Best ACH Payment Processors For Small Businesses In 2023
These competitively-priced ACH payment services providers are suitable for all types of small businesses in the US (and there's even a global option in Stripe).
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WRITTEN & RESEARCHED BY
Senior Staff Writer
Last updated onUpdated
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REVIEWED BY
Senior Staff Writer
Advertiser Disclosure: Our unbiased reviews and content are supported in part by affiliate partnerships, and we adhere to strict guidelines to preserve editorial integrity.
ACH payment processing has enjoyed an unexpected resurgence in recent years for eCommerce transactions as merchants look for alternative ways to accept payments without paying the expensive processing fees that come with credit and debit card payments. ACH payments are processed over the Automated Clearing House (ACH) Network, allowing your customers to pay you by transferring funds from their bank account directly into your merchant account.
Below, we’ll lay out the best ACH payment processors for small businesses, and what you need to know about ACH transactions.
Learn More About Our Top Picks
| Company | Best For | Next StepsBest For |
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PaymentCloud
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Helcim
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National Processing
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Stripe Payments
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Square
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Host Merchant Services
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Durango Merchant Services
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Dharma Merchant Services
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| Show Fewer Options |
Read more below to learn why we chose these options.
Table of Contents [hide][show]
- The 8 Best ACH Companies
- PaymentCloud: Best For High-Risk Businesses
- Helcim: Best For Scaling Businesses
- National Processing: Best Merchant Account/ACH Combo
- Stripe: Best For eCommerce-Only Businesses
- Square: Best For New Startups
- Host Merchant Services: Best For Mid-Sized Businesses
- Durango Merchant Services: Best For eCheck Processing
- Dharma Merchant Services: Best For Breadth Of ACH Options
- Our Methodology For Choosing Our Top ACH Processors
- What Is An ACH Processor?
- How Do ACH Payment Processors Work?
- How To Choose An ACH Provider
- Pros & Cons Of Using An ACH Processor For Your Business
- Types Of ACH Payment Processors
- How To Set Up ACH Payments
- ACH Processing Fees
- ACH VS Wire Transfers
- ACH VS Real Time Payments
- How Do I Find The Best ACH Payment Processor For My Small Business?
- Common Questions About ACH Payment Processing
- In Summary: The 8 Best ACH Companies
Table of Contents
- The 8 Best ACH Companies
- PaymentCloud: Best For High-Risk Businesses
- PaymentCloud Features
- PaymentCloud Pricing
- Helcim: Best For Scaling Businesses
- Helcim Features
- Helcim Pricing
- National Processing: Best Merchant Account/ACH Combo
- National Processing Features
- National Processing Pricing
- Stripe: Best For eCommerce-Only Businesses
- Stripe Features
- Stripe Pricing
- Square: Best For New Startups
- Square Features
- Square Pricing
- Host Merchant Services: Best For Mid-Sized Businesses
- Host Merchant Services Features
- Host Merchant Services Pricing
- Durango Merchant Services: Best For eCheck Processing
- Durango Merchant Services Features
- Durango Merchant Services Pricing
- Dharma Merchant Services: Best For Breadth Of ACH Options
- Dharma Merchant Services Features
- Dharma Merchant Services Pricing
- Our Methodology For Choosing Our Top ACH Processors
- What Is An ACH Processor?
- How Do ACH Payment Processors Work?
- How To Choose An ACH Provider
- Pros & Cons Of Using An ACH Processor For Your Business
- Types Of ACH Payment Processors
- How To Set Up ACH Payments
- ACH Processing Fees
- ACH VS Wire Transfers
- ACH VS Real Time Payments
- How Do I Find The Best ACH Payment Processor For My Small Business?
- Common Questions About ACH Payment Processing
- In Summary: The 8 Best ACH Companies
The 8 Best ACH Companies
Finding the best ACH payment processing companies for your small business often comes down to selecting a reputable company that can provide both ACH and credit/debit card processing in a single package. Here our picks for best ACH processors.
- PaymentCloud: Best high-risk ACH processor
- Helcim: Best for scaling businesses
- National Processing: Best merchant account/ACH combo
- Stripe Payments: Best for ecommerce only businesses
- Square: Best for new startups
- Host Merchant Services: Best for mid-sized businesses
- Durango Merchant Services: Best for echeck processing
- Dharma Merchant Services: Best for breadth of ACH options
PaymentCloud: Best For High-Risk Businesses
PaymentCloud |
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Exclusive Promo: PaymentCloud will give you $200 if they can't beat your current rate. Get Your Quote
Pros
- High-risk specialization
- No account setup fee
- Generally reasonable rates and fees
Cons
- No publicly disclosed pricing
Why We Chose PaymentCloud For Best High-Risk ACH Processor
PaymentCloud is at the top of the list of Merchant Maverick's best all-around high-risk payment processors for its fair treatment of hard-to-place businesses. High-risk businesses can greatly benefit from alternative payment methods and bank-to-bank transfers in particular.
