Best ACH Payment Processors For Small Businesses

Total Rating	4.2
Fees & Rates4.1
Products & Services5.0
Contract4.6
Sales & Advertising Transparency3.5
Customer Service4.0
User Reviews3.8

Exclusive Promo: Get your first month free with Stax. Learn More

Pros

Competitive processing rates for high-volume credit card sales
Comprehensive feature set, including ACH payment processing
Excellent eCommerce features

Cons

Not suitable for very low-volume or high-risk merchants
Not the cheapest ACH processing option

Why We Chose Stax For High-Volume Businesses

Due to its membership pricing structure, midsize and higher-volume businesses processing at least $10K/month will save money with Stax. Besides offering price savings for high-volume businesses, Stax offers a comprehensive suite of services for both in-person and eCommerce businesses. Stax also offers ACH processing as a monthly add-on.

Stax Features

Some of our favorite Stax features include:

ACH transfers
eCheck & paper check processing
eComm website builder
Numerous payment gateway integrations
Numerous POS hardware options
Mobile POS app
Developer tools
Virtual terminal
Subscription & recurring billing option

Stax Pricing

Stax charges a monthly fee ranging from $99 to $199 depending on how much you process. Otherwise, you just pay a few cents, plus interchange fees, per transaction (for regular non-ACH payments):

Swiped/Dipped/Tapped Transactions: $0.08 + interchange fee per transaction
Keyed-In Transactions: $0.15 + interchange fee per transaction

For ACH specifically, Stax charges a flat 1% of the transaction amount, with a cap of $10.

Stax also charges an additional monthly fee to add ACH processing to your account, but unfortunately does not list the pricing for this add-on.

Though Stax does require a monthly membership fee and a monthly ACH fee, you won’t pay other various merchant services fees, such as PCI compliance fees or gateway fees. Stax also don’t take a percentage of each credit card transaction the way most interchange-plus processors do. Stax provides an especially favorable rate for businesses that do a lot of online sales.

Still, Stax’s ACH processing is not the cheapest ACH transfer option, so this processor would not be a first-line choice for businesses that primarily receive ACH payments and don’t process a lot of credit cards.

Stax Is Best For:

Low-risk, high-volume eCommerce or Saas businesses, or retail stores
Businesses that process at least $8K/month in credit card sales, and also require ACH services
Businesses that prefer to pay a flat monthly fee rather than many miscellaneous fees

Get Started With Stax

PaymentCloud: Best High-Risk ACH Processor

PaymentCloud

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Total Rating	4.1
Fees & Rates4.3
Products & Services4.6
Contract2.8
Sales & Advertising Transparency4.0
Customer Service4.6
User Reviews4.7

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 High-Risk Businesses

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 Features

PaymentCloud stands out as one of the most reputable high-risk specialists we’ve found. In addition to offering ACH and eCheck processing, the company can provide just about any service your business might need, including the following:

Choice of Authorize.Net or USAePay payment gateways
Included virtual terminal
Extensive third-party shopping cart compatibility
Credit card terminals and POS systems
Chargeback protection and fraud prevention features

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.

PaymentCloud Pricing

No application fee
No account setup fee
Variable monthly account fee
Other fees vary depending on the back-end processor you’re placed with

PaymentCloud Is Best For:

Businesses in high-risk industries
Businesses that can’t get approved for a regular merchant account
Businesses that need a virtual terminal and/or credit card terminal in addition to ACH processing

Helcim: Best Free Merchant Account With ACH

Helcim

Total Rating	4.9
Fees & Rates5.0
Products & Services4.4
Contract5.0
Sales & Advertising Transparency5.0
Customer Service4.8
User Reviews4.5

Pros

No monthly fee
No long-term contracts
ACH processing included with free account

Cons

Not suitable for high-risk industries
ACH transfers capped at $25,000

Why We Chose Helcim For Best Free Merchant Account With ACH

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. In fact, Helcim provides an excellent value for both low- and high-volume businesses.

