Chapter 12: Payment Rails

Payment Rail Portfolio Builder

Fillable Worksheet + Reference Card
Editable Word document (.docx) + print-ready PDF

"Move from ad hoc rail selection to a deliberate portfolio."

Asset preview

What You'll Get

Part 1: Current state inventory — map every rail you use, what it's used for, and who decides

Part 2: Portfolio design — assign rails to transaction types with thresholds, exceptions, and rationale

A one-page reference card comparing Wire, ACH, Same-Day ACH, RTP/FedNow, and Check across six security dimensions

Settlement speed, reversibility, verification time, recovery options, and best/worst use cases for each rail

How It Works

1

Complete the current state inventory to see how rails are actually being used today

2

Design your target portfolio by assigning appropriate rails to each transaction type

3

Define thresholds and exception processes for each rail assignment

4

Print the reference card and distribute to your team

Who It's For

Built for treasury managers and CFOs

Treasury managers, CFOs, and operations leaders responsible for payment infrastructure decisions.

The Key Insight

Most rail portfolios are accidents, not designs

Most organizations use payment rails by accident rather than design. The first wire was set up years ago, ACH got added for convenience, and nobody reviewed the portfolio since.

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This resource is a companion to Chapter 12: Payment Rails of When Money Moves.
The chapter provides the full framework — this tool helps you apply it. Get the Book