Best ACH Payment Processing for Small Business Operations And Growth

Reduce costs

ACH payments typically cost less than $1.50 per transaction, far cheaper than paper checks or wire transfers, which usually run $25 to $30 for a domestic wire.

Increase efficiency of financial operations

Every payment is easily recorded, tracked and reconciled. If you use a good tool, it’s also easily shareable with your accountant or bookkeeper. Plus, instead of writing and sending checks manually, you just click a few buttons and you’re done.

Payments can even be scheduled in advance, so you can work in bulk instead of jumping from task to task.

Protect your business – and the environment

Safety is key when it comes to business payments. ACH payments are transferred through a clearing house, which has to comply with regulations and laws. The process enables businesses to get their money back within two months if fraud occurs.

Meanwhile, businesses are doing all this electronically, protecting the environment from producing and discarding more paper and ink.

The cost of ACH payments

Some financial institutions and most service providers charge fees for ACH transactions. Fees vary, depending on the bank or service provider, whether you’re on the sending or receiving end, and if you need to make an expedited payment.

• Many banks charge a small per-transaction fee. If you’re only making a couple of transactions a month, the fees are less significant, but as the transaction volume increases, they add up.
• Some service providers charge subscription fees, which can add to your monthly costs, so that’s also something to consider.
• Fast transactions can be expensive. Standard ACH payments normally take one to two business days to process. If you need to expedite your payment and use a same- or next–day ACH, banks and certain service providers may charge a flat fee per transaction, regardless of the amount. Others may charge a percentage of the transaction.

When it comes to fees, the differences between service providers can amount to hundreds, even thousands, of dollars a year, depending on your transaction volume. Make sure to compare the different service costs before making your decision.

Just putting it out there: Melio includes up to five free ACH payments a month on its free plan, with paid plans offering more free ACH, unlike some competitors such as Plastiq and Bill. Check Melio’s pricing page for current fees and same-day options.

Additional payment options

Some vendors still insist on getting paid by check. Maintaining two separate payment procedures – paying some vendors with ACH and others by paper checks – is a logistical and accounting challenge.

So, what can you do?

• If your bank is your service provider, you probably can’t merge the two tracks.
• Most ACH service providers will limit you to ACH only.
• However, there are service providers that offer more payment options, including decoupling the payment track from the way vendors receive funds. These services allow you to pay with ACH, and your vendors can receive a paper check.

Effective integration with your accounting software

One of the biggest advantages of ACH payments is that they’re digitally recorded with all the relevant financial information.

There’s no reason businesses should waste time registering that information a second time in QuickBooks (or another accounting software they use) – especially since there are ACH services for small business operations that offer seamless integration with leading accounting software tools.

Effective user interface and approval workflow designed for businesses

Business owners often have more than one individual involved in the payment process: it could be an accountant, bookkeeper, or a member of your team.

As a business grows and changes, additional users and approval levels could be added. Businesses need to make it simple for them to access and manage the payments, while still giving management the oversight and control over these team members’ actions.

Hopefully, businesses can add all that to their workflow at no extra cost, but even getting a good interface isn’t always a piece of cake.

• Bank interfaces don’t usually provide this functionality.
• Some service providers that offer approval levels are far too complicated, because they have designed their interfaces with large organizations in mind. They also charge fees for every additional user.

Small businesses need solutions that were developed with them in mind – those that offer the right balance between simplicity and control, preferably with no added cost.

1. Melio

At the risk of a shameless plug, because we believe in what our team has created and have seen many businesses thrive as a result… let’s start with our very own ACH payment processing for small business, Melio.

Melio’s free plan includes up to five free ACH payments a month, with paid plans offering more free ACH, and customers don’t need a Melio account to receive a payment. Check Melio’s pricing page for current fees and same-day options.

Either way, Melio offers significant flexibility. For example, businesses can pay vendors with a credit card, but the vendor will get paid via ACH if that’s what they prefer.

All in all, Melio is an effective payment platform that’s reinventing the way businesses pay each other. It makes it easier to run your business, because you can pay and get paid exactly how you want, while your customers and vendors can do the same.