Helcim Features

Helcim has long been one of our favorite merchant services providers for both Canadian and US-based merchants. The company offers full-service merchant accounts for less money overall than most of its competitors. It also provides a full range of features for most businesses, including the following:

ACH payment processing included with all accounts
Exclusive interchange-plus pricing for credit/debit transactions
Hosted online store for eCommerce merchants
Affordable Helcim Card Reader for in-person credit/debit transactions
Integrated virtual terminal
Proprietary Helcim POS software
Online invoicing is included with all accounts

Helcim Pricing

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.

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.

Here are some more details of Helcim’s pricing:

No monthly account fee
No PCI compliance fee
No monthly minimum
0.5% + $0.25/ACH debit payment (max. $6)
$5/returned or rejected ACH transfer

Helcim Is Best For:

Low-risk businesses
Businesses that want a free merchant account with ACH processing
Businesses that want transparent interchange-plus pricing

Get Started With Helcim

National Processing: Best Merchant Account/ACH Combo

National Processing

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Total Rating	4.6
Fees & Rates4.8
Products & Services5.0
Contract4.6
Sales & Advertising Transparency4.4
Customer Service4.1
User Reviews4.4

Pricing

Starts at $9.95/month

Pricing Model

Flat-rate pricing

Contract

No long term contract

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)
Accepts some high-risk businesses

Cons

Long-term contracts required to get free terminal
ACH pricing no longer listed on website

Why We Chose National Processing For Merchant Account & ACH Combo

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 POS, as well as the option to do bank-to-bank payments.

National Processing Features

National Processing is a great option for small businesses looking to get a full-service merchant account at an affordable cost. In addition to an ACH/eCheck processing option, the company offers the following key features:

Authorize.Net payment gateway
Virtual terminal included
Credit card terminals and POS systems available, including Clover terminals
Mobile processing with Clover Go available
“Free” credit card terminal available with long-term contract

National Processing also excels in customer service, which we’ve found to be a critical feature for any merchant services provider.

National Processing Pricing

*National Processing offers ACH and eCheck are available as paid add-ons:

$25 setup fee for ACH processing*
$15/month account fee for ACH processing*
0-1.5% + $0.48/ACH transaction*
$3.50/returned ACH payment*
$15/ACH rejection*
$9.95+/month for a merchant account (flat-rate pricing)
2.5% + $0.10 transaction fees for card-present payments

*Unfortunately, National Processing no longer publicly lists its ACH pricing on its website as of September 2024. Make sure you confirm ACH pricing with National Processing directly before committing to their processing services. Pricing might also differ for high-risk businesses.

National Processing Is Best For:

Businesses that want a full merchant account with ACH
Businesses that want to use Clover POS for card-present payments
High-risk businesses that want to accept ACH

Stripe Payments: Best For eCommerce Businesses

Stripe Payments

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Total Rating	4.7
Fees & Rates4.7
Products & Services4.5
Contract5.0
Sales & Advertising Transparency5.0
Customer Service4.5
User Reviews4.1

Pros

No monthly fee
Excellent international support
ACH included in free account

Cons

Account stability issues
Not available to high-risk businesses

Why We Chose Stripe For eCommerce Businesses

eCommerce darling Stripe has an exhaustive list of features that can potentially meet the needs of just about any eCommerce business. 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. 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.

