Need An Alternative To Credit Cards? These 9 Best ACH Processors Can Save You Money
Advertiser Disclosure: Our unbiased reviews and content are supported in part by affiliate partnerships, and we adhere to strict guidelines to preserve editorial integrity.
If you collect payments online, your customers are likely accustomed to using credit or debit cards, PayPal, or even digital wallets (such as Apple Pay or Google Pay). However, some of your customers may be quite open to authorizing a simple bank transfer via the good old ACH (Automated Clearing House) Network.
Paper checks are going the way of the dinosaur, but bank-to-bank transfers that bypass card networks (such as Visa and Mastercard) are alive and well. These ACH payments are commonly known as eChecks, and you’re probably already paying some of your own personal or business bills this way. If you’ve used direct deposit to distribute or collect a paycheck or have ever received a tax refund directly into your bank account from the IRS, you’ve used the ACH Network. As you may know, ACH has some advantages over card-based transactions for some types of transactions, making it a valuable option when it comes to low-cost, recurring payments.
How do you compare ACH service providers and choose the best one for your business? Read on!
Learn More About Our Top Picks
| Company | Best For | Next StepsBest For |
|---|---|---|
Dwolla
 | Businesses that need ACH as their primary payment option. | Businesses that need ACH as their primary payment option.
|
PaymentCloud
 | Best for high-risk businesses. | Best for high-risk businesses.
|
Fattmerchant
 | Best for high-volume U.S. merchants. | Best for high-volume U.S. merchants.
|
Dharma Merchant Services
 | Best for low-risk businesses. | Best for low-risk businesses.
|
National Processing
 | Businesses that need ACH as a supplementary payment option. | Businesses that need ACH as a supplementary payment option.
|
Other Featured Options:
- Stripe Payments: Best for global businesses.
- Braintree Payment Solutions: Best for eCommerce businesses.
- AND Processing: Best for large-ticket businesses.
- SeamlessChex: Best for eCommerce businesses that want non-traditional ACH payments.
Read more below to learn why we chose these options.
Table of Contents
Why Does Your Business Need ACH Processing?
You may be wondering why an old, dated payment transfer method like ACH is something you should consider using. But ACH is actually alive and well. Chances are, you’re already using ACH to add cash to a digital wallet or to automatically debit some of your monthly expenses from your account.
According to a study by Nacha, there were seven billion ACH payments made in the fourth quarter of 2020, up 8.9% from 2019. While the biggest increase was in the P2P category, B2B ACH payments grew by almost 15% to 1.2 billion, with the method becoming an increasingly popular way to pay suppliers.
One of the biggest benefits of ACH payments is cost. ACH fees vary, but they are consistently cheaper than credit or debit card payments, making them a more cost-effective way to go cashless — if a bit more ponderous. While ACH payments are unlikely to completely replace credit cards, particularly in your retail transactions, they can add convenience for your customers while also reducing your costs.
The 9 Best ACH Processing Companies
We’ve reviewed a large number of ACH processing companies to find the most complete and competitively-priced providers. Below are the best ACH processing companies for each type of business.
1. Dwolla
Dwolla
|
|---|
Businesses that need ACH as their primary payment option.
Most of the services we’ve covered so far offer ACH payments as part of a larger mix of payment services that are centered around credit card processing. But what if you don’t need credit card processing? That’s where a service like Dwolla comes in.
Dwolla deals exclusively in ACH payments. Most prospective Dwolla customers will be interested in Dwolla’s Pay-As-You-Go program (the paid plans start at a jaw-dropping $2,000/mo). For no monthly cost, you’ll be able to process ACH transactions for 0.5% per transaction (min $0.05, max $5). A verified business account can send and receive funds up to $10,000 per transaction. Even at the Pay-As-You-Go level, it’s cheaper than many payment processors that offer ACH, so they’re worth considering even if you already have eCheck capabilities.
If your business is large enough for the Scale plan’s monthly fee to make sense, you can get fixed rate ACH processing. You’d have to be doing a lot of transactions for that to make sense, however.
Pros
- Pay-as-you-go ACH processing
- Many developer tools available
- White-label solutions available
Cons
- No credit or debit card processing
- Paid plans are very expensive
- Only available in the U.S.
