FedPayments^® Manager – Funds  Contingency Service Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why is Federal Reserve Financial Services (FRFS) offering the FedPayments Manager – Funds Contingency Service?

   FRFS retired the phone-based Fedwire^® Funds Offline Service after the close of business on Feb. 14, 2025.

   As a result, after Feb. 14, customers that access the Fedwire Funds Service via a FedLine^® connection are no longer able to use the Fedwire Funds Offline Service as a last-resort contingency option to send their Fedwire Funds Service messages. Effective Feb. 18, the new FedPayments Manager – Funds Contingency Service provides a last-resort contingency-only service that will allow Fedwire Funds Service participants with an existing FedLine Advantage^® connection to send a limited number of messages if they experience an issue with their internal payment application, FedLine Direct^® connection and/or FedLine Advantage connection. The service will not allow customers to receive and export their incoming messages in a contingency situation.

2. What is the FedPayments Manager – Funds Contingency Service?

   The FedPayments Manager – Funds Contingency Service is a last-resort contingency-only service designed to support individual customers that are experiencing an issue accessing the Fedwire Funds Service through a FedLine Solution. The service is meant to be used infrequently and will not be capable of supporting widespread customer outages; however, it could be incorporated into business continuity plans to address certain contingency situations (e.g., issues with a payment application or FedLine connection). The service:

   • Is available to Fedwire Funds Service participants with access to the service via a FedLine Advantage connection and access to the FedPayments Manager – Funds application (either a primary or a backup connection).
   • Allows FRFS staff, on behalf of a Fedwire Funds Service customer, to import/upload a preformatted Excel^® template that contains limited information for bank transfer and customer transfer messages to the FedPayments Manager – Funds application during a contingency situation.
   • Supports a greater number of transactions during contingency than the manual Fedwire Funds Offline Service.
   • Is available during the entire Fedwire Funds Service operating day (Monday through Friday, 9 p.m. ET on the prior day to 7 p.m. ET), though FRFS may not be able to process a file sent close to the 7 p.m. ET closing time for the Fedwire Funds Service.

   Note: "Excel" is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

3. Is the FedPayments Manager – Funds Contingency Service a replacement for the Fedwire Funds Offline Service?

   No. The FedPayments Manager – Funds Contingency Service does NOT replace the Fedwire Funds Offline Service as a primary option for customers to send their Fedwire Funds Service messages. Rather, it is only available as a last-resort contingency-only service that could help Fedwire Funds Service customers send certain messages if they experience an issue with their internal payment application, FedLine Direct connection or FedLine Advantage connection.

4. What is the difference between the existing import feature of the FedPayments Manager – Funds application and the new FedPayments Manager – Funds Contingency Service?

   The following table describes the differences between the existing import feature and the new contingency service.

   	Existing import feature	New contingency service
   Type of usage	Can be used as the primary method to send outgoing Fedwire Funds Service messages or in contingency if a customer has an issue with its FedLine Direct connection	Can only be used as a last-resort contingency option
   Party that can import/upload the file of outgoing messages	Customers can import/upload files on their own without FRFS assistance	Customers require FRFS assistance to import/upload an Excel file
   Types of Fedwire Funds Service Messages	All types of messages	Limited number of bank transfer and customer transfer messages only

5. Is it mandatory to use the FedPayments Manager – Funds Contingency Service?

   No. It is optional for Fedwire Funds Service customers to use the FedPayments Manager – Funds Contingency Service.

6. Can I use the FedPayments Manager – Funds Contingency Service to send and receive Fedwire Funds Service messages?

   You can only use the FedPayments Manager – Funds Contingency Service to send a limited number of critical bank transfer and customer transfer messages.

   While you cannot use the FedPayments Manager – Funds Contingency Service to receive and export your incoming messages, the funds for any incoming messages will be credited to your master account, and the messages will be queued for you to retrieve via your primary FedLine solution once you resume normal operations.

7. In what type of contingency situations would I use the FedPayments Manager – Funds Contingency Service?

   The FedPayments Manager – Funds Contingency Service should only be used as a last-resort contingency option to send critical bank transfer and customer transfer messages. You should establish other contingency options and try to use those options before resorting to the new service as noted in the table below:

   Primary method to access the Fedwire Funds Service	Backup methods to access the Fedwire Funds Service	Last-resort option to access the Fedwire Funds Service
   FedLine Direct Solution	Consider obtaining a backup FedLine Direct connection from another location Obtain a FedLine Advantage connection on a separate VPN from the one that was provided with your FedLine Direct connection and obtain access to the FedPayments Manager – Funds application through that FedLine Advantage connection Ensure sufficient staff is trained to manually enter critical transactions into the FedPayments Manager – Funds application High-volume customers should also ensure they are able to use the import feature of the FedPayments Manager – Funds application so that they can import a file of their Fedwire Funds Service messages rather than manually entering them into the application	FedPayments Manager – Funds Contingency Service
   FedLine Advantage Solution with access to the FedPayments Manager – Funds application	Consider obtaining a backup FedLine Advantage connection from another location	FedPayments Manager – Funds Contingency Service

    
8. How do I establish a FedLine Advantage connection and obtain access to the FedPayments Manager – Funds application? How long does that process take?

