> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.brale.xyz/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# FedNow overview

> Receive FedNow deposits that mint stablecoins through Automations, and send FedNow payouts from stablecoin balances with Transfers.

FedNow is the Federal Reserve's instant payment service. Brale supports FedNow in two directions, and each direction uses a different API object:

| Direction | What happens | API object | You call |
| - | - | - | - |
| Inbound (onramp) | A payer sends a FedNow credit from their bank to an Automation's virtual account. Brale creates a Transfer and mints stablecoins. | [Automation](/key-concepts/automations) | `POST /accounts/{account_id}/automations` once. No per-deposit API call. |
| Outbound (offramp) | Brale pays out USD over FedNow from stablecoins held in a Brale internal Address. | [Transfer](/key-concepts/transfers) | `POST /accounts/{account_id}/transfers` for each payout. |

<Note>
  FedNow is available on Brale accounts where it has been enabled. If a request that uses FedNow is rejected on your account, contact [support@brale.xyz](mailto:support@brale.xyz) to confirm enablement. Limits and fees follow your Brale agreement.
</Note>

## Identifiers

FedNow uses different identifiers depending on context. Use the value that matches the field you are setting.

| Context | Field | Value |
| - | - | - |
| Transfer rail (requests and responses) | `source.transfer_type` or `destination.transfer_type` | `fednow_credit` |
| Bank Address capability | `transfer_types`, `additional_transfer_types` | `fednow_credit` |
| Automation configuration | `source.value_type` | `USD`. Do not set a deposit rail. |
| Testnet deposit simulator input | `transfer_type` on the simulate request | `fednow` |
| Transfer list filter | `transfer_type` query parameter | `fednow_credit` |

## Guides

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Receive FedNow deposits" icon="arrow-down-to-line" href="/guides/fednow-inbound">
    Share Automation funding instructions, let payers push FedNow credits, and mint stablecoins automatically.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Send FedNow payouts" icon="arrow-up-from-line" href="/guides/fednow-outbound">
    Register or upgrade a recipient bank Address and create a `fednow_credit` Transfer.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Lifecycle and timing

* FedNow operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including weekends and holidays. Business-day cut-off times on [Transfer timing](/documentation/platform/transfer-timing) apply to wire and ACH, not to FedNow.
* FedNow availability does not guarantee instant end-to-end completion. Brale reviews, bank processing, and onchain settlement of the stablecoin leg can add time.
* HTTP `201 Created` (Transfers, Automations, Addresses) and `202 Accepted` (deposit simulation) mean Brale accepted or created the resource. They do not mean funds have settled.
* A Transfer's terminal statuses include `complete`, `canceled`, and `failed`. `pending` and `processing` are in progress. The `status` enum also includes `compliance review`, `refunding`, and `refunded`. None of these mean the Transfer is complete.
* An Automation with `status: active` is ready to receive deposits. That is different from a Transfer with `status: complete` and from the `transfer.completed` webhook event.
* `payment.completed` reports that Brale received the fiat payment. It does not confirm that the stablecoin mint was delivered. Use the Transfer's `status` or `transfer.completed` for that.

## Safety rules

* **Idempotency.** Send an `Idempotency-Key` on every `POST`. Retry the same logical operation with the same key and the same body. See [Idempotency](/key-concepts/idempotency).
* **Pending payouts.** Do not submit a replacement payout because a Transfer is `pending` or `processing`. Keep tracking the original Transfer until it reaches a terminal status.
* **Cancellation.** Brale can cancel a payout only before it submits the payment to FedNow. A `processing` payout cannot be canceled, and a `pending` status does not guarantee that cancellation is still possible.
* **Returns.** Cancellation is different from a return after settlement. Do not assume a settled payout is refunded automatically.
* **Rail fallback.** Do not assume Brale moves a FedNow payout to another rail. Read `destination.transfer_type` on the Transfer. When `payment_details.original_transfer_type`, `fallback_reason`, `fallback_reason_code`, or `fallback_at` are present, the payment was sent on a different rail than requested.
* **Metadata.** Wire-only fields such as `wire_memo` and `payment_details.imad` do not apply to FedNow. Read only the `payment_details` fields that are present on the response.

## FedNow errors

Brale returns FedNow validation errors with the standard error envelope (`type`, `detail`, `status`).

| Status | `type` | Meaning | What to do |
| - | - | - | - |
| `422` | `fednow_routing_number_not_supported` | The recipient's routing number does not participate in FedNow. | Do not retry the same request. Use another rail or another FedNow-participating account. |
| `422` | `fednow_provider_registration_failed` | Brale could not register the recipient for FedNow. This can be temporary. | Retry the same request with the same `Idempotency-Key` and body after a backoff. If it keeps failing, contact support. |

```json Response (422) theme={null}
{
  "type": "fednow_routing_number_not_supported",
  "detail": "The routing number does not support FedNow.",
  "status": 422
}
```

For timeouts, `429`, and `5xx` responses, retry with the same `Idempotency-Key` and body using exponential backoff.

## Testing

* **Inbound:** On testnet, [simulate a FedNow deposit](/guides/fednow-inbound#test-on-testnet) into an Automation with `transfer_type: "fednow"`. Simulated funding does not move real money.
* **Outbound:** Testnet does not send real FedNow payouts. See [Test outbound payouts](/guides/fednow-outbound#test-outbound-payouts).