NEW YORK – Early Warning Services, the network operator of Zelle®, today announced a new initiative to enable Zelle to deliver faster and more reliable cross-border money movement. The effort marks an important step in expanding the reach of Zelle globally by leveraging stablecoins. Zelle is a preferred way of moving money to people they know and trust, designed to support the needs of consumers, small businesses and banks and credit unions of all sizes within the Zelle Network®, and is relied on by millions of Americans for fast and easy payments.

"Zelle transformed how Americans send money at home. Now, we're beginning the work to bring that same level of speed and reliability to Zelle consumers sending money to and from the United States, building on what we have learned from the market, our users and our network banks and credit unions,” said Early Warning Services CEO Cameron Fowler. “Our goal is to bring the trust, speed and convenience of Zelle to consumers’ international money movement needs. We're investing where consumer need, bank capability and global opportunity intersect. With improved regulatory clarity in the U.S., we can focus on what we do best: driving innovation to market.”

Supported by the owner banks of Early Warning Services, the initiative is designed to expand on the success of Zelle in U.S. payments while addressing one of the most persistent challenges in global money movement: sending money safely and conveniently across borders. The offering will be made available to all Zelle Network financial institutions with the intention to provide equal terms to all participants.

Early Warning Services is committed to establishing a foundation that strengthens consumer confidence and provides the same level of trust that financial institutions and consumers have come to expect from the Zelle Network.

About Early Warning Services, LLC

Early Warning Services, LLC, a financial services technology leader, has been empowering and protecting consumers, small businesses, and the U.S. financial system with cutting-edge fraud and payment solutions for more than three decades. We are also the company behind Zelle®, and Paze^SM, a wallet that reimagines e-commerce payments. Early Warning partners with more than 2,500 banks and credit unions to increase access to financial services and products, and protect financial transactions.

All trademarks, service marks, trade names, product names, and logos appearing herein, including the Zelle and Paze marks, are wholly owned by Early Warning Services, LLC.

NEW YORK – Early Warning Services, LLC., the network operator of Zelle®, today announced that Zelle experienced double-digit year-over-year growth across key segments in the first six months of 2025:

• American consumers and small businesses sent and received 2 billion payments, a 19% increase.
• Total dollar amount sent is up by 23%, from $481 billion to nearly $600 billion.
• The total number of payments to small businesses jumped up by 31% to 180 million. This is currently the fastest growing use of Zelle.

“With continued surging growth, it’s clear Zelle is where the U.S. economy flows,” said Denise Leonhard, general manager of Zelle. “Whether it’s rent, childcare or paying a small business, Zelle is an essential and foundational part of everyday life for millions of Americans. Zelle delivers when the moment demands speed and reliability at scale. In a time when people need their money to move fast and work hard, Zelle is showing up.”

Tracking the Pulse of the Economy, One Payment at a Time

Zelle had its biggest month ever in August, with over $108 billion sent, cementing its place as a central player in the U.S. economy. And when the most common Zelle payments on any given day go toward rent and monthly recurring living expenses like paying a roommate back for utilities, it’s a clear reminder that Zelle isn’t just about convenience – it’s part of how Americans stay housed, support their families and remain connected to the communities they help make vibrant.¹

Increasingly, Zelle is emerging as an economic signal – playing a quiet but critical role in America’s affordability story, sending money quickly for essentials like rent and childcare. In many ways, Zelle offers a snapshot of broader American spending patterns that run counter to some of today’s dominant economic trends, particularly with superusers – those that have adopted and already use Zelle the most.

What the Growth Metrics Can Tell Us

While headlines focus on signs of consumer pullback, changing retail sales and softening consumer sentiment, Zelle data shows something different: Americans are still moving money with intent, still hiring babysitters and still supporting small businesses. And they are choosing Zelle to do it:

• Person-to-small-business payments jumped 30% in volume, with average payment size up 5%, reflecting continued support for local services and entrepreneurship – even as broader small business sentiment might be uncertain.³
• Payouts from small businesses to individuals rose sharply by 22%, a possible sign of the growing role of Zelle in the gig and independent workers, where fast payments often help them bridge essential needs like groceries, rent or childcare.
• The number of rent payments grew by 13% with the average rent payment rising 5% (from $914 to $958) – reflecting both the pressure of housing costs and growing reliance on fast payments for major financial obligations.
• Payments over the weekend, when many Americans do things like run errands, make farmer’s market runs or go to local events like street fairs, rose 18% while average payment size stayed relatively consistent. This suggests cautious but consistent discretionary activity.
• Childcare payments (to babysitters) increased by more than 7% with the average amount up 3% to $174 – families are keeping support systems in place despite tighter budgets.