Jump back to comparison chart
2. PaymentCloud
PaymentCloud
|
|---|
Best for high-risk businesses.
It’s easy to offer excellent rates to businesses that don’t come with a lot of risks. Giving high-risk businesses a square deal, however, takes a special kind of merchant services provider. PaymentCloud is a high-risk specialist with an excellent reputation (both Dharma Merchant Services and Stripe frequently refer high-risk businesses they can’t serve to PaymentCloud).
PaymentCloud also offers ACH processing, which can be especially helpful to businesses that may have a hard time processing credit cards. PaymentCloud’s virtual terminal can support ACH-related features upon request. The company boasts of being able to get ACH service up and running for businesses within 48 hours so long as you have a business checking account, photo ID, and a voided check.
Unfortunately, as is typical for a high-risk service, PaymentCloud doesn’t disclose much information about its rates publicly, making it difficult to do a one-to-one comparison.
Pros
- High-risk specialization
- No account setup fee
- Reasonable rates and fees
- Excellent customer support
Cons
- No publicly disclosed pricing
- Some businesses may have to accept tiered-pricing
Jump back to comparison chart
3. Fattmerchant
Fattmerchant
|
|---|
Best for high-volume U.S. merchants.
Fattmerchant manages to perform the impressive feat of having a sense of humor and transparent pricing — both are extremely rare in a merchant services company. Fattmerchant also stands out as one of only a few providers to offer membership pricing. This means that instead of marking up your rate over the interchange rate, Fattmerchant charges a higher monthly subscription fee. As you might guess, this makes Fattmerchant a better deal for businesses that process a high volume of card transactions.
So what about ACH? Fattmerchant has ACH processing upon request: You can call your account manager and ask to have it turned on. ACH processing will run you an additional $49/month plus a flat $0.25 per transaction.
Like the rest of Fattmerchant’s services, this relatively high monthly rate, combined with a low per-transaction rate, makes it a better fit for high-volume companies than those that just need to cash the occasional eCheck. It’s also only available to US-based merchants.
Pros
- Transparent membership pricing
- Month-to-month billing with no early termination charge
- Next-day funding options
- QuickBooks integration
Cons
- Domestic merchants only
- Not suitable for low-volume businesses
Jump back to comparison chart
4. Dharma Merchant Services
Dharma Merchant Services
|
|---|
Best for low-risk businesses.
Dharma Merchant Services shows up in a lot of our lists, and for good reason. It’s a transparent payment services company that offers interchange-plus pricing with no application fees, no annual fees, and no monthly minimums. Ideally, these are things you want from any merchant services company you subscribe to.
Dharma offers ACH processing through one of several programs. The first is MX Merchant, which allows you to accept ACH payments ($25 monthly, $0.40/transaction) through the same portal as your credit card processing. The second is through Telecheck for Clover (1.5% + $0.20/transaction). Finally, you can use the Dharma/NMI Gateway ($20 monthly, $0.35/transaction) to accept eChecks. The best option for your business will probably depend on whether you own the hardware (in the case of Clover) or if you want to accept paper checks as well as eChecks.
While Dharma Merchant Services is a great deal overall, it doesn’t work with high-risk companies, and low-volume merchants can probably get away with a cheaper service.
Pros
- No annual fee or monthly minimum
- Month-to-month billing with no early termination charge
- Interchange-plus pricing
- Outstanding transparency
Cons
- No support for high-risk or international merchants
- Not recommended for high-risk or international merchants
- ACH support requires an add-on service
Get Started with Dharma Merchant Services
Jump back to comparison chart
5. National Processing
National Processing
|
|---|
Businesses that need ACH as a supplementary payment option.
Not to be confused with the similarly-named National Processing Company, National Processing is one of the smaller processors on our list, but it provides a lot of value for your dollar. You’ll get interchange-plus pricing with reasonable month-to-month billing.
National Processing offers ACH processing as an add-on feature. The company advertises a $15/month and $0.48 per/transaction rate, making it one of the cheaper options on this list on a month-to-month basis. That’s a good deal if you’re not processing too many ACH transactions.
The only real downside to National Processing is that it does charge an early termination fee in some cases. This is usually for customers who sign a long-term contract in exchange for getting a free terminal.
