NEW YORK— Zelle said it expanded access to real-time payments in 2025 by onboarding hundreds of new community banks and credit unions, widening availability for smaller financial institutions and underserved communities.
The network reported that 337 financial institutions either went live or signed agreements last year to offer Zelle to their customers.
Nearly all of the newly added institutions—97%—were community banks and credit unions with less than $10 billion in assets, many serving rural communities, small businesses, flight attendants, teachers, and historically underserved Black communities. Zelle said the expansion added eligibility for at least 13 million bank and credit union accounts across 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. She said the company expanded reseller partnerships to reduce technology barriers and accelerate adoption while maintaining consumer protection and reliability standards.
Zelle also emphasized its role in helping consumers manage essential living expenses, noting that many daily transactions involve rent, utilities, and other recurring payments. The company said broader access supports family financial stability, small business activity, and local economic participation, reinforcing the importance of expanding availability through community financial institutions.
To support growth, Zelle said it highlighted new reseller initiatives, including a program with Velera to expand access for Minority Deposit Institution credit unions and a partnership with Alacriti to integrate Zelle into its Orbipay Payments Hub.
“Zelle has set the standard for real-time, frictionless payments—an experience consumers now expect across all digital transactions,” said Matt Wilcox, deputy head of financial solutions group and chief growth officer at Fiserv.