In other words, everyday financial life remains active and resilient—and Zelle is the way people are getting it done.

Inside the Zelle ‘Trust Signal’ Tech Stack Fighting to Protect American Consumers

Zelle and Early Warning, the company behind Zelle, are leading the fight to protect Americans from criminals – both domestic and foreign – who use calls, texts, direct messages and online marketplaces to trick people into giving them their money.

“Early Warning is the most powerful financial crime-fighting company you’ve never heard of,” said Ben Chance, general manager of Early Warning’s Identity and Payments Risk business. “For more than 30 years, we’ve worked with banks and law enforcement to stop billions in fraud and financial crime – everything from organized crime rings to kidnappings – with agencies ranging from the FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service to local police. We’ve also worked closely with federal agencies including the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve Bank to stop hundreds of thousands of improper federal payments worth hundreds of millions of dollars. That same expertise powers Zelle, helping protect the money of hardworking American consumers and small businesses every day.”

While others are only now rolling out AI, machine learning and in-app alerts, Zelle has continuously evolved its cutting-edge anti-fraud and scam technology to protect Americans, and is backed by Early Warning, a company with a 30-year financial crime-fighting legacy:

• Zelle uses billions of ‘Trust Signals’ that allow us to identify patterns, pinpoint criminals and block scammers from using Zelle.
• Protecting consumers is central to how Zelle operates, and our technology helps ensure that once bad actors are identified, they cannot return to the network.
• We have always enforced strong anti-fraud rules and deployed robust cutting-edge consumer protection technology since the network launched in 2017—and we move swiftly to find, investigate and fight threats.
• We provide next-generation predictive fraud detection technology at no cost to participating banks and credit unions, empowering them to proactively stop suspicious payments in real time—before money ever leaves a consumer’s account. This means we – and the financial institutions that offer Zelle – can quickly adapt as new fraud and scam trends occur.

Currently only 0.02% of all Zelle transactions result in a report of fraud or scam. While that number could always change as we bring new product features online and criminals continue to evolve their tactics, that means more than 99.98% of Zelle transactions are without report of fraud or scam, an extraordinary rate in payments.

For perspective, you are more likely to get food poisoning (3%), be in a car accident (around 2%) or get injured by a toilet (0.07%) than experience fraud or scam related to Zelle as a payment method today.

About Zelle®

Zelle® is transforming how money moves, with more than five billion digital payments sent since its launch in 2017. The Zelle® network connects over 2,200 banks and credit unions of all sizes, enabling consumers and businesses to send digital payments to people and businesses they know and trust with an eligible bank account in the U.S. Money is available directly in bank accounts generally within minutes when the recipient is already enrolled with Zelle®. To learn more about Zelle® and participating financial institutions in the Zelle® network, visit www.zelle.com.
 

¹ Based on limited available and self-reported 2024 and 2025 memo field data.

² This chart is based on analysis of limited available and self-reported 2024 and 2025 memo field data for Zelle superusers, who are the top 20% most active users of Zelle and represent 60% of total network volume.

³ According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce 2025 Small Business Index, while more small businesses reported being in good health in Q2 than in Q1, concerns about the future persist.

WASHINGTON – Early Warning Services, LLC., a trusted national leader in the payments industry, submitted a comment letter today responding to the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Request for Information regarding the transition to electronic payments for all federal disbursements and receipts.

Early Warning is the company behind Zelle®, the go-to peer-to-peer payment network. In 2024, American consumers and small businesses used Zelle to send over $1 trillion.

