ACH Payments
Overview
Accept payments directly from a bank account with Clearent’s ACH API.
When you connect to Clearent’s ACH API, your customers can make payments using their bank account number or a check. Automating payments through bank transfers can be very useful, particularly in verticals with a high amount of check payments and disbursements. When compared to credit transactions, ACH offers a low-cost payment alternative as well as fewer declines and chargebacks.
Clearent partners with a third party ACH provider and supports the main Standard Entry Class (SEC) ACH payment types.
How it works
ACH transactions work differently than credit cards. Because they are processed via the ACH Network, they do not offer real-time authorizations and funds typically take longer to be disbursed. However, bank accounts don’t expire, which eliminates the need for manual credit card updates. This makes ACH a great option for recurring payments and subscriptions.
ACH also payments cost significantly less than credit card transactions. In fact, ACH transactions often cost 80%-90% less than credit transactions. This is because instead of paying a percentage of the transaction amount for credit transactions, ACH transactions operate on a low flat fee structure.