Setting up an ACH transfer with your vendor is simple. Most online businesses and vendors accept ACH Payments, as it is a secure and reliable payment method.
You can set up either a reoccurring payment for regular vendors or a one-time payment transfer through ACH debit or credit transactions. To set up this method, first make sure your bank account accepts ACH transfers to your vendor’s account, and then exchange account information.
After the accounts are authorized, you can transfer money to your vendors without the need for paper checks or manually issuing payments.
Can ACH Payments Bounce?
ACH payments can be returned due to insufficient funds. The ACH Network, after receiving the request to transfer funds from an account, verifies the bank information and the account balance. If the balance is found to be insufficient based on the request, it is returned and the party is notified.
If your business sends a payment through the ACH Network with insufficient funds, you will be responsible for rectifying the issue and resending payment. Some banks may charge an additional fee for returned ACH transactions as they would with bounced checks.
It is important to pay attention to your account balance if you have reoccurring ACH debit transfers to a vendor, because you could be subject to late fees, insufficient balance fees from your bank, and more due to a bounced payment.
Can You Stop or Return an ACH Payment?
You can stop an ACH payment at any time after you send it, which is why adopting ACH transfer as a primary payment method is often a better choice over other methods.
If you notice an error on your payment transaction, you can notify your bank to stop the transaction and make a correction.
There are three situations in which the National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA) will allow you to reverse a payment: if you sent the wrong amount of funds, if the account information is incorrect, or if you accidentally sent multiple transactions instead of one.
If you realize you made an error on an ACH payment, you can stop the payment and reverse it, giving you a chance to adjust payment information or change the payment schedule. This also gives your business the ability to better control your finances and track payments.
Electronic Payments to Vendors: Using ACH at a Glance
Every business payment should be carefully reviewed before issuing. Setting up an electronic method of payment for your vendors, particularly an ACH transaction for automatic payment, helps streamline your AP department and process payments quickly.
If you send funds through an ACH transfer from an account with an insufficient balance, you will most likely incur fees from your bank and from your vendor.
However, ACH transactions do allow you to adjust a payment in the event of an error. This type of payment protection can save your business time and money, making it one of the most effective way to pay your vendors.
