Zelle® Widens the On-Ramp for Community Banks and Credit Unions: 337 New Bank and Credit Unions Went Live or Signed in 2025

Rhea-AI Summary

Zelle (NYSE:FISV) reported that 337 banks and credit unions went live or signed to offer Zelle in 2025, with 97% of those institutions having assets under $10 billion. The expansion adds at least 13 million accounts eligible for Zelle across 46 U.S. states and territories and builds on a network that already reaches 80% of U.S. bank and credit union accounts.

The company highlighted reseller partnerships with Velera for MDI credit unions and Alacriti (Orbipay) to simplify integration for community institutions, while Fiserv represents roughly two-thirds of reseller-partner financial institutions.

Positive

• 337 community banks and credit unions went live or signed in 2025
• 13 million accounts newly eligible for Zelle access
• 97% of additions were institutions with assets under $10B
• Zelle reaches 80% of U.S. bank and credit union accounts

Negative

• None.

News Market Reaction

-1.28%

1 alert

-1.28% News Effect

On the day this news was published, FISV declined 1.28%, reflecting a mild negative market reaction.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Key Figures

New institutions 2025: 337 institutions Community-focused share: 97% Smaller institutions threshold: $10 billion +3 more

6 metrics

New institutions 2025 337 institutions Banks and credit unions that went live or signed with Zelle in 2025

Community-focused share 97% Portion of 2025 additions that were community banks and credit unions

Smaller institutions threshold $10 billion Asset size below which most new community institutions fall

Eligible accounts added 13 million accounts Bank and credit union accounts newly eligible to use Zelle in 2025

Geographic reach 46 U.S. states and territories Coverage of newly eligible Zelle accounts

Network penetration 80% Portion of U.S. bank and credit union accounts Zelle reaches

Market Reality Check

Price: $63.43 Vol: Volume 11179363 is 1.28x ...

normal vol

$63.43 Last Close

Volume Volume 11179363 is 1.28x the 20-day average of 8710919 ahead of this news. normal

Technical Shares at 67.15 are trading below the 200-day MA of 131.14 and well below the 52-week high of 175.47.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Jan 08 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Jan 08	AI collaboration	Positive	+1.1%	Strategic AI collaboration with Microsoft to embed AI across Fiserv platforms.
Jan 09	Product launch	Positive	+0.5%	Launch of Unknown Shopper analytics to enhance in-store customer insights.
Jan 12	Ecosystem partnership	Positive	-2.4%	Synchrony expands CareCredit integration via Clover for health and wellness providers.
Jan 20	Earnings scheduling	Neutral	-2.7%	Announcement of upcoming Q4 2025 earnings release and webcast timing.
Jan 21	International expansion	Positive	+1.9%	Clover suite rollout to Japan via Sumitomo Mitsui Card Company partnership.

Pattern Detected

Recent product and partnership announcements have often coincided with positive same-day moves, though there are instances of negative reactions even on seemingly constructive partnership news and neutral scheduling updates.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement highlights Zelle’s continued expansion among community banks and credit unions, ad...

Analysis

This announcement highlights Zelle’s continued expansion among community banks and credit unions, adding 337 institutions and at least 13 million eligible accounts across 46 states and territories. For Fiserv, which is cited as a major reseller partner, it underscores the relevance of its digital payments infrastructure within real-time consumer payments. Recent history shows a series of product launches and partnerships, so investors may watch adoption trends, transaction volumes, and the depth of Fiserv’s economics within these expanding payment networks.

Key Terms

real-time payment capabilities, minority deposit institution (mdi)

2 terms

real-time payment capabilities technical

"community banks and credit unions seeking real-time payment capabilities"

Real-time payment capabilities are systems that let money move between accounts instantly, any time of day, with immediate confirmation that the payment succeeded. For investors, this matters because instant transfers improve a business’s cash flow and customer experience, reduce credit and settlement risk, and can create competitive advantages or new revenue opportunities—think of it like replacing postal mail with a text-message for moving money.

minority deposit institution (mdi) regulatory

"program with Velera to expand Zelle access for Minority Deposit Institution (MDI) credit unions"

A minority deposit institution (MDI) is a bank or savings lender that is majority-owned or controlled by individuals from designated racial, ethnic, or minority groups, and often focuses on serving underserved communities. For investors, an MDI can signal a niche customer base, access to specialized lending programs or community support, and potential reputational advantages or regulatory incentives, which can affect growth prospects and risk compared with mainstream banks.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

NEW YORK, Jan. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Zelle^® today reported that in 2025 it continued to scale its network, expanding access to more community banks and credit unions seeking real-time payment capabilities:

• 337 financial institutions went live or signed up to bring Zelle to their customers during 2025.
  
