The ACH network is an efficient and affordable way for businesses to process payments. It is ideal for recurring payments and reduces customer churn rates by eliminating payment failures and late payments.
Unlike credit cards, which are subject to consumer card fees, ACH transfers debit directly from consumers’ bank accounts. It helps businesses save on costs for processing, ink, postage, and transportation.
Speed
Most people in the US interact with the ACH network daily without even realizing it. Whether you receive your paycheck directly deposited, pay bills online, or make business-to-business purchases, the ACH network is working behind the scenes to ensure that these transactions happen securely and quickly.
ACH payments are one of the fastest ways to move money from bank to bank. Using ACH processing, businesses can collect and process consumer payments without ever dealing with credit card fraud or paper check delays.
Moreover, ACH payments can be made repeatedly, eliminating customers needing to remember their payment information or provide a new card number each time they purchase from you. It is a considerable advantage for consumer-facing businesses that rely on recurring transactions.
Businesses that use ACH to process transactions can leverage various features to improve their onboarding and payment flow, including micro-deposit validation, tokenization, and data encryption. It helps secure users’ sensitive information and prevents fraud, enabling them to make faster and more reliable payments.
Convenience
You’re probably familiar with ACH payments as an individual, whether receiving your paycheck through direct deposit or paying a utility bill via ACH. However, businesses can also benefit from offering ACH payment processing to their customers.
ACH transactions are automated, so once they’re set up, they can be used repeatedly. That means you don’t have to ask customers to provide their bank account information whenever they purchase. That also reduces the risk of sensitive data being exposed or stolen, which is a concern when it comes to credit card transactions or wire transfers.
Business-to-business ACH transactions are incredibly convenient because they can be set up once and automatically processed. It can save you time and money on manual processes like invoice tracking or creating digital reports. Moreover, because these transactions are more reliable than paper checks or other electronic payment methods, they can reduce friction for your B2B customers. Plus, you can access your funds quicker than you would with a paper check, which is vital in today’s fast-paced world.
Security
The ACH network has been processing financial transactions for nearly forty years and has grown tremendously since its inception. In 2020 alone, it processed over 26 billion debit and credit transactions, totaling $61.9 trillion. It includes consumer, business-to-consumer (B2C), and business-to-business (B2B) payments.
Unlike traditional checks, an ACH payment is a digital transaction that can be authorized using the payee’s bank account number and routing number. These payments are direct deposits or recurring invoices, meaning the originating business can collect payments without handling any physical checks.
B2B payments are a lovely use case for ACH due to their significant cost savings. Businesses can save on postage, ink, transportation, and labor costs by removing mailed paper invoices and payments.
Streamlining your accounts payable processes requires an efficient and secure ACH payments system. It would be best to have a provider to securely collect ACH payments and connect user accounts while implementing dynamic protection measures to prevent fraud, such as identity verification and account balance checks.
Scalability
Business-to-business transactions are a huge part of running a business. Whether you’re buying supplies from vendors, paying utility bills, or working with contractors, small, medium, and growing businesses can all benefit from streamlined payments. Consider using ACH payments instead of sending paper checks or incurring expensive credit or debit card processing fees.
Unlike other forms of payment, which fraudsters can compromise, ACH payments use direct bank-to-bank transfers that reduce the chances of errors. In addition, ACH payments do not require personal information like account numbers and routing numbers to process.
It makes them an excellent choice for recurring payments, such as subscriptions and insurance premiums, which often must be charged regularly. Additionally, if you’re selling high-value goods or services, ACH payments offer cost savings over credit cards. Additionally, if you work with an ACH processor that offers Same-day ACH, you can enjoy even faster processing times. It translates to more cash in your account sooner. It can give you more flexibility when deciding how and when to pay your vendors.
Flexibility
As one of the most versatile payment methods, ACH payments provide an attractive alternative to cash and paper checks. Customers first authorize the transaction by signing a form or verbally agreeing during a recorded call, which acts as a receipt to validate their intent. After that, the ACH network processes a one-time transaction or sets up a series of recurring payments at a specified interval.
Subscription-based businesses, mortgage companies, insurance providers, and other billers often use ACH debit payments to collect recurring fees. High-value transactions are processed more efficiently than credit or debit cards, making ACH the preferred method for business-to-business (B2B) payments.
Additionally, ACH provides greater flexibility for consumers by enabling them to link their bank accounts with e-commerce platforms securely. It facilitates seamless digital purchases without needing a credit or debit card. In turn, this helps to reduce abandoned carts and increase sales.