   Contact your Relationship Manager to begin the process to establish a FedLine Advantage connection and obtain access to the FedPayments Manager – Funds application.

   The process can take up to three months to complete, so you should act as soon as possible to ensure readiness to use the new contingency service. You can review the FedLine Advantage Setup and FedLine Advantage Hardware and Software Requirements pages for additional information.

9. What are the costs associated with obtaining a FedLine Advantage connection?

   The costs associated with a FedLine Advantage connection vary depending on the type of packages you select. Your Relationship Manager can help you determine the right package for your institution.

10. What type of Fedwire Funds Service messages are supported via the FedPayments Manager – Funds Contingency Service?

    The FedPayments Manager – Funds Contingency Service is not capable of supporting all Fedwire Funds Service messages in a contingency situation. Rather, it is limited to only bank transfers and customer transfers. It does not support cover payments or nonvalue messages (e.g., return requests, service messages). Incoming wires will queue up and will be accessible once your FedLine Advantage connection is re-established.

11. How does the FedPayments Manager – Funds Contingency Service work?

    At a high level, the service works as follows:

    • The service is available to customers on a first-come, first-served basis. FRFS will support as many customers as possible through the service. However, FRFS will not be able to support widespread customer outages.
    • The service only supports bank transfers and customer transfers. It does not support cover payments or nonvalue messages (e.g., return requests, service messages).
    • Customers will need to enter limited message details into an Excel template that will be provided by FRFS via an Intralinks^® exchange. The following message details are permitted:
      • Fedwire Sender
      • Fedwire Receiver
      • Sender Reference
      • Amount
      • Originator
      • Beneficiary
    • Customers will upload the completed template to the Intralinks exchange. FRFS staff will retrieve the template, perform a series of verifications and confirmations, and upload the completed template to the FedPayments Manager – Funds application, leveraging the import functionality. 
    • Customers will be limited to 10 outgoing messages per Excel template submitted. Therefore, you will need to prioritize the messages you wish to include in each file (e.g., only messages over a certain dollar amount, only messages sent to a specific Fedwire receiver).
    • Fedwire Funds Service message data entered into the Excel file will need to adhere to the following message format requirements:
      • Fedwire Application Interface Manual (FAIM) version 3.0.7 format between Feb. 18, 2025, and July 11, 2025.
      • ISO^® 20022 format beginning July 14, 2025, when the Fedwire Funds Service migrates to the ISO 20022 format.

    Note: “Intralinks” is a registered trademark of Intralinks, SS&C, Inc.

12. How do I obtain access to Intralinks?

    Please contact the Support Center at (833) 377-7827 (Option 3, then Option 1) for questions related to Intralinks access.

13. What are the operating hours for the FedPayments Manager – Funds Contingency Service?

    The FedPayments Manager – Funds Contingency Service is available during Fedwire Funds Service operating hours (Monday through Friday 9 p.m. ET on the prior day to 7 p.m. ET). Please note that FRFS may not be able to process a file sent close to the 7 p.m. closing time for the Fedwire Funds Service due to the procedural elements required to fulfill any requests.

14. Do I need to budget IT resources for the FedPayments Manager – Funds Contingency Service?

    No. The FedPayments Manager – Funds Contingency Service is a last-resort contingency option for sending a limited number of bank transfer messages and customer transfer messages. You will be able to manually prepare the file.

15. Can the FedPayments Manager – Funds Contingency Service support a contingency situation related to lost internet connectivity?

    The FedPayments Manager – Funds Contingency Service requires an internet connection for the customer to access the Intralinks exchange. Customers should already have backup internet options in place (e.g., “Mifi” device to provide backup internet access) to support their Fedwire Funds Service operations.

16. Can customers test the FedPayments Manager – Funds Contingency Service?

    While testing is not required, please contact the Support Center at (833) 377-7827 (Option 3, then Option 1) for questions related to Intralinks access, the pre-formatted Excel template that will be used to capture your outgoing transaction details and testing opportunities.

17. Is there a fee to use the FedPayments Manager – Funds Contingency Service?

    The Federal Reserve does not charge any incremental fees for this contingency service.

    However, please note that other transaction fees and applicable surcharges published on the FRBservices.org^® website (including the FedPayments Manager Import/Export monthly fee) will continue to be applied, and any future fee changes will be communicated in conjunction with our annual repricing activities.

18. Does my organization need to submit a new Fedwire Funds Service Authorization Form to use the FedPayments Manager – Funds Contingency Service?

    No, you do not need to submit a new Fedwire Funds Service Authorization Form to be able to use the new contingency service. However, as referenced in Operating Circular 6, section 18.2, your organization is responsible for keeping the form updated and ensuring that it reflects any changes to employment, staffing and contact information.

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