“Early Warning is known for delivering fast, secure and reliable payments for Americans and we strongly support the move away from paper checks,” said Denise Leonhard, general manager of Zelle. “Our payments infrastructure is deeply integrated within the banking system, widely available and can scale quickly, making us uniquely positioned to support Treasury’s push to modernize government disbursements.”

Early Warning’s comment letter detailed the critical benefits it can provide Treasury through Zelle, including:

• Scale: Zelle reaches more than 150 million enrolled user accounts, which is equal to more than the combined population of California, Texas and Florida.
• Security: Zelle removes a risk vector that paper checks present. There is no need to collect or store sensitive account and routing information because Zelle is already embedded within U.S. bank accounts.
• Safe: Today, more than 99.95 percent of all Zelle transactions are completed without any report of scam or fraud. Treasury checks are 16 times more likely to be reported lost or stolen, returned undeliverable, or altered than digital payments.
• Speed: Reliance on paper checks slows access to funds and burdens recipients, especially those with limited mobility or transportation. With disbursements using Zelle, funds can be delivered in minutes to an enrolled recipient’s verified bank account.

Early Warning has also engaged Treasury on the President’s Executive Order 14249 related to strengthening the government’s capabilities to identify improper payments and prevent fraud within the U.S. General Fund. The company started working with Treasury in 2021, partnering with the agency to leverage its Verify Account solution to prevent an estimated 179,000 improper payments from Economic Impact Payment, Advance Child Tax Credit and Federal Emergency Management (FEMA) disbursements totaling $209.5 million in fraud prevention. In 2024, Early Warning helped the U.S. financial sector screen $10.8 trillion in payments and stop $3 billion in potential fraud.

For more than 35 years, Early Warning has been a cutting-edge fraud prevention and technology partner to thousands of financial institutions, including community banks, credit unions, government agencies and private sector clients across the country. The company’s risk and fraud prevention solutions help protect American consumers and small businesses, screening millions of transactions daily using advanced, data-driven technology to help pinpoint potentially high-risk behavior within the U.S. banking sector.

About Zelle®

Zelle® is transforming how money moves, with more than five billion digital payments sent since its launch in 2017. The Zelle® network connects over 2,200 banks and credit unions of all sizes, enabling consumers and businesses to send digital payments to people and businesses they know and trust with an eligible bank account in the U.S. Money is available directly in bank accounts generally within minutes when the recipient is already enrolled with Zelle®. To learn more about Zelle® and participating financial institutions in the Zelle® network, visit www.zelle.com.

SCOTTSDALE, AZ – During Q3 2018 (July – September), 116 million transactions took place on the Zelle Network for a total of $32 billion in payments. Transaction volume increased 16% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ), and total money moved increased 13%. Financial Institution (FI) participants contributed to an enrollment increase of 10% QoQ, resulting in more than 75 million tokens—mobile numbers or email addresses—across the entire Zelle Network to date.

Zelle® is for all U.S. Financial Institutions

Since June 2017, a diverse set of financial institutions (FI) have joined the Zelle Network, including national banks, credit unions, and regional and community banks. Fifty-seven (57%) of participants list assets less than or equal to $10 billion while 34% of participants list assets less than or equal to $1 billion.

“As we strive for ubiquity, we are working closely with banks and credit unions of all sizes in offering a fast and consistent payments experience,” said Paul Finch, CEO, Early Warning. “Zelle is one of the fastest growing consumer financial brands in history and we are proud of our momentum, especially this quarter as we signed more than 40 financial institutions to our network through partnerships with our processors CO-OP, FIS, Fiserv, and Jack Henry & Associates. These partnerships are helping financial institutions stay at the center of their customer’s financial lives.”

Year-Over-Year Momentum

Since Q3 2017, transaction volume across the Zelle Network increased 83% while transaction value increased 67%.

“In the last 12 months, Zelle has processed more than 375 million transactions valued at $106 billion,” said Lou Anne Alexander, Group President of Payments, Early Warning. “Zelle is continuing to be at the forefront of consumers’ lives, as they look to move money in the moment, whether it be paying rent, sending money for emergencies or sharing the cost of utilities, meals and everyday experiences.”

