ACH payments
ACH payments: one-time, recurring billing, and eCheck.
Get paid straight from your customers' bank accounts. One-time invoices, recurring ACH billing and direct debit, and eCheck payments, all in one ACH merchant account. ACH is cheaper than cards, and when you call, a human answers.
ACH activity · sample
TodayCustomer subscription
ACH credit · recurring
+$540.00
completedStorage unit rent
ACH credit · monthly
+$2,890.00
completedRefund issued
ACH debit · cust #4721
-$148.50
completedB2B invoice
eCheck · captured
+$12,450.00
completedMonthly HOA dues
Recurring · pending pull
+$3,200.00
pendingDaily settlement
Net deposit
+$5,225.20
completedOne-time ACH
One-time ACH payments
Invoices, orders, deposits, and big tickets paid by bank instead of by card.
Recurring billing
Recurring ACH payments
Rent, dues, tuition, premiums, and payment plans collected by direct debit on any cadence. Smart retries and a self-service customer portal included.
eCheck
eCheck payments
Customers pay online or by phone, or convert paper checks with mobile capture or a desktop scanner. Check 21 and RCC support.
The basics
What is an ACH payment?
An ACH payment is an electronic payment that moves money directly from one U.S. bank account to another over the ACH (Automated Clearing House) network. When a business pulls a payment from a customer's bank account, that is an ACH debit. When it sends money out, like payroll or a refund, that is an ACH credit.
Your customer pays with a routing and account number instead of a card, so there is no card network taking a cut. That is why ACH is cheaper than cards, especially on bigger payments and bills that repeat every month.
- ACH stands for
- Automated Clearing House
- Rules set by
- Nacha, for every bank in the network
- ACH debit
- You pull a payment from a customer's account
- ACH credit
- You push money out, like payroll or refunds
One-time ACH
One-time ACH payments for invoices and big tickets.
Card fees grow with every dollar of the sale. ACH costs far less, so the bigger the payment, the more you keep compared with cards.
- Take payments in the web portal, by batch upload, or through the ACH API
- Bank account verification before the pull, so fewer payments come back
- Standard ACH and Same Day ACH available
- Works for consumer and business accounts
- Real people answer the phone when a payment needs a look
- ODFI relationships and risk monitoring handled for you
- Real-time webhooks on every state change
Recurring ACH billing
Recurring ACH payments and direct debit, on your schedule.
Your customer authorizes once. You collect rent, dues, tuition, premiums, and installments by direct debit every cycle, without chasing checks or paying card fees on every bill.
- Store each customer's bank account as a token after they authorize it
- Collect weekly, monthly, or on any schedule your business runs
- Send recurring batches from the web portal or through the ACH API
- Every return comes back with a code, so you know whether to retry or update the account
- Bring your own Plaid processor token if your customers link banks with Plaid
- Smart retry logic configurable by reason code
- Self-service portal so customers update their own bank account
- Automated dunning emails with reactivation flows
eCheck
eCheck payments without the paper.
Customers who still like paying by check can enter their routing and account number online or over the phone. The eCheck clears through the ACH network like any other ACH payment.
- Online (WEB) and phone (TEL) eCheck payments
- Account checked before funds are pulled
- Same ACH merchant account as your other ACH payments
- Nacha authorization on every debit
- Mobile capture, desktop scanner, or phone entry
- Check 21 and Remotely Created Check (RCC) compliant
- NSF and stop-payment handling built in
How it works
How ACH payment processing works.
Four steps from your customer's bank account to yours. New to the terms? The ACH glossary explains them in plain English.
Customer authorizes
Your customer gives you their bank details and agrees to the debit online, by phone, or in writing, as Nacha rules require.
Account is checked
ACHQ can verify the bank account before the first pull, so typos and closed accounts get caught up front.
Payment goes out
The debit is sent through the ACH network as a one-time payment or as part of a recurring batch.
Funds settle to you
Money lands in your business bank account. If a payment comes back, it carries a return code that says why.
Verify accounts first with bank account verification, and look up any return in the ACH return codes list.
ACH payment pricing
From $0.15 per transaction.*
ACH is often 50x cheaper than cards.
A $1,000 card payment typically costs about $29.30 at 2.9% + 30¢. The same payment by ACH starts at $0.15.
*Final pricing is set at underwriting.
ACH payments FAQ
What is an ACH payment?
An ACH payment is an electronic payment that moves money directly between U.S. bank accounts over the ACH network. A business pulling a payment from a customer's account is an ACH debit. Sending money out, like payroll or a refund, is an ACH credit.
What does ACH stand for?
ACH stands for Automated Clearing House, the U.S. network banks use to move money electronically between accounts. Direct deposit, online bill pay, and payments pulled from a bank account all run over ACH, under rules set by Nacha.
What is ACH billing?
ACH billing means collecting payments straight from a customer's bank account over the ACH network instead of charging a card. It works for one-time invoices and for recurring bills like rent, dues, tuition, and premiums. The customer authorizes the debit once and you collect on your schedule.
What is the difference between ACH debit and direct debit?
In the U.S. they mean the same thing. A direct debit is an ACH debit: you pull an agreed amount from your customer's bank account with their authorization. Recurring ACH payments are direct debits that repeat on a schedule.
Can I set up recurring ACH payments?
Yes. Store the customer's bank account as a token once they authorize it, then collect weekly, monthly, or on whatever schedule your business runs. Send recurring batches from the web portal or from your own system through the ACH API.
Do I need an ACH merchant account to accept ACH payments?
Yes. An ACH merchant account with a processor like ACHQ lets your business pull payments from customer bank accounts. You apply online, ACHQ underwrites your business, and complete applications often get a decision within hours.
How much do ACH payments cost?
ACH pricing from $0.15 per transaction, and ACH is often 50x cheaper than cards. Final pricing is set at underwriting.
How long do ACH payments take?
Settlement is as fast as same day. ACHQ offers standard ACH and Same Day ACH for payments that need to move faster.
Move money cheaper, faster, and with fewer headaches.
Apply for an ACH merchant account online. Complete applications often get a decision within hours.