The Federal Reserve works to promote a safe, efficient, and accessible system for U.S. dollar transactions.
The Federal Reserve System issues and distributes the nation's currency
The Federal Reserve began operating an electronic payment Automated Clearing House system in the 1970s to provide a substitute for paper checks.
In the early 1970s, the Fed considered building infrastructure for credit cards and other electronic point-of-sale payments that were still in development, such as debit cards.
Since 1915, the Federal Reserve has operated a wire payment system, known today as Fedwire.
Congress charged the Federal Reserve with using the nationwide scope of its operations to improve the check payments system