Stripe Features

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). Here are the major features that Stripe has to offer:

ACH processing included with every account
Stripe Payments integrated payments platform
Stripe Virtual Terminal
Stripe Radar anti-fraud protection
Broad support for international payments and local payment methods
Stripe Terminal for card-present transactions
Extensive library of APIs and developer tools
Many ancillary services for establishing and running your business

Stripe Pricing

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:

No monthly fees for a basic account
0.8%/ACH direct debit transaction ($5.00 maximum)
1.2%/ACH direct debit transaction (two-day settlement)
$1.50/instant bank account validation
$1.00/ACH credit payment
$5.00/check received
$4.00/failed ACH direct debit payment
$15.00/disputed ACH direct debit payment

Stripe Is Best For:

Low-risk eCommerce businesses
Businesses looking for a low-cost way to accept ACH payments
Businesses that need invoicing and/or recurring billing features

Square: Best For Independent Contractors

Square

Total Rating	4.8
Fees & Rates5.0
Products & Services4.7
Contract4.3
Sales & Advertising Transparency5.0
Customer Service4.9
User Reviews4.9

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
Predictable flat-rate pricing
ACH included in free account

Cons

ACH payments only available through Square Invoices
Not available to most high-risk industries

Why We Chose Square For Independent Contractors

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 these features, including ACH, are available without a monthly fee. For Square Invoices 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.

Square Features

Small-business favorite Square has long been a great choice for businesses that only need to take an occasional non-cash payment. Square has evolved from a basic, mobile-only processing solution to a full-featured payments ecosystem and now includes the following major features:

Credit and debit card processing
ACH processing included with every account
Complete line of Square terminals and POS systems
Square Online Store for eCommerce businesses
Basic Square Invoices feature included at no extra cost
Analytics and reporting available through Square Dashboard
Extensive list of free and premium business productivity software

Square Pricing

Square’s ACH pricing is very reasonable. The lack of an additional monthly fee for this service makes it a great choice for businesses that only occasionally accept an ACH payment:

No setup fee
No monthly fee
1%/ACH transaction (minimum $1 charge)
No ACH rejection fee
$50,000 maximum/ACH transfer

Square Is Best For:

Independent contractors or new startups
Businesses that need invoicing services to bill clients
Freelancers who only accept occasional ACH payments

Get Started With Square

Host Merchant Services: Best for Mid-Sized Businesses

Host Merchant Services

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Total Rating	4.9
Fees & Rates5.0
Products & Services5.0
Contract5.0
Sales & Advertising Transparency4.7
Customer Service4.6
User Reviews4.8

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 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 and midsized 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.

Host Merchant Services Features

Host Merchant Services (HMS) offers a full array of products and services for any business but is especially focused on the eCommerce sector. Major features include the following:

Full-service merchant accounts
Proprietary Transaction Express payment gateway & virtual terminal
Authorize.Net and NMI payment gateways are also available
Extensive integration with third-party shopping carts
Basic web hosting services included with all accounts
Loyalty/gift card programs
$100,000 data breach insurance policy included with all accounts

Host Merchant Services Pricing

Costs will vary depending on which payment gateway you use with Host to handle 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. Here are some of Host’s standard fees:

$14.00/month account fee*
$5/month gateway fee (additional per-transaction fee of $0.05-$0.08; only applies for third-party gateways)*
ACH transaction fees vary by payment gateway
No application or setup fees
No monthly minimums
No PCI compliance fees

*Note that pricing may differ for high-risk businesses.

Host Is Best For:

Mid- or high-volume businesses that need a full-service merchant account
Low- or high-risk businesses
Businesses that want a merchant account without a long-term contract

Durango Merchant Services: Best For eCheck Processing

Durango Merchant Services

Get Started With Durango Merchant Services

Total Rating	4.8
Fees & Rates4.5
Products & Services5.0
Contract5.0
Sales & Advertising Transparency4.9
Customer Service4.4
User Reviews5.0

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 eCheck 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 as part of their high-risk 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.

