Impending RTGS deadline and its impact on payments sector

The Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) system is ushering in a new era of efficiency, security and immediacy within the payments landscape.

Impending RTGS deadline

Organisations working towards the mandated November 2025 deadline must evolve to meet the unique challenges posed by the introduction of this transformative new technology, writes Angela Christian-Pye – Senior Quality Engineering Manager, Roq.

The hallmark of RTGS lies in its real-time processing capabilities.

Unlike batch-oriented systems, RTGS demands a dynamic and instantaneous testing framework, pushing organisations to re-evaluate both their systems and test methodologies which now need to ensure they can seamlessly process complex information at rapid speed.

Any non-compliant financial service providers will be heavily fined, shut out of participation within the payments system, and effectively left behind.

Handling richer data: 

As RTGS accelerates the pace of transactions, it also adds a layer of further complexity with the introduction of richer and more intricate data.

Systems will need to be able to cope with processing diverse transaction types, accommodate additional metadata, and manage detailed information fields.

Ensuring systems can proficiently meet this demand will be a focal aim in converting to, and maintaining, real time payments.

Additionally, performance testing will be a critical component within this new landscape. Banks must rigorously test their ability to manage high transaction volumes without compromising accuracy or responsiveness.

Any failure to do so could result in regulatory fines and extensive brand damage.

Narrower testing windows and extended operating hours: 

Traditionally, a lot of testing has been conducted outside the conventional working hours of 9 to 5.

However, with the introduction of RTGS, testing teams are now faced with an extended operating window during the day and therefore less time to test during non-operational hours.

Greater utilisation of simulators will be required, and organisations will need to have this expertise to support enhanced testing needs.

Alongside simulators, automation will play an increasingly important role with the introduction of RTGS.

For example, testing will be needed ahead of the onboarding of new members for real time payments connections.

What’s more, automation will eliminate compulsory testing windows for payments like CHAPS because this can now take place at any time, whereas historically, it was mandated to take place at the weekend.

This is where leveraging automation could help alleviate this burden for organisations.

With a shortened opportunity for out-of-hours testing, businesses are finding ways to “do more with less” whilst simultaneously upholding standards of quality.

Skilled testers and automated testing tools will be indispensable in efficiently conducting tests in real-time and ensuring comprehensive coverage within the limited live system testing time available.

Shift left: 

“Shifting left” and advocating for the integration of testing earlier in the development lifecycle will also help banks cope during the introduction of RTGS.

A more pre-emptive strategy will help identify and address issues earlier on, before they reach the production environment, when problems are easier, quicker and cheaper to fix.

Continuous monitoring tools become essential in this scenario, enabling real-time tracking of system performance.

This proactive approach allows organisations to identify and rectify issues promptly during the extended operating window, and help mitigate potential disruptions.

RTGS: adapt, test and overcome  

The introduction of RTGS is set to completely change the payments landscape. Increased resilience, wider interoperability and greater user functionality are just a few of the benefits of this new way of working.

It signifies a considerable leap forward in the efficiency, security and capability of financial transactions.

However, with all new technology comes new complexities and challenges.

As a result, testing strategies need to evolve to handle increasingly detailed data, shortened out-of-hours testing windows, and a “shift left” approach to testing.

There has been much debate within the industry about how ready financial institutions are for this widespread change.

A recent study from Celent  found that 37% of large banks believe they won’t meet the November 2025 target and 25% say they will need help to meet the deadline or rely on available stop-gap measures.

Even more worryingly, only 3% of corporates expect banks to be 100% ready, suggesting client confidence is extremely low ahead of this pivotal transformation.