RTP network
The RTP network is The Clearing House's real-time payment system in the US, used by financial institutions to send and receive instant payments of up to $10 million, 24/7/365. Settlement is final at any time of day.
Jurisdiction: United States: operated by The Clearing House. Figures as published by The Clearing House for the period to September 2026.
How it works
The RTP network has run since 2017. The Clearing House says it has processed over 1.8 billion transactions worth over $3.6 trillion since then. In the third quarter of 2026 it carried 150 million transactions worth $621 billion, and it had more than 1,378 participants as of September 2026.
Payments have grown larger. In 2025 the network settled 447,207,091 payments worth $1,454 billion, an average of $3,252 per payment, against $719 in 2024. From January to September 2026 it settled 422,155,264 payments worth $1,679 billion, an average of $3,977.
Any federally insured depository institution, and certain other financial institutions, can participate without owning or joining The Clearing House. Messages use ISO 20022. Non-bank payment firms reach RTP through a participating bank, so their limits and hours also depend on that bank.
Example
A firm settles $2,400,000 a day with a US payout partner. Over RTP it sends three payments of $800,000 at 08:00, 14:00 and 20:00, including weekends, instead of one large wire on business days. The longest gap between top-ups is now the 12 hours from 20:00 to 08:00, so the partner's balance needs to cover about half a day of payouts rather than a whole weekend.
Frequently asked questions
Does RTP run on bank holidays?
Yes. The Clearing House states the network is available around the clock, including bank holidays, weekends and after hours.
What is the maximum RTP payment?
$10 million per transaction at network level.
Where Polynopsis fits
Polynopsis keeps the position live across banks, payout partners and wallets, so instant dollar movements show up in the day's position as they happen.
Compared with
Related terms
Sources
- Real Time Payments · The Clearing House
- RTP network volume and value statistics · The Clearing House
Know where all your money is.
Polynopsis gives cross-border payment teams one live position across every bank, payout partner, exchange and wallet, including money in flight, and warns before a corridor runs dry.
About Polynopsis
Polynopsis is liquidity management software for cross-border payment companies. The name joins poly, many, and synopsis, a seeing together: one live view of money spread across many banks, payout partners, exchanges and stablecoin wallets, including money in flight, with a warning before any corridor runs dry.
Why it is called Polynopsis · About Polynopsis · Glossary · Corridor runway calculator