ACH, eCheck & Check21: Payment Options Beyond Credit Cards

Credit cards aren’t the only way to get paid — and for many businesses, they aren’t the cheapest. ACH, eCheck, and Check21 let you pull payments directly from a customer’s bank account, often at a fraction of card processing fees. Here’s how each one works and when it makes sense to use them.

ACH payments

ACH (Automated Clearing House) moves money electronically between bank accounts through the same network that handles direct deposit and most recurring bill payments. For businesses, ACH is ideal for recurring billing, invoices, and large-ticket payments where card fees would eat into your margins.

• Lower per-transaction cost than credit cards
• Great for subscriptions and B2B invoicing
• Generally fewer chargebacks than card payments

eCheck payments

An eCheck is the digital version of a paper check. The customer provides their routing and account number, and the payment clears electronically through the ACH network. eChecks are useful when a customer prefers paying from their checking account rather than a card — and they let you reach customers who don’t have a card at all.

Check21

Check21 is a federal law that made it possible to clear paper checks electronically using a digital image, instead of physically shipping the paper. In practice, it means a business can accept a check, capture it digitally, and have it clear faster — bridging traditional check payments and modern electronic processing.

When to use bank payments instead of cards

• Recurring revenue: subscriptions and memberships clear cheaply and reliably via ACH.
• Large invoices: a 3% card fee on a $5,000 invoice is $150; ACH is typically a flat, far smaller fee.
• Customers without cards: eCheck captures sales you’d otherwise lose.
• Lower dispute risk: bank payments generally see fewer chargebacks.

Most businesses don’t choose between cards and bank payments — they offer both, and let customers pick.

The advantage of one account for everything

Managing card processing with one vendor, ACH with another, and checks with a third is a headache. With Creditcard Payment Services, credit card processing and ACH, eCheck, and Check21 all live in a single account — one relationship, one point of contact, one place to reconcile. And because we specialize in high-risk and retail businesses, we can often set this up even if other processors have turned you down.

Add bank payments to your business

Whether you’re adding ACH to cut fees on recurring billing or you need eCheck to reach more customers, we can help. Apply online or call 1-800-475-6011. Specialized in high-risk and retail merchant accounts since 2009 — no cost to apply.