Institutional settlement is a critical component of interoperable Instant Payment Systems (IPS), ensuring financial stability, low costs, and risk minimization. This report explores current settlement models, emerging trends, and best practices for IPS design.
Key Insights:
- The frequency of settlement is becoming faster as more IPS have implemented the real-time gross settlement (RTGS) model and several DNS models have increased the number of settlement windows per day beyond the number in the original design. The RTGS model is also being implemented as a dedicated settlement system to IPS and setting on a 24x7x365 basis
- While direct access to settlement accounts remains largely limited to banks, some settlement banks are broadening settlement access to non-banks
- Eligibility by non-banks to open direct settlement accounts is a foundational step towards broader access, but not the only step. Non-banks (as well as some banks) may still decide to rely on banks for connectivity in cases where establishing and maintaining these accounts is complex and operationally intensive
- Greater reliance on RTGS models and higher value of transactions being processed by IPS has led to higher need for and implementation of effective and innovative management of liquidity
- Newer tools and approaches include fungibility of funds between different settlement accounts, liquidity providers, and importantly, interest paid on balances to incentivize maintenance of adequate balances
- Automation of liquidity management tools remains somewhat limited and settlement banks as well as DFSPs still generally rely on manual operational processes to monitor and manage liquidity
This report outlines a strategic framework for building resilient, inclusive IPS settlement mechanisms.