GrailPay partners with Narmi to help banks and credit unions catch bad payments before they happen

Faster payments removed the safety buffer

For most of ACH's history, a payment took a few days to clear. That delay was slow, but it did something useful: it gave banks a window to catch a bad account or a mismatched name before the money was gone.

Same-day ACH, RTP, and FedNow have closed that window. Money now moves in seconds, and the fraud and risk tools most banks rely on were built for the slower version of the system.

"Community financial institutions shouldn't have to choose between moving fast and moving safely," said Chris Griffin, co-founder of Narmi. "We chose to partner with GrailPay because they've built best-in-class technology that allows us to continue delivering innovative financial solutions for our customers."

What the check does inside Narmi

GrailPay checks the account in real time when a bank or credit union customer does any of the following on Narmi's platform:

• Opens a new account
• Links an external bank account
• Funds a new account

At each of those moments, GrailPay confirms the account is real, active, and belongs to the person using it, before the bank accepts the money.

Why we're building through platforms like Narmi

GrailPay's network covers more than 99% of US bank accounts and already makes real-time decisions on billions in payment volume. Partnering with Narmi puts that network inside the platform banks and credit unions already run on, so the check reaches them where they already work.

"Every bank and credit union trying to move money faster is making a bet that they can do it without moving blind," said Will Messina, CEO at GrailPay. "This partnership means Narmi's customers get that safety check built into the platform they're already running on, powered by the network we've built to answer exactly that question."

See how GrailPay works with Narmi

Banks and credit unions on Narmi can now check accounts in real time before money moves. Learn more about GrailPay and Narmi.

Frequently asked questions

What does this partnership actually do for a bank or credit union using Narmi?

‍It matches the name on a linked bank account against the person opening it or moving money, something Narmi's platform did not previously offer on its own. That cuts down payment failures and fraud losses, and lets institutions move money faster.

Is this Narmi's technology or GrailPay's?‍

The risk check is built entirely on GrailPay's technology. Narmi is integrating it directly into its own platform so its bank and credit union customers can use it without adding a separate tool.

How is this different from existing account verification tools?‍

Most tools confirm an account exists. This checks whether a specific payment is safe to let through, in real time, before the money moves.

Does this replace or work alongside a bank's existing fraud and compliance systems?‍

It works alongside them. The bank or credit union keeps full control over its own approval process and thresholds.

Does GrailPay make the approve or decline decision, or does the bank still control that?‍

The bank or credit union always makes the final call. GrailPay provides the real-time risk information they use to make it.

What changes for Narmi's existing customers, in the product they already use?‍

Nothing about the day-to-day experience changes. The risk check runs in the background as part of the platform they already use.

How fast does the check happen, and does it slow down account opening or funding?‍

It happens in real time, at the moment an account is opened, linked, or funded, without adding delay to the process.

What types of payments does this cover?‍

Same-day ACH, RTP, wires, and FedNow are all covered, since these are the payment rails moving money fastest and where the risk gap is widest.

What is GrailPay, and how is it different from Narmi?‍

Narmi is a digital banking and payments platform that banks and credit unions use to run their operations. GrailPay is the risk and data network powering the real-time safety check inside that platform. They are separate companies, with GrailPay providing the technology behind this specific capability.