PaymentCloud offers ACH processing, either as an add-on to your existing merchant account or an ACH-only option for high-risk merchants who can't be approved for a merchant account. PaymentCloud's virtual terminal can support ACH-related features upon request. The company boasts of getting 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.
Helcim: Best For Scaling Businesses
Helcim |
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Pros
- No monthly fee
- No long-term contracts
- ACH processing included with basic account
- Interchange-plus pricing with every account
Cons
- Not suitable for high-risk industries
Why We Chose Helcim As The Best ACH Option For Scaling Up Small Businesses
Helcim offers a fully underwritten merchant account with no long-term commitment and no early termination penalties. It's one of the very few providers in the industry to provide a stable, full-service merchant account with no monthly account fees. While you will have to pay extra for some optional features, ACH processing isn't one of them. It's free, and all you have to pay are the transaction processing fees.
Helcim offers some of the best value in the business when it comes to payment processing, and this extends to its low-cost ACH transfer costs. That you can get this and interchange-plus pricing for no monthly fee is practically unheard of. The one downside is that Helcim caps ACH transfers at $25,000.
National Processing: Best Merchant Account/ACH Combo
National Processing |
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Get a free Clover Go card reader from National Processing when you sign up. Claim your card reader.
Pros
- Low cost ACH processing
- Month-to-month billing (in most cases)
- Excellent reputation
Cons
- Long-term contracts required to get free terminal
Why We Chose National Processing For Best Combination Of Merchant Account & ACH Processing
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, particularly for businesses that want to use the Clover line of terminals. ACH and echeck are available as add-ons.
While ACH processing is often included in third-party payment platforms, it can be a bit of a pain to add on through a full merchant account provider. National Processing offers one of the cheaper ACH/echeck solutions for businesses that want their own merchant account and the option to do bank-to-bank payments.
In addition to affordability, National Processing also excels in customer service, which we've found to be a critical feature for any merchant services provider.
Get Started With National Processing
Stripe: Best For eCommerce-Only Businesses
Stripe Payments |
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Pros
- No monthly fee
- Excellent international support
- Excellent subscription billing services
- ACH included in basic account
Cons
- Account stability issues
- Not available to high-risk businesses
Why We Chose Stripe For Best eCommerce-only ACH Processor
eCommerce darling Stripe has an exhaustive list of features that can potentially meet the needs of just about any business. It serves merchants in over 35 countries and can process transactions in over 135 currencies and payment methods. ACH processing is included with every account at no extra cost, and processing charges are very competitive with what other payment providers can offer you.
Stripe's main draw is its outstanding integrated payments platform, which can seamlessly consolidate a wide variety of payment methods and offer unparalleled analytics and reporting data. Stripe also features great international support, although ACH transfers are a US-only payment method. With virtually endless customization options and a broad assortment of services to help you run your business, Stripe may be all you need.
When you factor in the free account and low ACH transaction fee, Stripe turns out to be one of the cheapest ways to accept ACH payments. Add in the fact that Stripe has extensive billing and invoicing features and excellent support for recurring payments, and you have a great all-around platform for bank-to-bank transfers.
Get Started With Stripe Payments
Square: Best For New Startups
Square |
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Get a free card swiper from Square at no cost when you create a free account. Claim your card reader.
Pros
- No monthly fee for basic account
- Expansive features
- Predictable flat-rate pricing
- ACH included in basic account
Cons
- Account stability issues
- ACH payments only available through Square Invoices
- Not available to most high-risk industries
Why We Square Is The Best ACH Processor For New Startups
Square is one of the most accessible ways for new businesses to accept credit cards and, as it turns out, ACH payments as well. Square's feature list is massive, and most of it is available without a monthly fee.
For Square Invoice users (such as freelancers, independent contractors, or professional services), ACH processing will be a welcome feature that gives your customers an additional way to pay you. ACH processing charges are competitively priced. The lack of an additional monthly fee for this service makes it a great choice for businesses that only occasionally accept an ACH payment.