Using only an e-mail address or a U.S. mobile phone number, Zelle allows consumers to send money directly from one deposit account to another with funds available for use typically within minutes when both parties are already enrolled.

About Zelle®

Brought to you by Early Warning Services, LLC, an innovator in payment and risk management solutions, Zelle makes it fast, safe and easy for money to move. The Zelle Network® connects the nation’s leading financial institutions, enabling consumers to send fast person-to-person payments to friends and family with a bank account in the U.S. Funds are available directly in consumer bank accounts generally within minutes when the recipient is already enrolled with Zelle. To learn more about Zelle and its participating financial institutions, visit www.zelle.com.

About Early Warning Services, LLC

Creating the Future of Payments®, Early Warning delivers innovative payment and risk solutions to financial institutions nationwide. For over 25 years, Early Warning has been a leader in technology that helps money move fast, safe and easy. Learn more at www.earlywarning.com.

Zelle, Zelle Network, and the Zelle-related marks are wholly owned by Early Warning Services, LLC.

NEW YORK – Zelle® today announced that at least 178 new financial institutions from communities in all parts of the country have gone live with or signed up to bring the popular money transfer service to their customers during Q4 2024 and Q1 2025. With the addition of these new banks and credit unions, there will be more than 2,300 financial institutions on the Zelle Network® – 95% of which are community banks and credit unions.

“Zelle serves banks and credit unions of all sizes, providing their customers and members a fast and reliable way to send money within the regulated banking industry. Our partnership with community banks and credit unions is deeply valuable to us and helps banks and credit unions do what they do best — stay close to their customers and members, and continue to deliver value, even in uncertain times. From rural towns to urban neighborhoods, we are meeting people where they bank and putting financial power in more hands,” said Denise Leonhard, general manager of Zelle.

Combined, the 178 new financial institutions represent at least another 7.5 million bank and credit union accounts in 38 states around the country. As consumers and small businesses demand faster, flexible ways to send and receive money, financial institutions of all sizes are represented in these new additions to the network.

Key Facts:

• In 2024, Zelle helped American consumers and small businesses send over $1 trillion – the most money ever sent by a person-to-person payments service in a single year.
• Zelle is available from financial institutions in all 50 states — from South Carolina to Michigan, from New Hampshire to Iowa, and from Wisconsin to Nevada.
• Nearly 50% of Minority Depository Institution (MDI) banks are on the Zelle Network and Zelle recently launched a program to help expand access to Zelle to more MDI credit unions.

About Zelle®

Zelle® is transforming how money moves, with more than five billion digital payments sent since its launch in 2017. The Zelle® network connects over 2,200 banks and credit unions of all sizes, enabling consumers and businesses to send digital payments to people and businesses they know and trust with an eligible bank account in the U.S. Money is available directly in bank accounts generally within minutes when the recipient is already enrolled with Zelle®. To learn more about Zelle® and participating financial institutions in the Zelle® network, visit www.zelle.com.

NEW YORK – Main Street makes the American economy move, and Zelle® today released never-before published data that provides new insight into when, where, and how U.S. small businesses rely on the payment tool’s unique features to help boost growth and unlock opportunities.

The new data, released ahead of National Small Business Month in May, underscores the growing role Zelle plays in helping reduce uncertainty for America’s Main Street economy:

• Almost seven million small businesses are enrolled to use Zelle and use of Zelle to pay small businesses has tripled in the past three years. Zelle also plays a meaningful role in the financial lives of an additional estimated 3-4 million individuals who use it to receive payments tied to independent or self-directed work.
• Zelle is most popular with small businesses in critical commercial markets across the country. In these areas, small businesses are getting paid with Zelle in ways as unique as the cities they’re in — like surf lessons in Los Angeles, local souvenirs in Orlando, livestock grooming during the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo or grabbing a hot dog from a cart in New York City. On average, small businesses received about $465 per transaction in 2024.
• Zelle is used by small businesses owners to send payments in key moments when speed and reliability matter most — like ensuring payroll is met and vendors are paid. In fact, the average payment sent by a small business was around $630 in 2024 — that's about the monthly cost of vendor space at the Ft. Myers Beach Market in Florida or a bi-weekly space at the Union Square Farmers Market in Massachusetts.