Pros
- Interchange-plus pricing
- Month-to-month billing (in most cases)
- Good reputation
Cons
- Long-term contracts required to get a free terminal
- Early termination fee charged in some cases
Get Started with National Processing
Jump back to comparison chart
6. Stripe
Stripe Payments
|
|---|
Best for global businesses.
If you’ve bought something online with a credit card, there’s a very good chance your payment info has passed through Stripe’s infrastructure at some point. More of a payment platform than a payment service, Stripe has an exhaustive list of features that can potentially fill most niches. It serves businesses in 36 countries and can process transactions in well over 100 different currencies.
Stripe can process ACH payments without any special fuss, but its pricing system can be a little confusing. An ACH debit is charged 0.8% of the transaction, capped at $5. ACH credit is assessed $1 per credit payments, with a $7 fee upon successful payment. It’s a little more expensive to processing checks, with a $5 fee charged per check.
Stripe’s main weakness is that, as a third-party processor, it suffers from account stability issues. This makes it a bad fit for high-risk businesses. You’ll also want to work with a developer to get the most out of Stripe.
Pros
- Predictable flat-rate pricing
- Excellent international support
- Excellent subscription services
- Advanced reporting tools
Cons
- Account stability issues
- Not suitable for high-risk industries
- Needs technical skill to implement
Get Started with Stripe Payments
Jump back to comparison chart
7. Braintree
Braintree Payment Solutions
|
|---|
Best for eCommerce businesses.
Braintree largely competes for the same market as Stripe: Both are developer-centric payment processors with a focus on eCommerce and international transactions. The big difference is that, where Stripe is a third-party processor, Braintree offers individual merchant accounts to its customers. The trade-off is you’ll get better account stability but have to endure a longer, more stringent application process.
Braintree charges a fixed rate of 0.75% per transaction on all ACH debits, with the fee capped at $5. Discounts are available for enterprise-level businesses. Note that you’ll need to have access to Braintree’s gateway service to process ACH debits. Braintree’s gateway is a little pricey on its own, so we’d recommend signing up for the full Braintree package if you decide you want to go with this processor.
Unfortunately, despite offering merchant accounts, Braintree still doesn’t support high-risk merchants.
Pros
- Predictable flat-rate pricing
- Excellent international support
- Extensive integrations
Cons
- Overpriced gateway-only option
- Not suitable for high-risk industries
- Needs technical skill to implement
Jump back to comparison chart
8. AND Processing
AND Processing
|
|---|
Best for large-ticket businesses.
AND Processing is one of the newer kids on the payment processing block, but the company has an excellent pedigree, and we’ve been impressed by what we’ve seen from them so far.
AND offers some great value for high-volume credit card processing, with ACH processing available a la carte for $10/mo. That might sound a little high until you consider that the per/transaction fee is a flat $0.50. If you process high-value eChecks regularly, this can potentially save you a lot of money.
That said, the flat rate could end up being less than cost-effective if your ACH transactions are primarily small value, or if they’re infrequent.
Pros
- Predictable subscription-based ACH processing
- Predictable subscription-based credit card processing
- Low fees for high-volume ACH transactions
- Excellent customer support
Cons
- Not suitable for l0w-volume merchants
- ACH pricing may be high for small transactions
- Monthly fees
Jump back to comparison chart
9. Seamless Chex
SeamlessChex
|
|---|
Best for eCommerce businesses that want non-traditional ACH payments.
As we mentioned earlier, ACH patients are actually a very old method of transaction. Sometimes its age shows. There are, however, companies like Seamless Chex that seek to smooth over some of the weaknesses of eChecks. Seamless Chex allows merchants to accept direct payments on eCommerce shopping carts and its built-in virtual terminal.
Seamless Chex offers three different plans, two of which have multiple tiers for scaling purposes. Paynote plans are for businesses with limited eCheck processing needs. These plans range from $14.99 – $19.99 per month with transaction fees ranging from 2% for the cheapest plan to 1% for the most expensive. The Seamless Chex plans (not to be confused with the company itself) are for businesses that process more eChecks. These range from $24.99 – $99.99 per month, with no per-transaction prices given upfront.
