Press Release: Market-first TCH RTP payments testing simulator launched by XMLdation

Acting like a partner bank, the simulator enables U.S. financial institutions to perform
automated, fully configurable RTP payments testing, on-demand. This puts banks in control of
their end-to-end testing and, with TCH approval to integrate directly with RTP, connecting to the
self-service tool is seamless.

New York, 30 September, 2026: XMLdation, a leading provider of payments testing solutions, has developed RTP Buddy Bank™, a self-service simulator that helps financial institutions (FIs) optimize their real-time payments testing. Testing with Buddy Bank™ is a significant improvement on traditional testing processes – where FIs rely on coordinated testing with friendly banks – delivering enhanced efficiency and cost effectiveness.

Testing is becoming more challenging and frequent, as innovation and regulation drive increasing numbers of payment rail updates and system upgrades. Today, financial institutions’ internal systems typically undergo quarterly updates, while most rails have annual updates. This is in stark contrast to the pre-ISO 20022 era, when changes to both ACH and FedWire were rare, which meant little end-to-end testing was needed. 

“The industry emphasis on real-time payments is driving an increasing number of banks to become receivers as well as senders on the RTP network. But establishing and maintaining rail connectivity can be operationally demanding for banks – including lengthy manual testing processes,” explains Tricia Balfe, CEO, XMLdation. “Our simulator is a streamlined, cost-effective way of performing end-to-end testing; relieving manual burdens, coordination efforts with partner banks and optimizing risk management.”

Buddy Bank™ connects directly to the bank testing environment for the RTP network from The Clearing House with a dedicated RT and Participant ID, enabling FIs to start testing with zero integration effort. It is fully aligned with The Clearing House’s recommended test cases, allowing users to run scenarios needed for certification. The tool supports end-to-end testing for both direct and indirect participants.

"The RTP network is meeting growing demand for instant payments by enabling financial institutions to provide their customers with immediate, 24/7 payments,” said Susan Meyer, Vice President, RTP Technical Product Management at The Clearing House. “We’re also focused on making it easier for financial institutions to adopt and expand their use of the network. By working with companies like XMLdation, financial institutions can access robust testing capabilities that help support organizations throughout their RTP journey.”

XMLdation is expanding its suite of capabilities to other payments rails across the globe to support client needs and the vision for real-time cross-border payments.

- END -

About XMLdation

XMLdation has been delivering payments testing solutions in cloud to banks and market infrastructures since 2009. We are a team of payments and ISO 20022 experts with a strong focus on simplicity, ease of use and self-serve. Nordic thinking trusted across the globe.

Read our article on “US real time payments testing made easy, with a Buddy Bank™” 

Media contacts:

anna.sharrock@expertcontentservices.com / +44 7811 758964