Durango Merchant Services Features

Durango Merchant Services has a reputation for excellent service for high-risk merchants and businesses seeking offshore merchant accounts. Durango Merchant Services features include:

Low-, high-risk, & international merchant accounts
eCheck processing
Support for POS, online, & mobile transactions
Fraud protection services
A variety of credit card terminals and POS systems are available
Cryptocurrency support

Durango Merchant Services Pricing

Durango Merchant Services offers almost all of its customers month-to-month billing, including high-risk customers, which is always good. Here are some more things to know about Durango’s pricing:

High-risk pricing varies from business to business
No setup fee
Some very high-risk businesses may require a rolling reserve

Durango Is Best For:

Businesses that need a high-risk merchant account
Businesses wanting to accept eChecks as an alternative to ACH
International merchants

Dharma Merchant Services: Best For Breadth Of ACH Options

Dharma Merchant Services

Get Started With Dharma Merchant Services

Total Rating	5.0
Fees & Rates5.0
Products & Services5.0
Contract5.0
Sales & Advertising Transparency5.0
Customer Service4.8
User Reviews4.7

Pros

Transparent pricing
Discounts for qualified nonprofits
No long-term contracts

Cons

Not recommended for low-volume businesses
Significant monthly fee

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.

Dharma Merchant Services Features

Dharma Merchant Services features include:

Low-risk merchant accounts
ACH processing
eCheck processing
Paper check processing
Support for POS, online, & mobile transactions
Credit card surcharging programs
Full line of Clover POS systems
QuickPay Virtual Terminal

Dharma Merchant Services Pricing

Dharma’s pricing is as follows:

$20/month account fee
$25/month for ACH processing through MX Merchant
$49 account closure fee
ACH transaction costs:
- Less than $100: $0.40
- $100 – $1,000: 0.1% + $0.40
- $1,000+: 0.2% + $0.40
- $2 return fee
- $5 reversal fee
$20/month eCheck processing fee
eCheck transaction costs:
- $0.35 per transaction
- $3 return fee
- $25 chargeback fee
Clover Telecheck: 1.5% + $0.20 per transaction
Alternative in-person paper check setup costs:
- Magtek Mini MICR Imager: $549
- Vx520 Terminal: $179
- $15/month fee
- $0.30 per transaction
- Optional guarantee services: 1.5% of transaction amount

Dharma Is Best For:

Low-risk, high-volume merchants
Nonprofit organizations
Businesses needing a full range of ACH options

Payment Processing Rating Methodology

Merchant Maverick has been researching the payment processing industry since 2009. Our writers have reviewed hundreds of credit card processors, merchant account services, and mobile payment apps, evaluating each provider carefully on several different metrics.

Weighted Rating Breakdown

Fees & Rates 35%

Contract 20%

Products & Services 15%

Sales & Advertising Transparency 15%

Customer Service 10%

User Reviews 5%

When comparing different payment processing companies and applications to one another, we consider numerous data points. Our experts start by comparing credit card processing rates, the presence of additional fees, contract length, sales practices, and the presence or absence of additional features and services, like point of sale software. Each provider is judged on its own merits and how well it stacks up to industry standards; then it is weighed against the other providers on the list.

We spend an average of 10-15 hours researching and updating each one of our lists, making sure every company or application included meets our internal standards for quality and reputation. Any list of recommended payment processors on our site might contain a mix of standard merchant accounts, third-party payment processors, mobile payment devices, and high-risk payment processors, depending on what our expert feels is the best fit for certain scenarios or business types.

For additional details about Merchant Maverick’s review and rating processes, please refer to any or all of the following methodology pages:

Years reviewing payment processors

100+

Providers evaluated

Attributes and features assessed per vendor

40+

Years combined experience

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 Payments 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 ACH 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.

Bank Or Credit Union

ACH powers many of the transactions used by financial institutions. These institutions may offer businesses bill-paying services at little to no cost. The downside is these services tend to be more limited and not as easily integrated into your point-of-sale processes.

Merchant Service Provider Plus Payment Gateway

Merchant service providers (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 merchant accounts for clients. If you already have a good merchant account provider, you can start your ACH processing search here. When bundled with credit card processing and other merchant services, you may get a better deal on ACH processing fees.

Payment Service Provider

Payment service providers (also known as third-party processors or 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 this approach. 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.

