RTGS systems’ running costs linked to operational hours
Two-thirds of infrastructure still operational for 7–12 hours daily
The operational hours of real-time gross settlement (RTGS) systems appear to have implications for central banks’ RTGS annual running costs, the Payments Benchmarks 2026 find.
Twenty-seven central banks provided information on the annual operating costs of their primary RTGS systems. The average annual expense on the technology is $1.1 million, down 50% from the average $2.2 million a year reported for a somewhat varied sample in the 2025 benchmark. This year, running costs range from $8,399 to
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