  
• 97% were community banks and credit unions with assets of less than $10 billion and that serve a broad range of Americans – from rural farmers and teachers to flight attendants, small business owners, and historically underserved Black communities.
  
  
• This growth represents at least 13 million bank and credit union accounts eligible to use Zelle within 46 U.S. states and territories.

"Zelle already reaches 80% of U.S. bank and credit union accounts and last year was about widening access – deliberately and at scale," said Denise Leonhard, general manager of Zelle. "Deployment looks very different at a rural community credit union than at a major metro bank, and not every institution starts with the same tech stack. That's why we moved decisively to expand our reseller partnerships – helping reduce the technology lift, accelerate adoption and extend Zelle to more communities, all while maintaining the consumer protection standards and reliability that define the network."

Zelle is playing a critical role in America's affordability story. In fact, the most common Zelle payments on any given day go toward essential living expenses like rent and monthly recurring payments like sending money to a roommate for utilities.¹ Zelle isn't just about convenience – it's part of how Americans support their families, contribute to small business success, and remain connected to the communities they help make vibrant. That broad, real-world usage underscores why increased access to Zelle matters – especially for community financial institutions – so all Americans have the same fast, reliable way to manage essential payments.

A core part of deepening access to Zelle has been through new reseller relationships:

• Zelle last year launched a program with Velera to expand Zelle access for Minority Deposit Institution (MDI) credit unions. This program aims to empower MDI credit unions with access to the same real-time payment solutions offered by larger institutions while upholding their mission of serving their communities.
  
  
• Zelle also announced a new partnership last year with Alacriti to embed Zelle into its Orbipay Payments Hub. This new relationship aims to help community banks and credit unions integrate Zelle through existing infrastructures.

"As the largest partner reseller of Zelle, representing roughly two-thirds of the financial institutions offering the solution, we value our collaboration with Early Warning Services in bringing Zelle to market," said Matt Wilcox, deputy head of financial solutions group and chief growth officer, Fiserv.  "Zelle has set the standard for real-time, frictionless payments—an experience consumers now expect across all digital transactions."

Community banks and credit unions are central to expanding access to Zelle, using their trusted relationships and local reach to deliver fast, reliable money movement. By meeting institutions where they are and integrating seamlessly into existing banking experiences, Zelle helps these organizations bring simple, secure payments to the American consumers and small businesses they serve.

About Zelle
Zelle® powers fast, reliable person-to-person digital payments, moving more than $1 trillion between millions of consumer and small business accounts at United States banks and credit unions. Available through a network of more than 2,300 financial institutions, Zelle® enables people to send and receive money directly – without cash, checks or third-party apps. Zelle® is owned and operated by Early Warning Services, LLC, which works with America's banks, credit unions and government agencies to drive prosperity, deliver bold innovation and improve how payments are made. Learn more at www.zelle.com.

About Fiserv
Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a Fortune 500 company, moves more than money. As a global leader in payments and financial technology, the company helps clients achieve best-in-class results through a commitment to innovation and excellence in areas including account processing and digital banking solutions; card issuer processing and network services; payments; e-commerce; merchant acquiring and processing; and Clover^®, the world's smartest point-of-sale system and business management platform. Fiserv is a member of the S&P 500^® Index and one of TIME Magazine's Most Influential Companies™. Visit fiserv.com and follow on social media for more information and the latest company news.

¹ Based on limited available and self-reported 2024 and 2025 memo field data.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zelle-widens-the-on-ramp-for-community-banks-and-credit-unions-337-new-bank-and-credit-unions-went-live-or-signed-in-2025-302671506.html

SOURCE Zelle

FAQ

How many banks and credit unions added Zelle in 2025 (FISV)?

Zelle added 337 financial institutions that went live or signed in 2025.

What share of 2025 additions were small community banks under $10B (FISV)?

97% of the institutions added in 2025 had assets under $10 billion.

How many accounts became eligible for Zelle after the 2025 expansion (FISV)?

At least 13 million bank and credit union accounts became eligible to use Zelle.

In how many states and territories is Zelle available after the 2025 growth (FISV)?

Zelle expanded eligibility across 46 U.S. states and territories.

Which reseller partners did Zelle use to widen access in 2025 (FISV)?

Key reseller partnerships named were Velera for MDI credit unions and Alacriti (Orbipay) to aid integration for community institutions.