What They're Saying: 

• "Small businesses power the U.S. economy — and Zelle helps them thrive," said Denise Leonhard, general manager of Zelle. “By enabling fast, reliable payments, Zelle helps lower costs and builds confidence. It’s a game-changer for how small businesses run and stimulate growth in local economies nationwide.”
• "I've been using Zelle for about seven years to accept payments from clients on a weekly and monthly basis. I find it's pretty seamless—easier than some of the other services out there," said Michael B., who owns a dog walking service in New York. "It's just really easy to set up. Payments go right into my bank account. I don't have to go through a third party. I have access to the money immediately."

Where Small Businesses Rely on Zelle¹

Zelle is available from financial institutions in all 50 states — from South Carolina to Michigan, from New Hampshire to Iowa, and from Wisconsin to Nevada. In fact, 95% of the banks and credit unions that offer Zelle are community financial institutions — and according to a recent survey of Zelle users, 3 out of 5 small businesses say Zelle helps them build a deeper and more trusted relationship with their bank or credit union.²

Small businesses in economic centers across the country are also relying on Zelle to help them succeed. Below are the top areas of the country where small businesses are using Zelle: 

1. Los Angeles, Calif.
2. Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
3. New York, N.Y.
4. Chicago, Ill.
5. Houston, Texas
6. Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
7. Atlanta, Ga.
8. Washington, D.C.
9. Phoenix, Ariz.
10. Orlando, Fla.

When Small Businesses Use Zelle³ 

Whether paying contractors, managing overhead, or receiving customer payments, Zelle supports economic empowerment and enables real-time cash flow. The Zelle network is built for reliability around the clock — and while small businesses count on it every day, the data reveals key moments when speed and dependability matter most: 

• March Momentum: March is the busiest month for payments received by small businesses on Zelle. Why? March is typically tied to increased consumer spending from bonuses and tax refunds.
• Summer Surge: May through August have a high volume of payments sent by small businesses. This is typically when seasonal industries ramp up staffing and there is an increase in tourism, food service, recreation, landscaping and construction.
• From Payday to Rent Pay: Fridays and the first of each month are consistently the busiest days for transactions. Both are days where businesses are often paying their employees and sending rent payments to landlords.

These patterns reflect the real-time nature of small business operations and the growing reliance on trusted payment tools like Zelle. 

The benefits of Zelle to small businesses are clear and the increasing use of Zelle by small business owners reflects a broader digital shift as entrepreneurs seek payment tools that are more flexible and immediate. Zelle helps reduce uncertainty and helps small business owners focus on what matters most: running and growing their business.

About Zelle®

Zelle® is transforming how money moves, with more than five billion digital payments sent since its launch in 2017. The Zelle® network connects over 2,200 banks and credit unions of all sizes, enabling consumers and businesses to send digital payments to people and businesses they know and trust with an eligible bank account in the U.S. Money is available directly in bank accounts generally within minutes when the recipient is already enrolled with Zelle®. To learn more about Zelle® and participating financial institutions in the Zelle® network, visit www.zelle.com.

1. Based on 2024 enrollment and 90-day use data.

2. This consumer research was conducted by Nonfiction Research in partnership with Early Warning Services, LLC and Pereira O'Dell. The data and quotes featured were obtained via Qualitative Interviews (N=24) and Quantitative Surveys (N=1007) from July 2024 through August 2024. Participants were compensated for their time.

3. Based on limited available and self-reported 2024 memo field data.

NEW YORK – Early Warning Services, LLC., the network operator of Zelle®, today announced that in the first half of 2024 the person-to-person payments network reached 143 million enrolled users and helped consumers and small businesses move nearly half a trillion dollars -- $481 billion, up 28% year-over-year. Transaction volume on Zelle increased by 27% year-over-year to over 1.7 billion transactions sent by individuals and small businesses across the network.

Highlights:

• Zelle helped consumers and small businesses move nearly half a trillion dollars in the first half of 2024.
• Consumers and small businesses sent money 1.7 billion times, a 27% increase from the first half of 2023.
• As of June 2024, 143 million consumer and small business user accounts were enrolled to use Zelle, up 17 million from the first half of 2023.
• Zelle users sent $1.8 million per minute, $110 million per hour, and $2.6 billion per day in the first half of 2024.

