ACI Worldwide Unveils ACI Connetic: A Game-Changer for U.S. Payment Networks

In a significant move that promises to reshape the landscape of U.S. payment systems, ACI Worldwide (NASDAQ: ACIW), a pioneer in global payments technology, announced the launch of ACI Connetic on April 23, 2026. This innovative platform consolidates connectivity for eight major U.S. payment networks into a single, cloud-native architecture, thereby simplifying the complexities of multi-rail payment processing for financial institutions.

As the payments ecosystem becomes increasingly fragmented, the operational risks associated with managing multiple payment systems have soared. According to Craig Ramsey, ACI's Senior Vice President and Head of Account-to-Account Payments, banks did not intend to juggle eight different payment systems in parallel. However, this has become the status quo, creating significant challenges in compliance, fraud monitoring, and exception management.

Currently, nearly 1,700 institutions are participating in FedNow, while The Clearing House's RTP processed an impressive $1.3 trillion in payments last year. Moreover, the ACH Network handled a staggering 35.2 billion payments valued at $93 trillion. The pressure to manage multiple rails simultaneously has led 58% of instant-payment-enabled banks to run both FedNow and RTP in tandem, often duplicating resources and efforts.

ACI Connetic aims to eliminate this fragmentation by providing a single, resilient, and scalable cloud-native Software as a Service (SaaS) platform. The platform facilitates connectivity to key networks including Fedwire, CHIPS, Swift, The Clearing House RTP, Zelle, and FedNow, with additional support for Nacha ACH expected in the upcoming year. ACI Connetic also incorporates stablecoin and tokenized-deposit capabilities, ensuring that institutions can manage a variety of payment types seamlessly.

The demand for platforms capable of supporting instant payments at scale is evident. ACI Connetic not only addresses current needs but also lays the groundwork for the future of payment systems. As Thomas Warsop, President and CEO of ACI Worldwide, articulated, banks are now expected to modernize their payment infrastructure all at once rather than one rail at a time. ACI Connetic meets this demand by integrating instant, high-value, and batch payments on a single platform.

The introduction of ACI Connetic for U.S. networks builds on the platform's global momentum. In March 2026, ACI extended its capabilities with ACI Connetic for Cards, which integrates card issuing, acquiring, and ATM processing into a unified system. This comprehensive approach is already being utilized by institutions across the European Union and the U.K., allowing them to consolidate both domestic and international payment schemes.

Notably, Solaris SE, a leader in embedded finance, has chosen ACI Connetic to modernize its instant payments infrastructure, underscoring the platform's capacity for scalability and innovation in highly regulated markets.

A critical aspect of ACI Connetic is its built-in fraud detection capabilities, which are woven directly into transaction workflows. This architectural design supports compliance with the new Nacha fraud monitoring rules, which took effect on March 20, 2026, enhancing security and operational efficiency.

As the complexity of payment systems continues to escalate, ACI Worldwide's ACI Connetic offers a streamlined, cloud-native solution that empowers financial institutions to modernize their payment infrastructures confidently. Engineered for flexible deployment across various environments—including on-premises, hybrid cloud, and multi-cloud—ACI Connetic is set to redefine the future of payments in an instant economy.

In a few days, ACI Worldwide will be showcasing ACI Connetic and its other innovative solutions at the Smarter Faster Payments 2026 event in San Diego, further solidifying its position as a leader in the evolving payments landscape.