Payments glossary

What are ACH payments?

Electronic bank-to-bank transfers in the United States processed through the Automated Clearing House network.

Definition

ACH (Automated Clearing House) is the US batch network for electronic bank transfers, governed by Nacha. ACH debits pull funds from a customer’s account with authorization; ACH credits push funds out, for example payroll or vendor payouts.

Standard ACH settles in one to three business days; Same Day ACH settles within hours for a small premium. Fees are typically a flat $0.25-$1.00 or a capped percentage, making ACH ideal for large invoices, rent, tuition, and B2B payments.

Example

A property management company collecting $2,400 in rent pays about $0.80 via ACH versus roughly $70 on a credit card.

How HL Hunt handles it

HL Hunt supports ACH debit, ACH credit, and Same Day ACH with instant bank verification, automatic retries on R01 insufficient-funds returns, and reconciliation in the same ledger as your card volume.

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Frequently asked questions

How long do ACH payments take?

Standard ACH clears in 1-3 business days; Same Day ACH clears the same business day when submitted before the cutoff.

Can ACH payments be disputed?

Consumers can return an unauthorized ACH debit within 60 days; businesses have 2 days. Proper authorization records and instant account verification minimize returns.

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