“Alongside our network of more than 2,200 banks and credit unions, we operate a leading network for easy and secure digital payments and do so while providing unparalleled protection to those who rely on our platform,” said Cameron Fowler, CEO of Early Warning. “Simply put, Zelle fills a vital need for millions of Americans. Consumers and small businesses alike benefit from the reliability, speed, and security that Zelle offers when paying people they know and trust.”

Americans use Zelle in their everyday lives to easily and quickly pay their bills, send money to friends to cover their share of the tab, or tip a service provider.

Scaling transactions, while thwarting scams

The record period comes as the Zelle network continues its efforts to fight scams and fraud on the platform through new technology, consumer education, and user interface updates.

Zelle utilizes a multilayered security approach to create healthy friction in the system, which includes in-app messaging to validate the name of the intended recipient and to remind users to only pay people they know and trust. Zelle also provides data-driven insights for participating financial institutions to help them identify potentially suspicious payments.

Zelle has strategically partnered with key organizations to face fraud head-on. For example, it recently launched campaigns in partnership with the Better Business Bureau Institute for Marketplace Trust and the National Council on Aging (NCOA) to help users better identify and avoid potential scams and fraud. As a result of the NCOA work, a national network of 11,000 senior centers and 90 benefit enrollment centers utilized Zelle co-branded materials within their own campaigns to help spread awareness and safety messaging.

Zelle efforts have been effective. In 2023, despite an increase in transaction volume, reports of scams and fraud decreased by nearly 50%, resulting in 99.95% of payments being sent without a report of fraud or scams.  

Looking ahead, Zelle is a member of the National Task Force for Fraud & Scam Prevention, a cross-industry partnership that will develop recommendations for a national strategy to prevent fraud and scams. The task force will address different aspects of the fraud and scam lifecycle by sharing intelligence across industry, government, and law enforcement to increase prevention and detection; exposing and prosecuting criminals; and educating consumers on how to spot and report scams.

NEW YORK – Zelle® today announced that in 2024 the network reached 151 million enrolled users and helped American consumers and small businesses send over $1 trillion—the most money ever sent by a person-to-person payments service in a single year. The total dollar amount sent on the platform increased 27% from 2023, while transaction volume on Zelle totaled 3.6 billion, a 25% increase from the prior year. 

2024 highlights include:

• 151 million consumer and small business accounts are enrolled to use Zelle, an increase of 16 million from 135 million in 2023.
• Zelle transactions grew 25% from 2023 to a total of 3.6 billion, exceeding $1 trillion in annual payments volume for the first time. This is a 27% increase year-over-year in total dollars sent on the platform.
• The fourth quarter was the best in the history of Zelle in terms of total money sent driven by user growth and popular use cases like paying rent and holiday gifting.

“Zelle is not just a popular way to send money, it’s a vital tool that’s transforming how money moves across America,” said Denise Leonhard, general manager of Zelle. “It is the go-to peer-to-peer payment method for millions of hardworking Americans, and this milestone is a testament to the trust they place in us every day. We remain intently focused on expanding access to Zelle because it unlocks opportunity for individuals, small businesses, community banks, and credit unions.”

Zelle is a valuable and needed tool for small businesses—the backbone of the American economy

Small business owners across the U.S. continue to rely on the unique features of Zelle to provide their customers with flexible ways to pay, to settle with a local vendor, or to reward their employees with an on-the-spot bonus that goes directly into their bank account.

In 2024, small businesses continued to be a significant driver of Zelle growth:

• Almost one in four Zelle senders sent a payment to a small business in Q4, totaling 23 million
• Small businesses sent or received more than 500 million transactions in 2024, a 32% increase from 2023.
• These transactions totaled $283 billion, a 32% increase from the previous year.

From farmers markets to the local handyperson, Zelle empowers small business owners with a secure and reliable way to get paid and access their funds immediately – so they can reinvest in new supplies, pay their employees, or put food on the table for their families.

