[Osmium]

> within 4 hours

It's usually quoted as hours, but in practice is often 'instant.' More info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faster_Payments_Service

US is archaic in many ways too: the necessity for paper checks in many situations (and still having to pay for them in many banks), no contactless payment cards, the aforementioned dire signature/chip situation... It's certainly anything but at the 'forefront of digital technology.' Not to mention fees. Fees everywhere! The effort it takes to avoid meaningless 'gotcha' fees is just insane -- and must surely stifle innovation too, in creating friction against change.