Unfortunately, ACH payments can only be processed through Square Invoices, making it unavailable to eCommerce merchants using the Square Online Store to run their business. Also, ACH transfers take three to five business days to reach your bank account. At the same time, the account stability issues that Square is known for won't be as much of an issue with ACH payments, as the funds are coming directly out of the customer's bank account.
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Host Merchant Services: Best For Mid-Sized Businesses
Host Merchant Services |
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Pros
- No setup fees
- No long-term contracts or early termination fees
- Interchange-plus pricing for credit card transactions
Cons
- No disclosed pricing for ACH
- Not suitable for low-volume merchants
Why We Chose Host Merchant Services As The Best ACH Processor For Mid-Sized Businesses
With its roots in the web-hosting industry, Host Merchant Services is a technology-first provider that's especially well-suited to online businesses. In addition to competitive interchange-plus rates for credit and debit card processing, the company offers ACH processing through either its proprietary Transaction Express gateway or third-party services such as the NMI gateway or Authorize.Net.
Merchant service providers like Host Merchant Services are generally focused on one thing: providing merchant accounts for credit card processing. As such, alternative payment methods like ACH are left to payment gateways, which can be added to the service. This means you can compare the costs of compatible payment gateways and pick the one that best fits your needs.
Costs will vary depending on which partner is handling your ACH account. You can expect to pay both a monthly fee and a reasonable per-transaction processing charge -- both of which will be disclosed in your contract before you sign up.
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Get Started With Host Merchant Services
Durango Merchant Services: Best For eCheck Processing
Durango Merchant Services |
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Pros
- High-risk specialists
- Fair pricing
- No early termination fees for most
Cons
- No pricing disclosures on website
Why We Chose Durango Merchant Services For Best eCheck Service Provider
Durango Merchant Services offers almost all of its customers month-to-month billing, including high-risk customers, which is always good. Durango Merchant Services has a reputation for excellent service for high-risk merchants and businesses seeking offshoring merchant accounts. Durango Merchant Services offers eCheck services (read our guide) as an alternative to traditional ACH processing.
While the term "high-risk" is usually associated with credit card processing, high-risk businesses can also run into challenges getting approved for an ACH merchant account under NACHA guidelines. One way around this is through eChecks, which are offered by Durango Merchant Services. eCheck accounts can be up and running within 24 hours and function similarly to taking a customer's check to the bank but through an electronic checking system.
Get Started With Durango Merchant Services
Dharma Merchant Services: Best For Breadth Of ACH Options
Dharma Merchant Services |
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Pros
- Transparent pricing
- Discounts for qualified nonprofits
- No long-term contracts
Cons
- Not recommended for low-volume businesses
- Additional costs for ACH support
Why We Chose Dharma Merchant Services For Its ACH Options
Dharma Merchant Services ranks among our favorite credit card processors with its transparent pricing, full feature set, and nonprofit discounts. It turns out, it's also a very versatile service when it comes to ACH processing. Dharma's MX Merchant platform integrates with ACH.com, which can be used to process single or recurring ACH transactions. Dharma also offers echeck support through the NMI Gateway for an additional monthly fee.
You can even accept paper checks through a compatible Clover terminal using Telecheck or through a combination of the Vx520 terminal and Magtek Mini MICR Imager.
Get Started With Dharma Merchant Services
Our Methodology For Choosing Our Top ACH Processors
Merchant Maverick reviews and rates popular payment processors according to metrics that include pricing, features, contract terms, and user reviews. For this list, we considered only those payment processors that offer ACH services. Factors we considered included whether or not ACH processing is included with a basic account, transaction fees, minimum fees and/or fee caps, and how well ACH is integrated into processor features.
What Is An ACH Processor?
An ACH processor provides infrastructure to businesses that want to conduct consumer or B2B payments through the Automated Clearing House.
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 and accepting ACH payments. Approval for adding ACH processing to your account requires a separate (and more intensive) underwriting process since ACH payments allow you to transfer funds directly out of your customers’ bank accounts.
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
How Do ACH Payment Processors Work?
ACH payments allow an originator to either credit or debit, with permission, the bank account of a recipient through their respective financial institutions. These transactions are routed through an ACH operator, which sorts them and sends them to the recipient’s bank or credit union.
There are two main categories of ACH transactions: credit and debit. Credit transactions apply funds to a recipient account at a scheduled time. Debit transactions deduct funds from a recipient account under agreed-upon circumstances.
How To Choose An ACH Provider
When looking for an ACH provider, you’ll generally want to select a service that combines reasonable rates, convenient features, and user-friendliness. Our guide on how to select an ACH provider can walk you through the nuts and bolts of finding a processor that meets your specific needs.
