Governments and economists are now focused on the macroeconomic policies that can support economies during the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet, for policies to be effective and economies to function, payment and settlement systems and services – collectively referred to as the National Payments System – must operate efficiently, reliably, and securely. The first column of this series identifies the challenges affecting payment services during emergencies and discusses measures to ensure that payment systems keep operating. Public authorities should be proactive in mitigating risks to payment systems to support economic activity and help the public.