MessagePay Launches AI Pay+ to Predict Borrower Payments and Reaches 400th Customer

MessagePay has reached a milestone of 400 financial institution customers, signing 86 new credit unions and community banks in the first eight months of 2026. This rapid growth highlights a critical shift in how smaller lenders manage borrower engagement, moving away from traditional portals toward frictionless, text-based payment and communication channels to reduce delinquency.

What was announced

MessagePay, based in Lehi, Utah, provides a digital payments and communications platform specifically designed for the credit union and community bank sectors. The platform enables these institutions to interact with borrowers and facilitate payments via text message, web, phone, and email. A key feature of the service is the ability for borrowers to settle payments by tapping a secure link or replying within a text thread, bypassing the need to download dedicated applications or navigate online banking logins.

The company reported significant momentum in 2026, with 86 new signings through August. Its client base now includes institutions ranging from small credit unions with $10 million in assets to large banks managing over $20 billion. Geographically, the footprint extends from Hawaii to Florida.

Technologically, MessagePay has introduced two major updates: MessagePay Direct and AI Pay+. MessagePay Direct facilitates two-way communication to resolve payment issues via text. AI Pay+ is a predictive analytics tool for asset recovery and collections teams. It analyzes borrower behavior to forecast payment timing and methods, allowing teams to segment portfolios more precisely than standard delinquency buckets. The platform supports over 30 core and third-party integrations, including direct connections with Jack Henry, Corelation, CU*Answers, and Flex. Notably, a new integration with Fiserv banking cores in 2026 has enabled community banks to utilize the solution for the first time.

"When borrowers can pay with a tap instead of a phone call or a trip to the branch, they actually pay on time,"

Greg Pesci, President and CEO of MessagePay.

The companies involved

MessagePay operates as a specialized fintech provider focused on the niche of community-based financial institutions. Its strategy relies heavily on deep integration with major core banking providers. Among these is Fiserv, a global leader in payments and financial technology that serves thousands of institutions worldwide. Jack Henry is another primary partner, known for providing technology solutions and payment processing services primarily to community banks.

The company also integrates with specialized credit union core providers like Corelation, which focuses on modernizing credit union processing, and CU*Answers, a 100% credit union-owned cooperative CUSO (Credit Union Service Organization) that provides core data processing and support. Flex, also known as Federal Systems, provides core processing solutions specifically tailored for credit unions. These partnerships are essential for MessagePay, as they allow the platform to pull real-time borrower data and post payments directly back to the institution's ledger. This ecosystem of integrations positions MessagePay as a bridge between legacy core systems and modern, mobile-first consumer expectations.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has closely monitored the evolving landscape of core banking integrations and community bank modernization. Recently, we reported on Jack Henry Appoints GoGuardian CEO Richard Preece to Board of Directors, signaling a focus on digital-native leadership. In the broader payments space, Apartment List and Flex Partner to Embed Flexible Rent Payments Directly into Property Search showed how core providers like Flex are expanding their reach.

The drive for modernization in the credit union sector was further evidenced by our report on how the Police Federal Credit Union Modernizes Digital Banking with Mahalo’s Thoughtful Banking Platform. Additionally, the importance of communication infrastructure was highlighted when PrintMail Solutions Joins Jack Henry Fintech Integration Network to Streamline Bank Communications, a move that parallels MessagePay’s own integration strategy.

What this means

The rapid adoption of MessagePay suggests that the "frictionless" trend has finally moved from retail checkout to debt servicing. For years, community banks and credit unions have struggled with the "app gap"—the difficulty of getting members to download and use proprietary banking apps for simple tasks. By utilizing SMS and AI-driven predictive analytics, these institutions are effectively admitting that the most valuable real estate is the text inbox, not the home screen. This puts significant pressure on legacy collection agencies and traditional call-center models. The industry is moving toward a model where human intervention is reserved only for high-complexity cases, while routine delinquency is managed through automated, data-informed nudges.