Pros & Cons Of Using An ACH Processor For Your Business
ACH can be a great low-cost alternative to credit cards, but it’s not always an ideal solution. For example, ACH is well-suited for billing subscriptions and B2B transactions but can be cumbersome to use at point-of-sale.
Weigh out the pros and cons of ACH before you invest in a service you may not utilize.
Types Of ACH Payment Processors
The types of ACH payment processors generally fall under the following categories.
How To Set Up ACH Payments
There are a number of ways to accept ACH payments. Many banks offer a bill pay feature at no extra charge that allows customers to make ACH credit transactions directly from their accounts.
Businesses that want more robust features, including the ability to debit customer accounts for recurring payments, may need to look into supplemental payment processing services. Our list above is a great place to start.
ACH Processing Fees
An ACH is almost always cheaper than a comparable credit card transaction and often cheaper than a comparable debit card transaction. ACH transactions may even be free in some cases (typically ACH credit transactions are initiated through a bank or credit union).
ACH transaction fees generally range between 0.5% and 1.5%.
ACH VS Wire Transfers
While both ACH and wire transfers enable money transfers directly between bank accounts, they are different payment methods. Though generally more expensive and less versatile, wire transfers can be used to send money across borders and send money at any time of day.
ACH VS Real Time Payments
ACH transactions take anywhere from several hours to several business days to clear. If that sounds like too long, some banks and payment services offer Real-Time Payments (RTPs). As the name implies, RTPs settle almost immediately, making them convenient for situations in which you need to pay someone quickly. Transaction fees are similar to those of ACH.
So why wouldn’t you use RTPs all the time? For starters, they’re not as widely available as ACH transactions. The bigger limitation, however, is that RTPs can only be used to credit accounts; debit transactions are not possible. They’re also generally not reversible.
How Do I Find The Best ACH Payment Processor For My Small Business?
Credit and debit card processing is expensive and getting more so all the time. It imposes a burden on businesses of all sizes but can be particularly costly for small businesses. Although based on an older (and slower) payments network, ACH payment processing offers a convenient and more affordable way for your customers to pay you. It can also save you money on your overall processing costs compared to only accepting credit and debit cards.
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 with a good track record of serving businesses like yours, with competitive rates and, ideally, no long-term contract.
Our list of the best small business credit card processors helps you find a fair, reputable, and affordable company.
ACH processing is just one of several alternative payment methods that have become more popular in recent years due to the steady growth of the eCommerce business community. Also, the continuing increase in the cost of accepting credit cards has led many business owners to seek out ways to avoid them by offering additional payment methods that aren’t as expensive to process.
Common Questions About ACH Payment Processing
In Summary: The 8 Best ACH Companies
- PaymentCloud:
- Best for high-risk businesses
- Monthly fee: variable
- ACH transaction fee: variable
- Helcim:
- Best for international businesses
- No monthly fee
- ACH transaction fee: 0.5% + $0.25 (max. $6)
- National Processing:
- Best merchant account/ACH combo
- Monthly fee: $9.95+, +$15 for ACH
- ACH transaction fee: 0 - 1.5% + $0.48
- Stripe Payments:
- Best for eCommerce-only businesses
- No monthly fee
- ACH transaction fee: 0.8% (max $5)
- Square:
- Best for new startups
- Monthly fees: $0+
- ACH transaction fee: 1% (min $1)
- Host Merchant Services:
- Best for mid-sized businesses
- Monthly fee: $14 + $5-$10 for ACH
- ACH transaction fee: Varies by payment gateway
- Durango Merchant Services:
- Best for echeck processing
- Variable monthly fee
- ACH transaction fee: N/A
- Dharma Merchant Services:
- Best for breadth of ACH options
- $15 + $25 (for ACH)
- ACH transaction fee: $0.40 to 0.2% + $0.40
Chris Motola
Senior Staff Writer at Merchant Maverick
Chris has been writing about small business topics since 2003. In 2015, he joined Merchant Maverick, where he writes about business financing, payment processing, and demographic trends in entrepreneurship. Chris has been featured in Fox Business, ABC News, Yahoo Finance, GoBankingRates, Newsweek, BizJournals, and other publications. He has a Bachelor’s of Arts in English Writing Arts from SUNY Oswego, and a Masters of Science in Interactive Media from the University of Central Florida. He currently resides in the Hudson Valley region of New York.
View Chris Motola's professional experience on LinkedIn.
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