserve expects fees to recover 108 percent of actual and imputed expenses in 2026, including the return on equity that would have been earned if a private-sector firm provided the services. Overall, 2026 price changes are estimated to result in a 0.9 percent average price increase for established, mature services, with the full 2026 fee schedule published on FRBservices.org.
The Federal Reserve Board set payment service fees effective Jan. 1, 2027, with an estimated 1.4% average increase for established, mature services. Federal Reserve Banks will also adjust check processing windows and raise check processing fees as volumes decline. The check changes affect processing by banks and credit unions, not consumers’ or…