What happened
- Specific facts/numbers: In the second quarter of 2026, the ACH Network processed 9.3 billion payments worth $25.9 trillion, up 6.2% by volume and 11.1% by value year over year; Same Day ACH handled 435.7 million payments worth $1.3 trillion, up 29.5% and 28.1%, respectively.
- Institutions involved: Nacha reported the figures for the U.S. ACH Network and highlighted demand from financial institutions and business users, including growth in business-to-business payment activity.
- Regulatory/technical context: Same Day ACH is Nacha’s faster-settlement option within the U.S. ACH Network, which remains a batch-based electronic payment rail; Nacha said nearly 10% growth in B2B payments also helped drive overall second-quarter network expansion.
- What to watch next: Watch for Nacha’s next quarterly ACH statistics and any further Same Day ACH rule or operating-hour enhancements; no specific next milestone was identified in the materials reviewed.
Why it matters
Rising Same Day ACH usage indicates continued migration toward lower-cost, faster bank-account-based payments for time-sensitive payroll, bill pay and B2B flows.
HKMA Relevance
Indirect: U.S. ACH adoption trends can inform Hong Kong discussions on account-to-account payment modernization, but this story is about U.S. payment-rail usage rather than HKMA policy.