Accept ACH and eCheck Payments at 1% + $0.29

What is ACH processing?

ACH (Automated Clearing House) processing moves money electronically between US bank accounts through the ACH network, the same rails the US Federal Reserve uses. An ACH debit pulls funds from a customer's bank account into your merchant account. An ACH credit pushes funds the other direction. The network is governed by NACHA rules. See NACHA's overview for the official definition.

What does ACH processing cost at Easy Pay Direct?

Easy Pay Direct's ACH rate is 1% + $0.29 per transaction. There is no separate ACH gateway fee and no additional monthly fee specifically for ACH, it is included on every Easy Pay Direct merchant account. Setup is $99 (waived if documents are submitted within 24 hours). Typical monthly fee is $25.

When does ACH beat card processing on cost?

On any transaction above roughly $25, ACH is cheaper than the card-online rate (2.69% + $0.36). The gap grows fast as ticket size rises. On a $1,000 invoice, online card costs about $27.26 and ACH costs about $10.29, a $17 saving. On a $5,000 invoice, online card costs about $134.86 and ACH costs about $50.29, an $84 saving. For B2B, high-ticket, and recurring billing, ACH is often the right default.

What is an eCheck and how is it different from ACH?

An eCheck is the electronic equivalent of a paper check, processed through the same ACH network. In practice, "ACH" and "eCheck" describe the same payment rail from the merchant's perspective, both pull funds from a customer's bank account by routing and account number. Easy Pay Direct handles both at the same 1% + $0.29 rate through the same merchant account and gateway.

How long do ACH payments take to settle?

Standard ACH transactions settle in 1 to 3 business days. Same-day ACH is available for qualifying transactions and settles the same business day if submitted before the daily cutoff. Returns (NSF, account closed, stop payment, unauthorized) typically come back within 2 to 60 business days depending on return reason, Easy Pay Direct's reporting flags returns automatically and routes them into your normal AR workflow.

Is ACH safer than accepting paper checks?

Yes. ACH transactions are electronic, governed by NACHA rules, and run on the same network as Federal Reserve transfers. There is no physical document to lose, tear, or misread. Bank account information is tokenized in the Easy Pay Direct gateway, so the raw routing and account numbers are not stored on your servers. Returns are systematic and reportable rather than a manual reconciliation problem.

Can I run recurring billing on ACH?

Yes. Easy Pay Direct's gateway supports native ACH recurring billing with automated retries, decline recovery, and bank account updater for tokenized accounts. Subscriptions, payment plans, continuity, and B2B invoicing on net terms all run on the same recurring engine that handles card billing.

Do I need a separate ACH merchant account or gateway?

No. Easy Pay Direct includes ACH processing on every merchant account at no additional monthly cost. The same gateway, same login, same reporting, and same Certified Payment Specialist handle both card and ACH transactions. You do not need a separate ACH-only processor.

What's the difference between ACH and a wire transfer?

ACH transactions are batched, cleared in 1 to 3 business days, and cost a fraction of wire fees, 1% + $0.29 at Easy Pay Direct. Wires are real-time, single-transaction, and cost $15 to $40 per transaction at most banks. Wires are best for one-off, time-critical, high-dollar transfers. ACH is best for everything else: B2B invoices, recurring billing, payroll, and high-ticket consumer payments.

How do I get set up for ACH processing?

Apply on this page or talk to a specialist. Approval typically takes 1 to 4 business days for clean files. A Certified Payment Specialist will scope your ACH volume, recurring billing needs, and integration with your existing checkout or billing system, then issue you a merchant account with ACH enabled at 1% + $0.29 per transaction. For commercial card volume on the same account, ask about Level 2 / Level 3 enhanced-data interchange. We have 500+ integrations for B2B billing systems.