Helping community banks and credit unions compete for customers

There are more than 2,200 financial institutions on the Zelle network, 95% of which are community banks and credit unions. Many of these are rural, community, and minority-owned or -led banks in areas of the country where people have fewer banking options. Zelle is an important offering for these financial institutions, helping them to compete and retain customers by providing access to the same technology available to larger banks.

In fact, according to a survey of American consumers and small businesses that use Zelle¹, 74% of surveyed users said Zelle has positively affected the way they feel about their personal bank and one in three Zelle users would open a new account at a financial institution that offers Zelle if their current financial institution stopped providing it.

Helping to protect Americans from scams

In 2024, Zelle empowered over 73 million consumers with information about the risks of fraud and scams. Zelle will continue to lead the way in the fight against scams as a founding member of the Aspen Institute National Task Force for Fraud & Scam Prevention, an effort launched last year to bring together stakeholders across industry, government, and law enforcement to share intelligence and help society stay one step ahead of scammers. To help combat scams and fraud, Zelle has also partnered with organizations like the Better Business Bureau Institute for Marketplace Trust and the National Council on Aging (NCOA) on critical consumer education campaigns.

About Zelle®

Zelle® is transforming how money moves, with more than five billion digital payments sent since its launch in 2017. The Zelle® network connects over 2,200 banks and credit unions of all sizes, enabling consumers and businesses to send digital payments to people and businesses they know and trust with an eligible bank account in the U.S. Money is available directly in bank accounts generally within minutes when the recipient is already enrolled with Zelle®. To learn more about Zelle® and participating financial institutions in the Zelle® network, visit www.zelle.com.
 

¹ This consumer research was conducted by Nonfiction Research in partnership with Early Warning Services, LLC and Pereira O'Dell. The data and quotes featured were obtained via Qualitative Interviews (N=24) and Quantitative Surveys (N=1007) from July 2024 through August 2024. Participants were compensated for their time.

LAS VEGAS – Early Warning today announced Zelle^SM, a new, faster payments network that will revolutionize how U.S. consumers and businesses send and receive money. Zelle^SM will launch in early 2017 and will be directly embedded within mobile banking channels of its network banks. A consumer-facing app for person-to-person (P2P) payments will be released in 2017.

Zelle^SM will change how money moves, empowering millions of consumers with a faster, safer way to send and receive payments within the security of their financial institution. Zelle^SM will provide an intuitive and user-friendly experience for network bank customers who want to send, request, and split payments with their friends and family. Payments can be sent using just an email address or mobile phone number from within the mobile banking experience of network banks or using the Zelle^SM app. Anyone with a valid checking or savings account can receive payments by quickly registering at ZellePay.com, or by using the Zelle^SM app with a valid debit card account.

“Security concerns, interoperability problems, and delays in funds availability have been persistent challenges to awareness, adoption, and usage for non-FI P2P services,” said Talie Baker, an analyst with Aite Group’s Retail Banking & Payments practice who specializes in person-to-person payments. “Zelle^SM provides security, removes friction, and achieves ubiquity by being available and usable for consumers no matter where they bank. The launch of Zelle^SM gives banks a chance to establish a foothold as the provider of choice for person-to-person payments and even take back their share of the market from non-FI providers.”

Zelle^SM is an inclusive network that is open to all banks and credit unions in the U.S. At launch, Zelle^SM will be one of the largest faster payments networks in the U.S., accessible to over 76 million mobile banking users nationwide. Nineteen financial institutions have joined the Zelle^SM Network, including eight of the largest retail banks in the U.S.

“Zelle^SM will transform how people manage their financial lives, providing them faster, safer, and more convenient payment options with their friends and family,” said Paul Finch, chief executive officer, Early Warning. “We are pleased to partner with the leading financial institutions and financial service organizations in the country to make our vision for faster payments a reality for millions of consumers nationwide.”

"Zelle^SM is an always-on, easy to use mobile payment capability that gives our customers one more secure, convenient way to stay connected and live their financial lives,” said Brian Moynihan, chief executive officer of Bank of America.

