Truist has completed the initial testing of an innovative alias-based bill payment solution powered by The Clearing House’s RTP® network and Request for Payment (RfP) platform.

Through an internal pilot involving its credit card division and employee volunteers, Truist became the first financial institution to both send and receive alias-based RfPs and execute real-time payment and settlement through the RTP system – a major milestone in the evolution of secure, instant payments.

The solution significantly strengthens data security by leveraging aliases instead of account numbers, which eliminates the need to share sensitive banking information.

Key Takeaways

• Truist is the first U.S. bank to both send and receive alias-based Requests for Payment (RfPs) and complete real-time settlement through The Clearing House’s RTP® network, marking a significant step toward safer, faster bill payments.
• The system uses email and mobile number “aliases” instead of account numbers, reducing data exposure and fraud risk while maintaining compliance with industry security standards.
• Internal testing showed immediate payment confirmation and fewer manual errors. Both billers and payers benefited from faster transactions and easier authorization using pre-enrolled tokens.
• Following the pilot, Truist plans to launch the solution for select corporate clients in utilities, insurance, and telecom by Q3 2025, with broader availability in 2026, focusing on sectors where real-time payments can improve cash flow and reconciliation.

Truist Completes Pilot of Alias-Based Bill Pay Using RTP and RfP Technology

Truist Financial Corporation has completed the initial testing phase of its groundbreaking alias-based bill payment solution, leveraging The Clearing House’s Real-Time Payments (RTP®) network and Request for Payment (RfP) platform. This milestone marks Truist as the first financial institution to both send and receive alias-based RfPs and deliver real-time payment and settlement via the RTP system.

The pilot, which utilized Truist’s credit card division and volunteer employees, confirmed that businesses can now initiate payments using email or mobile number “aliases” instead of sensitive bank account details, while consumers gain instantaneous confirmation and enhanced security.

The surge in demand for instant, transparent, and secure transactions has compelled banks and fintech firms to rethink traditional bill payment methods. According to a recent report, between 70% and 80% of financial institutions are projected to enable instant payments by 2028, reflecting mounting pressure from both retail and commercial clients to adopt real-time solutions.

Amid this backdrop, alias-based payments have emerged as a leading innovation, allowing payers to send funds without exchanging account numbers, thereby minimizing data exposure and fraud risk.

At its core, Truist’s new system uses confirmed mobile and email “tokens” as aliases linked to specific bank accounts. When a biller issues an RfP, they reference a consumer’s pre-enrolled email address or phone number rather than a lengthy account number. Upon receipt, the RfP prompts the payer to authorize payment, which is then executed instantly via the RTP network.

This approach utilizes nearly 150 million enrolled U.S. mobile and email tokens, dramatically simplifying the authorization process and reducing manual data entry errors. By obfuscating bank details, the alias model strengthens overall data security and aligns with industry best practices for tokenization and fraud prevention.

The internal pilot leveraged Truist’s credit card division and a cohort of employee volunteers to simulate real-world billing scenarios. Throughout the test, Truist successfully sent and received alias-based RfPs, achieving instant settlement and real-time confirmation on the RTP network.

Feedback from participants highlighted the streamlined user experience: billers reported nearly instantaneous confirmation of payment receipt, while employees acting as mock consumers appreciated the ease of paying bills directly from a mobile alias without divulging account numbers. This proof-of-concept underscores Truist’s commitment to adopting modern, scalable architecture to meet evolving payment needs.

A recent study also highlights that banks embracing RTP-enabled solutions not only meet consumer expectations for immediacy but also unlock new revenue streams through value-added services like dynamic billing and real-time reconciliation.

Meanwhile, competitors are racing to deploy similar token-based frameworks; however, few have bridged the gap between alias-based RfPs and true instant settlement. By pioneering this capability, Truist gains a competitive edge, particularly among corporate treasury and large commercial clients seeking next-generation payment tools.

According to Chris Ward, Truist’s Head of Enterprise Payments, the bank is harnessing modern, scalable technology to expand the possibilities of digital payments. By integrating with the RTP network, Truist delivers unmatched speed, simplicity, and security.

This advancement enables fast, seamless, fully protected bill payments – complete with instant settlement and real-time confirmation – providing businesses and consumers with immediate financial clarity. Ward noted that this initiative fits within Truist’s broader strategy of investing in best-in-class technology to offer differentiated value to both commercial and consumer clients.

Following the successful internal pilot, Truist plans to extend the alias-based solution to select corporate clients in Q3 2025, with broader commercial and retail rollouts slated for early 2026. Initial focus will be on mid- to large-sized billers in utilities, insurance, and telecommunications sectors where high-volume, recurring payments stand to benefit most from instant settlement. Concurrently, Truist intends to partner with fintech vendors and ERP providers to integrate RfP-enabled bill pay directly into existing billing platforms, further streamlining adoption.

Benefits of Alias-Based Bill Pay for Corporate Billers

• Immediate Payment Validation: By receiving real-time confirmation through the RTP network, billers can reconcile accounts instantly, cutting days off traditional settlement timelines. This capability reduces financial uncertainty and frees up resources for strategic initiatives.
• Accelerated Cash Flow: Funds transferred via RTP are guaranteed and available immediately, minimizing payment delays and enhancing working capital efficiency for large enterprises.
• Streamlined Data Management: The alias-based model couples each payment with enriched remittance data, simplifying reporting and reconciliation. Consolidated digital records reduce manual processing errors and compliance burdens.
• Enhanced Data Security: Using tokens instead of raw bank account details drastically reduces the risk of breaches. This approach conforms to the highest ACH and instant payment security standards.
• Reduced Operational Costs: Eliminating paper checks and manual invoicing processes results in significant cost savings. Electronic bill presentment translates to lower printing, postage, and administrative expenses.

Benefits for Small Businesses and Consumers

• Faster Processing: Consumers can pay bills with a few taps by selecting their email or mobile alias, bypassing manual entry of bank accounts and routing numbers. The RTP backbone ensures sub-second payment execution.
• Easy Account Monitoring: Through Truist’s online and mobile banking platforms, consumers receive immediate notifications once payment requests are sent, received, and applied, offering full transparency over account activity.
• Tokenized Fraud Protection: The alias-based mechanism, combined with multi-factor authentication, diminishes exposure to phishing and account takeovers. Consumers no longer share sensitive account data with billers.
• Greater Control and Transparency: Real-time updates on payment status mean fewer late fees and improved budget management. Consumers can track every stage from bill presentment to final settlement without ambiguity.

As instant payments gain traction, regulatory oversight around fraud prevention and data protection has intensified. Truist’s solution adheres to NACHA and The Clearing House guidelines for tokenization and data encryption, ensuring compliance with end-to-end security standards.

Plus, by eliminating the exchange of raw account information, the alias-based model substantially reduces PCI DSS and GLBA compliance risks. Truist has also undergone rigorous third-party security audits and obtained SOC 2 Type II certification to validate its infrastructure’s resilience.

Conclusion

Truist’s successful pilot of its alias-based bill payment solution marks a key development in real-time payments and data security. By replacing traditional account details with verified email and mobile aliases, the system reduces fraud risk and simplifies the payment process for both businesses and consumers.

The integration with The Clearing House’s RTP® network and RfP platform enables instant settlement, immediate confirmation, and improved operational efficiency. With plans to roll out the solution to corporate clients in late 2025 and a wider launch in 2026, Truist is positioning itself to meet rising demand for faster, safer, and more transparent payment options across key industries.