FedPayments^® Manager – Funds Import Contingency Service Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why is Federal Reserve Financial Services (FRFS) offering the FedPayments Manager – Funds import contingency service?

   On September 14, 2023, FRFS announced that the phone-based Fedwire^® Funds Offline Service would be retired, effective December 31, 2024. With the retirement of the Fedwire Funds Offline Service, customers that access the Fedwire Funds Service via a FedLine^® connection would no longer have the ability to use the Fedwire Funds Offline Service as a last-resort contingency option to send their Fedwire Funds Service messages. The new FedPayments Manager – Funds import contingency service will provide a last-resort contingency-only service that could help Fedwire Funds Service participants send a limited number of messages if they experience an issue with their internal payment application, FedLine Direct^® connection, or FedLine Advantage^® connection. The service will not allow you to receive and export your incoming messages in a contingency situation. See additional details in question 6 below.

2. What is the FedPayments Manager – Funds import contingency service?

   The FedPayments Manger – Funds import 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 your business continuity plans to address certain contingency situations (e.g., issues with your payment application or FedLine connection). The service will:

   • Be available to Fedwire Funds Service customers that access the service via the FedLine Direct or FedLine Advantage Solution
   • Allow Federal Reserve Financial Services staff, on behalf of a Fedwire Funds Service customer, to import/upload an Excel file that contains limited information for bank transfer and customer transfer messages to the FedPayments Manager – Funds application during a contingency situation for the customer
   • Support more messages in contingency than can be supported today using the manual Fedwire Funds Offline Service, subject to a limit
   • Be 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 the FRFS may not be able to process a file sent close to the 7 p.m. ET closing time for the Fedwire Funds Service.

    
3. Will the FedPayments Manager – Funds import contingency service be a replacement for the Fedwire Funds Offline Service?

   The FedPayments Manager – Funds import contingency service will NOT replace the Fedwire Funds Offline Service as a primary option for customers to send their Fedwire Funds Service messages. Rather, it will only be 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 import contingency service?

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

   	Existing import feature	New import 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 messages and customer transfer messages only

    
5. Will it be mandatory to use the FedPayments Manager – Funds import contingency service?

   No.  It will be optional for Fedwire Funds Service customers to use the FedPayments Manager – Funds import contingency service.

6. Will I be able to use the FedPayments Manager – Funds import contingency service to send and receive Fedwire Funds Service messages?

   You will only be able to use the FedPayments Manager – Funds import contingency service to send a limited number of critical bank transfer and customer transfer messages.

   While you will not be able to use the FedPayments Manager – Funds contingency service to receive and export your incoming messages, the funds for any incoming messages will be credited 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 import contingency service?

   The FedPayments Manager – Funds import 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 have the ability 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 import 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 import contingency service

    
8. Can we use the FedPayments Manager – Funds import contingency service sooner than January 2, 2025?

   No. The FRFS will not be ready to support the new service until the published date of January 2, 2025.

9. What type of Fedwire Funds Service messages will be supported via the FedPayments Manager – Funds import contingency service?

   The FedPayments Manager – Funds import contingency service will not be capable of supporting all Fedwire Funds Service messages in a contingency situation. Rather, it will be limited to only bank transfers and customer transfers. It will not support cover payments or nonvalue messages (e.g., return requests, service messages).

10. How will the FedPayments Manager – Funds import contingency service work?

    FRFS is developing operational procedures to support the FedPayments Manager – Funds import contingency service and will provide additional details and training in 2024. At a high-level, the service will work as follows:

    • The service will be available to customers on a first-come-first serve basis. The FRFS will support as many customers as possible through the service. However, the FRFS would not be able to support widespread customer outages.
    • The service will only support bank transfers and customer transfers. It will not support cover payments or nonvalue messages (e.g., return requests, service messages).
    • Customers will need to enter limited message details into an Excel file in a format provided by FRFS, including the following (additional fields may be added):
      • Fedwire Sender
      • Fedwire Receiver
      • Sender Reference
      • Amount
      • Originator
      • Beneficiary
    • Customers will need to send the Excel file to FRFS staff in accordance with the procedures developed by the FRFS
    • While customers will be able to use the contingency service to submit many more messages than can be supported today via the Fedwire Funds Offline Service, there will be a limit (to be determined) on how many messages a customer can submit at a time. Therefore, you will need to prioritize the messages you wish to include in the 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 January 1, 2025 and March 7, 2025
      • ISO 20022 format – Beginning March 10, 2025, when the Fedwire Funds Service migrates to the ISO 20022 format

     
11. What will be the operating hours for the FedPayments Manager – Funds import contingency service?

    The FedPayments Manager – Funds import contingency service will be available during Fedwire Funds Service operating hours (Monday through Friday 9 p.m. ET on the prior day to 7 p.m. ET). The FRFS may not be able to process a file sent close to the 7 p.m. closing time for the Fedwire Funds Service.

12. Do I need to budget IT resources to prepare for the FedPayments Manager – Funds import contingency service?

    No. The FedPayments Manager – Funds import contingency service will be 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.

13. Will the FedPayments Manager – Funds import contingency service support a contingency situation related to lost internet connectivity?

    The FRFS is still determining the process for customers to send the Excel file to the FRFS, but the FedPayments Manager – Funds import contingency service will likely require an internet connection for the customer to either email the Excel file to the FRFS or save the file to a specified location (e.g., secure website). 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.

14. When will more details about the FedPayments Manager – Funds import contingency service become available?

    During the second half of 2024, the FRFS intends to offer drop-in calls and provide a training webinar to help customers prepare for the FedPayments Manager – Funds import contingency service.

15. Will customers be able to test the FedPayments Manager – Funds import contingency service before January 2, 2025?

    Yes, the FRFS intends to provide testing opportunities beginning in October 2024 for customers to test the process for using FedPayments Manager – Funds import contingency service. More information about testing will be provided in 2024.

16. Will there be a fee to use the FedPayments Manager – Funds import contingency service?

    The pricing for the service is still being determined and should be announced in late 2024 when the FRFS announces its 2025 fee schedules.

17. Will there be changes to Operating Circular 6 for the FedPayments Manager – Funds import contingency service?

    Yes, the FRFS anticipates that Operating Circular 6 will be revised to reflect the terms of use for the FedPayments Manager – Funds import contingency service. These changes would become effective with the launch of the new service on January 2, 2025.

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