“The Zelle^SM Network is an innovative, faster, and more secure way for PNC customers to send person-to-person payments,” said William S. Demchak, chairman, president and chief executive officer of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. “I believe our customers will appreciate the convenience and security of Zelle^SM when the network goes live early next year.”

“Paying a friend with Zelle^SM on a mobile device is the way of the future,” said Richard Davis, chairman and chief executive officer of U.S. Bancorp. “Zelle^SM is better for both the sender and recipient. There’s no waiting for a check to arrive, or stopping for cash on your way home to pay the babysitter. We’re delighted to be a part of the Zelle^SM Network as one of the first banks to offer Zelle^SM to our U.S. Bank customers.”

The following financial institutions will join the Zelle^SM Network: Ally Bank, Bank of America, Bank of the West, BB&T, BECU, Capital One, Citi, Fifth Third Bank, FirstBank, First Tech Federal Credit Union, Frost Bank, JP Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, PNC, USAA, U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo. Early Warning has partnered with payment processors CO-OP Financial Services, FIS, Fiserv, and Jack Henry, as well as global card networks Mastercard and Visa to offer banks and credit unions multiple integration pathways onto the network as well as to increase the speed-to-market for new network members.

SCOTTSDALE, AZ – Early Warning Services, an industry leader in real-time payment, authentication, and risk mitigation, today announced that financial institutions in the Zelle Network^SM processed more than 170-million person-to-person (P2P) payments in 2016, totaling $55 billion in aggregate transaction value.

The Zelle Network, built on the foundation of the clearXchange® Network, now includes 20 banks and credit unions, and is poised to reach an estimated 85-million consumers in the U.S. through the mobile banking apps of its participating institutions. New “Send Money with Zelle” experiences will be live in bank apps in mid-2017.

Zelle^SM, a revolutionary faster, easier and safer way to pay, allows payments to be sent, received, and split using simply a registered mobile phone number, or e-mail address. 85 million consumers will experience Zelle through the mobile banking apps of Zelle Network partners, with millions more to experience Zelle in a standalone Zelle App. Truly changing the way money moves, funds sent with Zelle will be available in bank accounts within minutes in most instances, making it an appealing everyday alternative to checks and cash. Learn more at www.zelle.com.

“We’re on a mission to replace cash and checks with a faster, safer, and easier way to pay,” said Lou Anne Alexander, group president, payments, Early Warning Services. “With more and more of the nation’s leading financial institutions joining the Zelle revolution, we’re making mobile payments ubiquitous, opening up new opportunities for an entire industry.”

Bank of America, U.S. Bank, and Wells Fargo have already embedded aspects of the Zelle user experience within their mobile banking apps with additional network banks scheduled to launch in the second quarter of 2017. To maintain a consistent consumer experience, Early Warning has certified all of the Zelle participating financial institutions to a design and experience standard. For a list of announced Zelle partners, visit https://www.zellepay.com/partners.

“Consumers are asking for simple ways to pay for everyday things,” said Thong Nguyen, president of retail banking at Bank of America. “With Zelle, we’ll collectively reach more U.S. bank consumers than any other person-to-person payments network and deliver a faster, safer and easier payments experience that will enable our customers to live more convenient financial lives.”

“The rapid adoption of bank-offered P2P services shows the time is right for consumers to reduce their reliance on cash and checks and start using Zelle for their day-to-day payments,” said Gareth Gaston, executive vice president of omnichannel at U.S. Bank. “With the launch of several key features of Zelle within our mobile banking app, we are delivering on our promise to give U.S. Bank consumers a ubiquitous digital payment network that works seamlessly with other network banks.”

“As the banking industry moves toward a full rollout of the Zelle network, Wells Fargo is proud to offer our 20 million mobile customers the connectivity and the most vital features of the Zelle experience,” said Brett Pitts, head of digital for Wells Fargo virtual channels. “As we look forward to implementing the Zelle brand into our app, we’re also pleased with the incredible transaction volume this network already handles.”

About Early Warning

Creating the Future of Payments^TM - Early Warning delivers innovative payment and risk solutions to financial institutions nationwide. For over 25 years, Early Warning has been a leader in technology that protects and advances the financial system. Learn more at www.earlywarning.com.