Finally, there’s the Seamless Merchant plan, which combines ACH payment processing with merchant services for credit card processing:
- 2.75% + $0.15 for debit and credit card transactions
- 1% for ACH transactions
- $25.00 monthly account fee
Pros
- ACH support for shopping carts and PO
- Scales well
- Predictable flat-rate pricing for merchant services
- Month-to-month billing
Cons
- Monthly fees
- May be expensive for some users
- Only available to U.S. merchants
Jump back to comparison chart
Types Of ACH Services
For businesses that accept payments online — through electronic invoices, a virtual terminal for keying-in payments, a website or web form, or any other methods — there are a few common pathways to setting up ACH payments.
You’ll need two primary components to accept ACH payments, which may or may not be provided by the same entity:
- A payment gateway (the software that transmits payment data)
- An ACH processing account that’s connected to your gateway
Below are a few of the most common ways merchants arrive at ACH payment acceptance:
Merchant Services Provider (MSP)
MSPs that set up merchant accounts for credit and debit card processing typically also partner with one or more specialized ACH payment providers to set up ACH accounts for clients. If you already have a good merchant account provider, you can start your ACH processing search here. Note that when bundled with credit card processing and other merchant services, you may get a better deal on ACH processing fees.
Payment Service Provider (PSP)
PSPs (a.k.a., third-party processors, merchant aggregators) do not require you to be underwritten for your own dedicated merchant account for credit card processing or ACH processing. Instead, the PSP creates a communal merchant account on behalf of multiple merchants. There are advantages and disadvantages to using a third-party processor. One nice benefit for online merchants is that the payment gateway software is typically already included with a PSP. In other words, you don’t need to sign up for ACH processing separately.
Standalone ACH Processor
If you’re not going to be setting up credit and debit card processing at all, you may want to find an ACH or eCheck processor and sign up directly. Again, some high-risk ACH payment providers even specialize in layered eCheck systems that supply extra fraud, chargeback, and bounced check protection.
What To Look For In ACH Processing Services
Now that you know where to look for an ACH payment provider, how do you know if you’ve found a good one? Here are some important considerations and tips to guide you:
- Reasonable Rates: An ACH processing rate can come as a percentage, a flat fee per transaction, or both. In most cases, especially as your transaction size increases, a flat fee beats a percentage charge. Sometimes, ACH transactions are even free if you’re already paying for credit card processing through the same company. Remember that your ACH rates should be lower than for credit card processing in the vast majority of cases!
- Reasonable Fees & Overall Cost: While rates are important, don’t get too caught up in this one figure. Watch out for hefty application or setup fees or a high annual or monthly fee for a service that provides little value for the price. Ask about the cost of any add-on products or services that may or may not be mandatory for your business as well as the charge for incidentals, such as ACH reversals and ACH returns. For more information on the types of fees to look out for, check out the pricing section of our ACH guide.
- Helpful Features: This depends on your business type and circumstances, so consider the features both you and your customers need most. Do you need a virtual terminal for manually entering MOTO transactions? An ACH gateway that handles complex recurring billing configurations? A gateway that comes pre-integrated with the shopping cart or website builder you’re already using? Auto-reconciliation of invoices or advanced reporting tools? Expedited deposits? A check guarantee or check verification service to protect yourself in a high-risk industry? Shop around to see what features are out there and avoid paying for extras that you don’t need.
- User-Friendly: Again, think about ease of use both from your perspective and the perspective of your customers. Find out what personalized help and/or support documentation is available for the initial deployment and ongoing troubleshooting of the system. How much tech-savviness do you need to work with your ACH gateway? Talk with your provider and ask to see examples of all the available tools in action.
- Advanced Integrations & Developer Tools: Some ACH payment providers not only integrate with websites and shopping carts but also with services that automate and streamline authorization and bank verification for ACH. For example, Plaid is a popular ACH integration that facilitates the authorization of funds and validation of bank accounts without requiring the customer to go look up an account or routing number. Meanwhile, if you work with a software developer to customize and run your website, we’d definitely recommend getting their opinion when deciding on an ACH service.
How Do I Find The Best ACH Processor For My Small Business?
The high cost of processing credit cards has long plagued both large and small businesses alike. Especially when compared to accepting card payments in-person, the cost of accepting plastic online can be particularly painful. Is it any wonder that direct bank-to-bank transfers that are batched and processed via the Automated Clearing House Network have steadily increased in popularity over the years, despite the arrival of newer, snazzier-sounding payment technologies onto the scene?
