Finastra Named Nacha Preferred Partner to Drive ACH Modernization and ISO 20022 Readiness

Nacha has designated Finastra as a Preferred Partner for ACH Experience, ISO 20022, and Risk and Fraud Prevention. For fintech professionals, this alignment signals a critical push toward modernizing U.S. payment rails, ensuring that financial institutions can handle the surging volume of Same Day ACH transactions while maintaining rigorous operational security and compliance.

What was announced

The partnership centers on Finastra’s ability to facilitate the transition from legacy, batch-based processing to a cloud-native, adaptive operating model. Specifically, Nacha has recognized two of Finastra’s core solutions: Global PAYplus and Payments To Go. These platforms are designed to address the increasing velocity of the ACH Network, which has seen sustained growth through the first half of 2026.

The collaboration focuses on three primary pillars of modern payments: ACH Experience, the adoption of ISO 20022 messaging standards, and enhanced Risk and Fraud Prevention. By utilizing Finastra’s cloud-native architecture, financial institutions can scale their operations to meet the demands of Same Day ACH, which requires faster clearing cycles and higher levels of automation. The solutions are built to ensure that as transaction volumes rise, banks can maintain operational control and reliability without the bottlenecks inherent in traditional systems.

Nacha’s Preferred Partner Program is a selective initiative open to technology providers whose products directly support the strategic advancement of the ACH Network. Finastra joins this group to provide tools that help institutions align with evolving Nacha requirements and prepare for the global shift toward standardized financial messaging.

"The ACH Network, including Same Day ACH, continues to show great strength, as we saw in the first half of 2026, and Nacha believes there is much room for growth. Nacha is delighted to welcome Finastra as a Preferred Partner."

Jane Larimer, Nacha President and CEO.

The companies involved

Nacha is the steward of the ACH Network, the backbone of the electronic movement of money and data in the United States. As a self-regulating organization, it develops the rules and standards that allow for direct deposits and direct payments, connecting thousands of financial institutions across the country. Its role is pivotal in maintaining the stability and integrity of the U.S. payments ecosystem.

Finastra is a global provider of financial software applications and marketplaces, formed in 2017 following the merger of Misys and D+H. The company serves a vast majority of the world’s top banks and is a major player in the core banking and payments space. Finastra is backed by Vista Equity Partners, a leading global investment firm focused on enterprise software, data, and technology-enabled businesses. Finastra’s market position is defined by its "Open Finance" philosophy, providing platforms that allow financial institutions to integrate various services and modernize legacy infrastructure through cloud-based solutions.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has closely followed the expansion of the Nacha Preferred Partner ecosystem and Finastra’s global modernization efforts. Recently, we reported that Flagright Joins Nacha as Preferred Partner to Bolster ACH Compliance and Fraud Prevention, highlighting a similar focus on security within the network. We also covered Nacha’s efforts to broaden the network’s appeal in Nacha Targets Gen Z with New ACH Campaign Highlighting Direct Deposit and Payment Benefits. On the Finastra side, our coverage includes their international core banking wins, such as when the Bank of Maldives Selects Finastra Essence to Modernize Core Banking Operations.

What this means

This announcement underscores the intensifying pressure on mid-tier and large financial institutions to abandon legacy batch processing. As Same Day ACH becomes the expected standard rather than a premium feature, the industry is moving toward a "real-time" mindset for traditionally slow rails. The inclusion of ISO 20022 readiness is particularly significant; it suggests that the U.S. domestic market is finally synchronizing its data standards with international cross-border systems. For the broader market, this move puts pressure on legacy core providers who have been slow to adopt cloud-native architectures, as institutions increasingly prioritize scalability and fraud prevention over simple connectivity.