Instant payment services are being developed by payment market infrastructures (PMIs) all over the world. Banks also see real-time services from PMIs as an opportunity to develop new products. The benefits these domestic instant payments systems bring will also be felt in cross-border payments once the systems start to inter-operate. But the barriers to achieve this goal are not only technological. They also lie in the need to incorporate the foreign exchange component, comply with Know Your Client (KYC), anti-money laundering (AML) and sanctions screening obligations, offer settlement finality outside a currency zone, and respect local market practices. In this sibos conference session, payments industry experts will explore how these barriers can be overcome.