The trend: Zelle significantly increased its network in late 2024 and early 2025, adding 178 financial institutions (FIs) in six months compared to just 69 the prior year, per American Banker.
How we got here: Community banks and credit unions make up 95% of Zelle's network of 2,300 FIs. Adding more wouldn’t pose any challenges, as Zelle's integration with core providers (e.g., Fiserv, FIS, Jack Henry, Valera) makes it relatively straightforward for community banks to enable the service, sometimes in only a month.
On the flip side, more consumers are turning to Zelle for their payment needs, leading to a 25.6% increase in users over the next four years, according to EMARKETER forecasts. A Zelle offering could therefore be a compelling selling point for FIs, especially those trying to attract younger customers.