Instant Pay
Send Money Instantly
Fast. Secure. Simple.
Send money to friends, family, or businesses using an email address, phone number, or bank account information.
What is Instant Pay?
Instant Pay lets you send money directly from your Trailhead account to anyone—quickly, securely, and without needing another app.
fast
Send money in seconds, not days.
Flexible
Pay anyone—friends, family, or anyone with a U.S. bank account.
Secure
Built with real-time fraud monitoring and credit union security.
No extra apps
Manage within your Trailhead digital banking.
Ways to Send
Use email, phone number, or account details.
Your money has places to be. Instant Pay helps it get there fast.
Built for Speed
Instant Pay uses modern payment networks to deliver money quickly and reliably, helping you send funds to the people you trust in seconds.
How it Works
- Select a recipient using their email or mobile number.
- Send money in seconds from your Trailhead account.
- They choose where to receive it—bank account, debit card, or digital wallet.
Know before you send
- Payments are processed instantly and cannot be cancelled or reversed.
- Always double-check recipient details.
- Only send money to people you know and trust.
Get Started
Complete the enrollment form within digital banking.
(Menu > Forms> Instant Pay Enrollment)
Frequently Asked Questions
Instant Pay lets you send money to others in seconds directly from your Trailhead account, using the recipient’s email address, mobile phone number, or account and routing number.
With Instant Pay, you can send money to:
- Friends and family
- Individuals at other financial institutions
- In some cases, businesses or service providers
Recipients do not need to have an account with us. They can choose where they would like the funds to go:
- Directly to their bank account.
- Onto a debit card.
- Into a digital wallet.
- Complete the enrollment form in digital banking (Menu > Forms > Instant Pay Enrollment)
- A Trailhead employee will be in touch.
You can choose the easiest option:
- Email address
- Mobile phone number
- Account number and routing number
This works similarly to other P2P services that use email or phone as identifiers.
Transfers happen in real time—usually within seconds. That means your friends or family won’t be left waiting to get paid.
Once you send a payment, the recipient gets a text or email letting them know funds are available. They can choose where to deposit the money—like their bank account, debit card, or digital wallet. In most cases, the money arrives within seconds.
Traditional transfers (ACH) can take 1–3 business days.
Instant Pay delivers funds within seconds, even on nights, weekends, and holidays.
This service is similar in convenience but:
- It is built into your credit union account
- Funds move directly between bank accounts
- No separate app is required
Protecting your money is all about knowing who you are dealing with. Follow these essential safety rules:
- Only send money to people you know and trust: Never use this service to send money to strangers, online sellers you haven’t met in person, or anyone claiming to be from a government agency or utility company.
- Double-check the details: Always verify the recipient’s mobile phone number or email address. A single typo could send your money to the wrong person.
- Beware of “urgent” requests: Scammers often try to create a sense of panic, claiming your utilities will be shut off, or a family member is in trouble. Take a breath and verify the story through a separate trusted channel before sending any funds.
- Trailhead will never ask you to send money to yourself: A common scam involves fraudsters pretending to be fraud department employees asking you to transfer funds to “reverse” a fake charge. We will never ask you to do this.
No. Because these payments are processed instantly, they cannot be canceled or reversed once the recipient claims the funds.
Think of sending an instant payment just like handing someone cash out of your wallet—once it leaves your hands, it’s gone. Because of this, it is critical that you verify the recipient’s information before confirming the transfer.