What’s the one thing most successful businesses are doing to get paid faster?

Business owners are switching to electronic payments instead of paper checks. It makes sense, right? ACH payment volume increased 5% to 8.7 billion in Q2 2025 alone.

This is for a reason…

ACH payments are faster, safer, and way more efficient than other payment methods. B2B payments dominate the volume growth with a year-over-year growth of 11.6%.

Not all payment processing solutions are made the same. ACH Merchant Account features matter for any business owner who wants to streamline operations and cut costs. This type of account gives you the ability to accept payments electronically from your customers’ bank accounts. This unlocks new opportunities for your business to offer new services like recurring billing, subscriptions, one-time purchases, and much more.

The right features can make all the difference in how a business processes payments. Automated recurring billing, same-day processing, and more features make your life easier, save time, and maximize revenue.

What you’ll discover:

• ACH Payment Processing Basics to Know
• Must-Have Features to Increase Efficiency
• Security Features Worth Paying Attention to
• Cost Benefits of Using ACH Processing
• Making The Best Decision

ACH Payment Processing Basics to Know

ACH stands for Automated Clearing House. It’s the electronic network that handles all bank transfers in the United States.

Picture this…

A customer pays you using ACH. The money is then transferred directly from the customer’s bank account to yours. No credit card networks. No paper checks. Just a straight electronic transfer that clears in 1-2 business days or can be same-day if required.

This payment method is growing in popularity by the day since it eliminates the middleman and slashes transaction fees to a fraction of other payment options.

Plus, here’s a little stat nugget…

The ACH Network has been growing consistently for years. Same Day ACH volume increased by 45.3% between 2023 and 2024. The 1.2 billion payments processed using Same Day ACH shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Must-Have Features to Increase Efficiency

What should business owners actually care about when it comes to features?

The best ACH merchant accounts are packed with features that make life easier. These capabilities aren’t some nice-to-have add-ons — they’re essential for operating a modern business smoothly.

Recurring Payment Management

Subscription businesses and service providers love this feature the most.

Essentially, recurring payment options let businesses charge customers automatically on a set schedule. Monthly, quarterly, annually, whatever is needed. This eliminates the pain of chasing payments and significantly reduces late payments.

The customer authorizes the recurring charges one-time. Then the system automatically takes care of everything from there. No more manually invoicing or following-up with clients over the phone.

Same-Day Processing Options

Time is money, after all…

Same day ACH processing has become a game-changer for any business that needs to access their money fast. Instead of waiting for 2-3 business days for a transaction to clear. Same-day processing puts the money in the account within hours.

This is critical for businesses with tight cashflow requirements. The per-payment limit also increased to $1 million in 2022, so the option is now possible even for high-dollar business transactions.

Batch Processing Capabilities

Processing a single payment at a time? That’s so 2020…

Batch processing allows businesses to process hundreds or thousands of transactions in one fell swoop. Saves an immense amount of time and cuts down on manual errors. If a business is making regular payments to suppliers, vendors, contractors, employees, etc. Batch processing is a must.

Upload a file and hit the submit button. Let the system do the work for you.

Security Features Worth Paying Attention to

Pay attention to this…

Payment security is critical in today’s world. Fraud increased by 63% in 2024, according to the 2025 AFP Payments Fraud and Control Survey. In comparison, the rate of fraud for ACH payments stayed lower at 38% for ACH debit fraud and only 20% for ACH credit fraud.

Do the numbers speak for themselves? ACH is a lot safer to use.

Security isn’t an accident. The top ACH merchant accounts have multiple layers of protection to keep transactions secure and compliant.

Encryption and Data Protection

Encrypt everything. I repeat — encrypt everything.

Top notch ACH processors use bank-level encryption to secure customer data. This means account numbers, routing numbers, personal data, and all that fun stuff are scrambled and unreadable to anyone who tries to intercept it. A business should never settle for anything less than that.

Fraud Detection and Monitoring

Fraud monitoring is a must in today’s climate.

Advanced systems come with machine learning algorithms that can spot unusual activity and flag suspicious transactions. This proactive approach finds problems before they become nightmares. Machine learning algorithms adapt and improve over time by learning from past data.

Business owners also receive automated alerts when a transaction looks fishy. The early warning system saves time and potentially thousands of dollars in lost money.

Compliance Management

It’s hard to keep up with changing banking regulations and NACHA rules.

The best features include built-in compliance tools that automatically ensure that all transactions are above board. This also eliminates risk of fines or other penalties and ensures the business stays in the clear. New NACHA rules coming in 2026 will require all providers to have fraud monitoring on outbound ACH payments. This makes this feature a big priority.

Cost Benefits of Using ACH Processing

Accountants out there will like this one too…

ACH transactions are orders of magnitude cheaper than credit card processing. While credit cards charge 2-3% per transaction. ACH fees are usually around $0.20 to $1.50 — no matter the payment size.

For high-dollar transactions or high volume businesses, these fees add up incredibly fast.

Lower Transaction Fees

Swipe a $10,000 payment through a credit card and hand over $200-$300 in fees. Swipe that same amount using ACH, and you’re paying about $1.50 in fees.

The math checks itself. ACH processing can save businesses thousands of dollars each month. This is especially true for B2B transactions where the payment size is typically higher. This straight up falls onto the bottom line.

Reduced Processing Costs

Credit card chargebacks cost money. Failed check payments cost money. Manually processing payments costs money.

ACH cuts out most of these hidden costs. The low fraud rate and automation reduce admin overhead and free up staff time to do more important work. Businesses also don’t have to pay for printing checks, postage, or the labor that goes into manual payment processing.

Predictable Cash Flow

Recurring ACH payments provide predictable revenue.

When customers authorize automatic payments, businesses know exactly when the money will come in. Predictability makes financial planning easier and helps maintain a healthy cash flow. Failed payments drop dramatically when using ACH vs credit cards. This means more consistent revenue month over month.

Making The Best Decision

Choosing which ACH merchant account features to go with will depend on the business needs.

The right features to prioritize will be determined by transaction volume, average transaction size, and need for recurring billing. Businesses that process high volumes will benefit the most from batch processing and robust reporting features. Service-based businesses and subscription companies should prioritize recurring payment management features and Same-Day processing.

Don’t forget about scalability, either…

The best ACH merchant accounts should scale with the business. Look for providers that offer flexible plans and can handle increases in transaction volume. Integration with other platforms is also important. The ACH system should seamlessly integrate with existing accounting software and CRM systems.

Wrapping This Up

ACH Merchant Account features are must-have tools for any modern business.

The combination of lower cost, better security, and more efficient cash flow make ACH processing a no-brainer for companies of any size. With ACH payment volumes continuing to grow year after year, the trend of electronic payments isn’t going anywhere.

What should be taken away from this post?

• ACH processing is a lot cheaper than credit cards
• Security features provide better fraud protection than paper checks
• Recurring payment capabilities save time and streamline billing operations
• Same-Day processing capabilities allow for faster access to funds
• Batch processing capabilities reduce errors and save time

Businesses that adopt ACH and these features position themselves for long-term success. The technology is proven, the savings are tangible, and the benefits reach far beyond payment processing.