meta_id 3307041

On July 8, 2026, the Account-to-Account (A2A) Payments Roundtable released its vision for Australia's A2A payments system, incorporating feedback from public consultation and stakeholder engagement. The Roundtable comprises Australian Payments Network Limited (AusPayNet), Australian Payments Plus (AP+), the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), and Commonwealth Treasury, operating under authorisation granted by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on August 1, 2025. The vision establishes a long-term direction for Australia's A2A payments system, aiming to create a trusted infrastructure that meets evolving needs of consumers, businesses, and government agencies while supporting resilience, competition, innovation, and productivity. A2A payments underpin Australia's economy, facilitating millions of daily transactions including wage payments, superannuation, welfare, bills, taxes, and personal transfers. The vision centres on five outcomes for end-users: safety, reliability, affordability, ease of use, and inclusivity. To deliver these outcomes consistently, the system must demonstrate six characteristics: security and protection; high availability and resilience; feature and capability richness; accessibility for providers; commercial viability; and appropriate standardisation. These characteristics require clear, collaborative, and adaptable governance arrangements ensuring the A2A payments system remains a trusted national asset operating in the public interest. Extensive engagement shaped the vision, including workshops, bilateral discussions, and public consultation. Stakeholder feedback—from banks, payment service providers, fintechs, technology companies, merchants, industry bodies, and government agencies—demonstrated strong support for a shared national vision, enhanced A2A capability, and modernised payments infrastructure. Stakeholders emphasised the need for clarity on implementation, prioritisation, and sequencing. The Roundtable now shifts focus to developing the A2A payments roadmap, which will define deliverables, implementation timelines, and governance arrangements. The final vision report, consultation feedback summary, and all public submissions are available at www.a2apaymentsaustralia.com.au.