In short, ACH is an electronic payment alternative to credit cards and paper checks. The Automated Clearing House (ACH) network is the same safe, secure, and reliable system used by hundreds of thousands of companies for processing direct deposit payroll, loans, mortgages, utility bills, insurance premiums, and the Federal government for benefit payments and social security.
ACH has been in use for over 30 years and is an extremely safe private network that is not part of the Internet. Through First ACH, ACH payments are available as an alternate method of payment that can also offer convenience, savings, and features that make accepting paper checks seem archaic.
Probably. Have you ever paid a bill by check over the phone or online? If so, you have used ACH. Are your paychecks direct deposited to your bank account? If so, you are receiving payment via the ACH network. These are just a couple of examples of ACH in action in your daily life.
Yes, but that would require an offline application and approval by our underwriting department. Please call 1-800-356-2429 to have an offline application sent to you.
Absolutely. All transactions occur using our secure servers located in our secured data center with controlled access. We use a 128-bit SSL encrypted sessions, mask bank account numbers to protect your transactions, and exceed all requirements as set forth by NACHA, the governing body that regulates the acceptance and transport of ACH transactions. First ACH is also certified through Verisign, an industry leader in the provisioning of web security services.
Because we are committed to you, your business, and providing the greatest value and quality we can offer anyone in the ACH payments industry. To learn more about why we are the best solution for your business – click here. If you would like to see our great pricing plans – click here.
Check Guarantee is a service in which merchants are charged a fee in return for receiving a guarantee of payment on a check received for goods or services rendered, even those that are returned or rejected. You can think of it as a payment insurance program where the check accepted by the merchant can be evaluated with industry verification systems to determine whether or not the check writer has a recorded history of writing bad checks. If the check is approved, the merchant will be authorized by the check guarantee provider to accept the check and the funds are then guaranteed.
It is important to note, however, that the check guarantee provider will often charge a litany of fees for their service. These fees include, but are not limited to:
Discount fee on all checks accepted
Per item transaction fee
Monthly minimum fee
Statement fee
Sign up/application fee
Programming fee
In addition to fees, the processor also may require additional customer information to be collected and strict processing procedures followed in order for a guaranteed check to be eligible for payment. Collection of a guaranteed payment typically requires a claim to be filed after the check has been rejected. This claim process often requires a great deal of time and patience before coming to fruition.
Consider as well that if a merchant processes several rejected payments, the provider may drop the merchant from the program or even cancel their service entirely.
Given the aforementioned facts, First ACH does not offer a check guarantee program as we believe the high cost, risk, and complication of the service simply does not fit our business model, nor has it proven to be a viable and affordable solution for merchants. Our goal is, and will remain, to offer our customers simple, low cost, high quality, payment processing solutions.
Yes. Each plan has a set number of transactions that we will process for you for free. If you process more transactions that month, you will simply pay the transaction fee listed under that plan for each additional transaction processed.
User licenses are for access to the First ACH Payment Gateway by users. If you require that multiple users access the interface at the same time, you will need a license for each user.
NSF, or Non-Sufficient Funds, is a reason for a transaction rejecting. RCK is the process by which a check rejected for NSF can be re-presented to the bank electronically via First ACH.
Example: Your customer’s bank routing number changes due to a bank merger. The bank will continue to process transactions presented with the old routing number for a period of time and will simply respond with a NOC, which provides First ACH with the updated information. We in turn update the appropriate information within our systems and also notify you of the change so that you may update your records. A fee is applied to your account for an amount ranging from $2.00 - $5.00, depending upon the plan you are using.
Example: You enter a debit into the system for $100 to one of your customers. When the transaction is processed, the customer’s bank responds that the transaction was rejected because the account has been closed. A fee is applied to your account for an amount ranging from $4.00 - $5.00, depending upon the plan you are using.
If a transaction you initiate is rejected for NSF, we will automatically generate an NSF fee against the account holder for the maximum allowable by law. If the NSF fee is collected, we will rebate $5 of it to you. ARC rebate and RCK rebate are the same concept only applied to ARC and RCK transactions.
This occurs when, after a transaction is completed, the account holder disputes the transaction. The account holder must go to their bank and sign an affidavit with a bank offiicer as witness in order to dispute the transaction. The bank will then reverse the transaction, and we will debit that amount plus a chargeback fee from your account. You will then have to settle the dispute with the account holder directly.
First ACH does not sell QuickBooks software packages, only the First ACH Plug-in Designed for QuickBooks. You will need to purchase QuickBooks from Intuit or another licensed seller.
The First ACH Plug-in Designed for QuickBooks allows you to process your payments directly from QuickBooks without opening an internet browser or logging in to the First ACH Gateway. The Plug-in is setup to identify you and connect you with our system without the need to log in each time.
The First ACH Plug-in Designed for QuickBooks creates the payment transaction right when you submit it. There is no need to batch process records to submit them into the First ACH Gateway.
The First ACH Plug-in Designed for QuickBooks will automatically stamp your open invoices as PAID when you submit a transaction. To view and manage the actual transactions, you can continue to use the First ACH Gateway and our transaction reporting features just as you would normally.
First ACH sends you an email whenever a transaction is rejected, no matter how the transaction was entered into our Gateway. You will be able to use this information to update your payment history in QuickBooks.
Simply click the green Start button from any page on the First ACH website to begin the enrollment process, which can typically be completed in 15 minutes.
An offline application can generally be approved within 24 hours. You will need to provide a copy of a voided check with the application. Our underwriting department may require additional documentation, however that will be determined after we've received your application.
After choosing your Processing Plan during the enrollment process, you will be presented with a link in the Order Summary called View Enrollment Checklist. Just click this list for a summary of the documentation needed to submit the online enrollment.
For your security, First ACH requires a written request on company letterhead to change your bank account information, including a signature from the owner or primary user, be faxed or scanned/emailed to us. You must also include a copy of a voided check for the new account(s) and a copy of the owner/primary user’s driver’s license. This update is normally completed within 48 business hours of receipt.
If you are not in possession of a check pre-printed with your business’ name and address, please provide a copy of a voided starter check and a copy of the letter provided by your bank when you opened the account.
Any changes to your account information needs to be submitted in writing on company letterhead and signed by the owner or primary user. You can fax or scan/email this letter, along with a copy of the owner/primary user’s driver’s license, and we will normally incorporate the changes within 48 business hours.
At this time, First ACH cannot accommodate split funding requests. Merchants requiring deposits into more than one bank account will need separate ACH accounts and will need to process transactions separately.
A sample authorization form is available from the Help page after logging in to First ACH. This form may be used as it is presented or as a template for your own custom authorization form.
As a customer of First ACH, comprehensive reporting tools are made available to you from within our secure Web interface that will allow you to stay apprised of your tranaction activity at all times.
First, click the “Forgot Your Password?” link found above the login. If you are unable to complete the process of securely resetting your password, please contact Customer Support at 800-356-2429.
If you are set up for automatic retries, you don't have to do anything. We will automatically retry your transaction up to two more times in an effort to successfully complete your transaction.
Yes. Customers can charge back their payments, but this rarely occurs if you are obtaining the proper authorization. First ACH will provide you with the proper authorization forms.
You can upgrade your plan at any time. You will only be charged the difference in setup fees between your current plan and your new plan, and the difference in plan fees for the month in which the upgrade took place. The new monthly fee will be billed regularly starting the following month.
