LONDON, May 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- BNY Mellon, a global leader in investment management and investment services, is now a Direct Participant and shareholder in the Clearing House Automated Payment System (CHAPS).

CHAPS is a UK payments system that processes and settles both systemically important and time-dependent payments in sterling. As a Direct Participant, BNY Mellon will use its enhanced global payments infrastructure to send and receive sterling payments settled on the same day. One of only six US banks to join the CHAPS board, BNY Mellon brings the payments system's total membership to 21.

As a Direct Participant, BNY Mellon will be able to provide additional benefits to clients, notably in the areas of payment solution efficiency and flexibility, reporting and information management. By allowing for same-day settlement and eliminating reliance on correspondent banks, Direct Participant membership will improve the efficiency of BNY Mellon's payment services. This is part of BNY Mellon's continuing rollout of its new global payments infrastructure — other milestones earlier this year include enhanced euro direct clearing and expanded London-based multicurrency payments.

"Our new infrastructure is being designed to ultimately enable us to process any payment, anywhere, on a single platform, irrespective of its value, currency or clearing mechanism," said Ian Stewart, chief executive officer of BNY Mellon's Treasury Services group. "By using our new infrastructure as a Direct Participant of CHAPS, we can deliver to corporate and correspondent banking partners the high levels of service for sterling-denominated payments that distinguish us as an elite processor of US dollar payments."

"Direct Participant membership in CHAPS in conjunction with our new payments infrastructure enables us to provide high-value electronic payment solutions that are even more responsive to client needs across all of BNY Mellon's businesses," said Brian Shea, president, Investment Services, and head of Client Service Delivery and Client Technology Solutions at BNY Mellon. "Delivering even stronger levels of cash and risk management tools to clients with sterling-denominated transactions will add an important new dimension to BNY Mellon's nearly century-long presence in the UK."

Financial institutions with over two per cent of the average daily total payment activity (by value), processed daily by CHAPS could potentially be invited to become Direct Participants¹. Based on current daily values, BNY Mellon will clear more than £11 billion, which is equivalent to more than four per cent of the average daily value of CHAPS². CHAPS processes over 92 per cent of all intra-bank payments (by value) in the UK³. Over £70 trillion was processed through the system in 2013⁴.

Notes to editors:

With locations on six continents and a global network of correspondent financial institutions, BNY Mellon's Treasury Services business delivers high-quality performance in global payments, trade services, and cash management. The company is a top-five participant in both the CHIPS and overall funds transfer markets, and is a recognized leader in the delivery of private-label treasury services solutions for banks and other large institutional clients.

BNY Mellon is a global investments company dedicated to helping its clients manage and service their financial assets throughout the investment lifecycle. Whether providing financial services for institutions, corporations or individual investors, BNY Mellon delivers informed investment management and investment services in 35 countries and more than 100 markets. As of March 31, 2014, BNY Mellon had $27.9 trillion in assets under custody and/or administration, and $1.6 trillion in assets under management. BNY Mellon can act as a single point of contact for clients looking to create, trade, hold, manage, service, distribute or restructure investments. BNY Mellon is the corporate brand of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE: BK). Additional information is available on www.bnymellon.com, or follow us on Twitter @BNYMellon.

This press release is issued by The Bank of New York Mellon to members of the financial press and media. All information and figures source BNY Mellon unless otherwise stated as at December 31, 2013. The Bank of New York Mellon, London Branch, registered in England and Wales with FC005522 and BR000818. Branch office: One Canada Square, London E14 5AL. The Bank of New York Mellon is supervised and regulated by the New York State Department of Financial Services and the Federal Reserve and authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority. The Bank of New York Mellon London branch is subject to regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and limited regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Details about the extent of our regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority are available from us on request.

¹ Page 8, http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/publications/Documents/psor/psor2012.pdf
² Source: BNY Mellon and CHAPS
³ http://www.chapsco.co.uk/media/press_releases/-/page/2816/
⁴ http://www.chapsco.co.uk/about_chaps/

SOURCE BNY Mellon