High-Risk Processor

High-risk businesses frequently struggle to get approved for a merchant account, often due to abnormally high chargeback rates. Providers serving the high-risk community can often set you up with specialized ACH processing services that come with advanced anti-fraud and chargeback protection features. Especially high-risk businesses that may not pass the ACH underwriting process can fall back on echeck processing for their transactions.

Standalone ACH Service

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. Some ACH payment providers even specialize in layered eCheck systems that supply extra fraud, chargeback, and bounced check protection. ACH-only processing is a possible option for cannabis merchants who might otherwise be limited to operating on a cash-only basis.

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 Processing For My Small Business?

Credit and debit card processing is expensive and getting more so all the time. 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.

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.

In addition to the ACH providers described above, our list of the best small business credit card processors can help you find a fair, reputable, and affordable company for processing ACH payments and other payment forms.

FAQs: Best ACH Payment Processors For Small Businesses

Is online ACH safer than credit cards?

ACH payments are generally safer than paper checks or wire transfers but aren’t inherently more secure than credit card payments. However, if your ACH processor offers a means of confirming that there are sufficient funds in your customer’s bank account prior to approving an ACH payment, there will be little risk of an ACH payment being rejected or disputed.

What is business-to-business ACH?

Business-to-business (B2B) ACH transfers are transactions between two companies, rather than a company and a consumer. B2B ACH payments are faster and cheaper than many alternatives, including paper checks. Invoicing software facilitates B2B ACH transactions, automatically reconciling payments and (sometimes) reducing the time to receive payment.

Is there a limit on ACH transfers?

The National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA) previously limited single, same-day ACH transfers to $25,000. However, in 2020, this limit was raised to $100,000, making ACH payments more practical for large B2B payments, insurance claim payouts, and disbursement of disaster assistance funds. Note that your bank and merchant services provider may also have their own limitations on ACH payments.

Does free ACH payment processing exist?

While ACH payment processing tends to be low cost, it generally isn’t free. Some banks and credit unions may offer some ACH functionality, like bill paying, to customers free of additional charge, however.

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Shannon Vissers

Lead Staff Writer at Merchant Maverick

Shannon has been writing for Merchant Maverick about small business software and financing since 2015. She started writing professionally about business topics in 2005. Shannon has been featured in the Washington Post, Reader's Digest, US News, MSN, Yahoo Finance, Business Insider, and other publications. She has a bachelor's degree in English from San Diego State University and currently resides in San Diego, California.

@ShannonVissers

View Shannon Vissers's professional experience on LinkedIn.

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1. Stax

❮ ❯

Best for high-volume businesses
Monthly fee: $99-$199 + undisclosed ACH fee
ACH transaction fee: 1% (max. $10)

2. PaymentCloud

❮ ❯

Best for high-risk businesses
Monthly fee: Variable
ACH transaction fee: Variable

3. Helcim

❮ ❯

Best for scaling businesses
No monthly fee
ACH transaction fee: 0.5% + $0.25 (max. $6)

4. National Processing

❮ ❯

Best merchant account/ACH combo
Monthly fee: $9.95-$19 + $15 for ACH
ACH transaction fee: 0-1.5% + $0.48

5. Stripe Payments

❮ ❯

Best for eCommerce businesses
No monthly fee
ACH transaction fee: 0.8% (max $5)

6. Square

❮ ❯

Best for independent contractors
No monthly fee
ACH transaction fee: 1% (min $1)

7. Host Merchant Services

❮ ❯

Best for mid-sized businesses
Monthly fee: $14.99 + $5 gateway fee
ACH transaction fee: Varies by payment gateway

8. Durango Merchant Services

❮ ❯

Best for eCheck processing
Variable monthly fee
ACH transaction fee: N/A

9. Dharma Merchant Services

❮ ❯

Best for breadth of ACH options
Monthly fee: $20 + $25 (for ACH)
ACH transaction fee: 0.0-0.2% + $0.40