2. Stripe

Stripe provides a global financial infrastructure that lets businesses manage finances and expand revenue models, including embedding financial services.

When it comes to ACH payments, Stripe helps businesses accept quick ACH direct debit payments. Businesses can let their customers instantly connect their bank credentials. Then, the businesses debit payments from customers’ accounts, which reduces transaction cost fees and non-paid invoices.

3. Stax

Stax is about making payments simple for businesses, whether they’re a small shop or sell wholesale. That includes providing ACH payments. Businesses can mix ACH usage with other payment types, such as text-to-pay.

In addition, businesses get data and financial reports, to support them in understanding trends in their businesses and taking action on them. Simultaneously, customer service is there for anything you might need.

4. PaymentCloud

PaymentCloud offers customized payment solutions to all kinds of businesses, including those categorized as high risk. One of the payment solutions provided is ACH payments with no setup fees.

The company prides itself on its secure, scalable, yet simple, technology. Plus, it offers integrations with hundreds of trusted tools to give you even more capabilities.

According to PaymentCloud, it takes as little as 48 hours to get fully set up after a quick online application.

5. Square Invoices

Square’s invoicing service is very easy to use – both when businesses need to invoice and when they make payments themselves. ACH is one of the payment methods Square provides, and it comes with a per-transfer fee.

The visualization in the interface lets businesses quickly understand what has already been paid and what’s still pending. It organizes and tracks invoices in one spot. Square also offers plenty of customization – invoice fields, reminders in several formats, add discounts or gift cards, and so much more.

6. Helcim

Helcim aims to be an affordable and easy solution for accepting payments online and off for small businesses. It offers simple, flat and transparent pricing, with low rates and fees that, according to Helcim, are capped at $6 per transaction. According to Helcim, it helps businesses save 25% on average.

Easy and cost-saving ACH payment processing is one of their offerings. While transactions come with a small fee, businesses can set up an account for free – no extra paperwork or sign ups required.

7. QuickBooks

QuickBooks’ ACH payments are powered by Melio, so you know we recommend it. Together, we help businesses use ACH for both external payment management (such as paying vendors and getting paid by customers) and internal payment management (like payroll).

In addition, QuickBooks makes it easy for businesses to process invoices, run reports and stay on top of their financial health.

8. Dwolla

Dwolla is a very straightforward ACH provider. It’s easy to set up, integrate and use. The API is useful and intuitive, which helps businesses build on top of what Dwolla offers if needed.

Mostly, though, customers love Dwolla’s customer service. The company’s team is responsive, caring and very knowledgeable.

9. BlueSnap

BlueSnap offers a payment orchestration platform that can be significantly customized based on the way a business sells. Businesses can turn features on and off by issuer, product, company and more, so that each part of the business gets the payment solution it needs, but there’s no overpaying for unneeded features.

As part of this commitment, BlueSnap offers a variety of payment options, including ACH payments, which are available through BlueSnap’s API.

10. PayPal

PayPal is a well-known global brand. Business owners and their teams might already be using it and feeling comfortable with its interface. Moreover, their vendors, partners and customers likely already know and use, and therefore trust, PayPal, making it easier to do business.

ACH is part of a bigger network of financial services and business insights PayPal provides to businesses across the world. The company’s technology integrates with all the major ecommerce platforms as well as software products that serve almost the entire business ecosystem – from accounting to marketing.

How long do ACH payments take to process?

Standard ACH payments usually take one to two business days. Same Day ACH can settle within hours on a banking day.

How much does ACH payment processing cost?

ACH payments typically cost less than a wire or a paper check. Fees depend on your bank or provider and whether you need a same-day transfer.

How do I pay someone via ACH?

Choose an ACH provider, add your vendor’s bank details, and schedule the payment. Your provider submits it to the ACH Network and the funds move to their account.

Is there a downside to ACH payments?

ACH is domestic and not instant by default, so it suits scheduled and recurring payments more than urgent international transfers.