When looking for an ACH payment provider, we’d suggest starting with your current merchant account or payment gateway provider. If you’re just getting started with an online business, we encourage you to be open to accepting as many payment methods as you can. The more options you provide, the better you’ll reach customers. In this case, you’ll want to pick a provider that has a good track record of serving businesses like yours, with competitive rates and, ideally, no long-term contract.
We’ve only scratched the surface of ACH payments here. If you want to know more about how they work and what advantages they offer, check out our post, What Is An ACH Payment? Everything You Need To Know About ACH Transactions. If you want to know more about B2B payments, in general, take a look at The Complete Guide To B2B Payment Processing: Credit Cards, ACH, Software & More. We can also clear up any confusion you have about ACH payments vs. wire transfers.
In Summary: The 9 Best ACH Processing Companies
- Dwolla: Businesses that need ACH as their primary payment option.
- PaymentCloud: Best for high-risk businesses.
- Fattmerchant: Best for high-volume U.S. merchants.
- Dharma Merchant Services: Best for low-risk businesses.
- National Processing: Businesses that need ACH as a supplementary payment option.
- Stripe Payments: Best for global businesses.
- Braintree Payment Solutions: Best for eCommerce businesses.
- AND Processing: Best for large-ticket businesses.
- SeamlessChex: Best for eCommerce businesses that want non-traditional ACH payments.
Chris Motola
Finance Writer at Merchant Maverick
Chris Motola is a writer, programmer, game designer, and product of NY. These days he's mostly writing about financial products, but in a past life he wrote about health care and business. He's a graduate of the University of Central Florida.
Latest posts by Chris Motola (see all)
- What Is The SBA Community Navigator Program & Will It Help My Small Business? - March 25, 2021
- SBA Restaurant Revitalization Fund Grants For Food Service Businesses: 2021 Guide - March 22, 2021
- The Complete Guide To Chargeback Protections & Management For Merchants - March 1, 2021
- PPP Loans: What Is Owner Compensation Replacement & How Does It Work? - February 4, 2021
- New EIDL Grants: How To Tell If Your Business Is In A Low Income Community - January 15, 2021
Thank you for your articles…as a start up service business (and with others in my category I am searching for a solution for all of us) this is the dilemma/question. As contractors for an institute, the institute has instructed we bill them through PayPal invoice. Where we are all start-up practices, many with manual to a variety of different invoicing systems, we’re looking for the possibility of receiving the contracted rate without the fees debited that PayPal charges. Is this possible or is the moving of money always with a cost? Your article on Zelle was helpful although the institute banks with a non-participating bank. Grateful for your anticipated help🙏
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi Christine!
For businesses, moving money, accepting payments, etc. will almost always cost money. Accepting credit card payments will always cost money because the banks demand a cut. It’s just a matter of whether a business accepts it as part of doing business, or if they can and choose to pass those costs onto the customer. It’s a lot harder to pass on those fees in a B2B space, unfortunately. You could take a look at Dharma or National Processing, who might have invoicing solutions where you can potentially get lower interchange rates, as well.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
National Processing charges the following:
Setup Fee: $25.00
Monthly Fee: $15.00
Transaction Fee: Payments above $5,000.00 is 1%
The information in the chart above is incorrect.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi Curtis!
Good catch and thanks for pointing it out! We’ll be updating the entire article soon. Stay tuned!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
HI Rose, I’ve read a few of your ACH / echeck articles, very educational and super helpful. I’m in need of a good invoice/payment solution for our clients. Unfortunately i’m having a difficult time in finding the right solution for our business. 90% of our business has avg invoice size > $140k, 10% of our business has invoices avg $8k. Our bank does not have a great solution. Quickbooks (not our primary solution) can not process payments/invoices > $50k. Any ideas? Your advice would be greatly appreciated.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi, David!
Thanks for your question; we have a few recommendations that may be a good solution for you! PaymentCloud may be a great fit because historically they do well with these types of higher ticket transactions. A few other great options you may want to look into are National Processing and Dharma, mainly because they have a great team who would be helpful in finding a solution for you, or pointing you in the right direction if nothing else. Best of luck in finding the right fit.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Awesome, thanks Rose!!!!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.