Finding the right ACH payment processor can be surprisingly tricky. Quick and affordable ACH payment processing matters, of course, but it’s not the whole story. Hidden costs, weak customer support, and missing features like recurring billing and detailed reporting can quickly turn an attractive deal into a costly mistake.
On the other hand, if you only process a few ACH payments or don’t run an online store, paying for a feature-heavy processor you don’t really need can hurt your bottom line. Striking the right balance between cost and functionality is often the hardest part.
That’s why I’ve spent weeks researching various ACH payment processors to help you find the best fit. Paysafe stands out as the most efficient ACH payment solution for small businesses. It offers instant bank transfers across 3,000 banks (including most in the USA), low fees, and support for international payments, all combined with flexibility, transparency, and additional features ideal for growing businesses.
Learn more about Paysafe’s ACH processing rates, or read on to explore other top ACH processors that might suit your small business even better.
Short on Time? These Are the Best ACH Processors for Small Businesses in 2026
- Paysafe – Top-tier compatibility and minimal issues since it supports transfers in more than 3,000 banks.
- Leaders Merchant Services – Ideal for newer small businesses that want to negotiate rates.
- PaymentCloud – Perfect ACH processor for high-risk businesses that struggle to attain approval elsewhere.
What We Look For in the Best ACH Processing Companies for Small Businesses
Not all ACH processors work the same. When researching different options, I considered the following features:
- Competitive pricing. While low transaction fees are a given with ACH payment processing, I considered the overall cost for monthly fees and other types of transactions. Some of the ACH processors on my list will even encourage you to negotiate the best rates for your business.
- Advanced features. I looked at the availability of additional features, such as reporting capabilities, invoicing, and recurrent payment options as these are particularly useful for ACH payments.
- Proactive security. While ACH payments may be lower in risk than other types of payments, they aren’t fraud-proof. That’s why I only considered payment processors that abide by industry standards like the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and the National Automated Clearinghouse Association (NACHA) Operating Rules.
- Software integrations. Because ACH payments are made online, I looked for payment gateways and API options to make accepting payments through a website or checkout page simple and easy.
- Customer support. Accepting ACH payments isn’t too complicated, but it’s always good to have accessible customer support in case you need it. During my research, I considered the availability of personal support, as well as other resources available for access.
Paysafe supports bank transfers across over 3,000 banks, including most major US banks. This means you can confidently accept ACH payments from a broad customer base without worrying about compatibility issues. And if you’re expanding and planning to accept payments from overseas, Paysafe also supports 40+ currencies and operates in more than 120 markets.
Another thing I appreciate about Paysafe is that it offers access to the Authorize.net gateway and virtual terminal at a discounted rate. With this seamless and cost-effective integration, you can process various ACH transactions, including recurring subscription payments, one-time invoice settlements, and mail or telephone orders (MOTO).
What’s more, Paysafe offers competitive pricing. While specific rates can vary based on your business needs and transaction volumes, Paysafe’s fees start from as low as 0.50% + $0.10 per transaction and $7.95 per month. This ensures that you can easily handle ACH transactions without incurring prohibitive fees.
Features and Benefits
- Advanced subscription management. For businesses that rely on subscriptions, Paysafe’s partnership with Vindicia helps you manage subscription billing, retain customers, and recover failed payments.
- Top-notch security. Paysafe employs advanced fraud prevention technologies and offers an Enhanced Security Package for an additional fee. This package serves as an insurance policy, providing extra protection in the event that customer information is compromised.
- Versatility in payment options. Paysafe supports various payment channels, including digital invoicing, MOTO, pay-by-link, subscription billing, and QR code payments through its partnership with Applova. This way, you can cater to different customer preferences and business models.
- Paysafe Mobile Pay app. Available on both Android and iOS, Paysafe’s mobile app allows you to manually enter card information, send digital invoices, and generate receipts on the go.
Want to learn more? Check out our full Paysafe review.
| Payment methods accepted | Credit and debit, ACH, EFT, digital wallets, bank transfers, Skrill, Venmo |
| Integrations | WooCommerce and Magento |
| Customer support | 24/7 technical support via phone and email |
| Transaction fees on cheapest plan | 0.50% + $0.10 |
| Monthly fee on cheapest plan | $7.95 |
Leaders Merchant Services (LMS) stands out as one of the top ACH payment processors for small businesses, particularly for new or growing companies with limited budgets. LMS allows you to negotiate your rates, so you can choose the features you want and avoid paying for things you don’t need.
LMS utilizes the secure and reliable Authorize.net gateway to process ACH and eCheck payments – whether online, by phone, or through mail order. So when you accept ACH payments through LMS, you’ll know your payments will be protected to the highest industry standards.
While exact pricing isn’t disclosed on the website, you can expect to pay around /month, plus a low per-transaction fee. And with a 98% approval rate – one of the highest in the industry – you can potentially start accepting ACH payments with LMS in less than 24 hours.
Features and Benefits
- “Meet or beat” guarantee. LMS offers a price-match guarantee – if it can’t match or beat your current processing rates, you’ll earn a $200 gift card.
- Dedicated account manager. When you sign up with LMS, you’ll be assigned a dedicated account manager that walks you through the onboarding process.
- 24/7 technical support. LMS offers technical phone support any day of the year, to solve any issues that may occur.
- Selection of POS terminals. If you also accept payments in person, LMS offers several popular POS systems like Clover to lease or buy, plus the ability to bring your own compatible device.
Read our full Leaders Merchant Services review for more.
| Payment methods accepted | Credit and debit cards, digital wallets, ACH, bank transfers |
| Integrations | Authorize.net, CartManager |
| Customer support | 24/7 phone support |
| Transaction fees on cheapest plan | ~0.5% + $0.50 |
| Monthly fee on cheapest plan |
PaymentCloud is a payment processor that works with just about any business. With no minimum credit score, PaymentCloud accepts nearly 98% of all applicants, including those in high-risk industries.
Several of the other companies on the list offer ACH processing as an add-on to credit card processing, but PaymentCloud offers an ACH-only processing service. This is especially good for very high-risk businesses that are typically not approved for a merchant services account. Plus, you can sign up for instant ACH payments if you need to improve the overall cash flow for your business.
PaymentCloud doesn’t publicly display their prices online, instead focusing on personalized quotes based on your business needs. This is mainly due to working with high-risk businesses that may need tailored support.
Features and Benefits
- Robust fraud prevention. PaymentCloud works with you to prevent fraud and chargebacks, including offering account manager support for high-risk industries and advanced ACH and eCheck verifications.
- Recurring billing and subscriptions. Since ACH payments tend to be popular for recurrent billing, having this as an option is key. PaymentCloud makes subscriptions easy to manage and track – for you and your customers.
- No setup fees. PaymentCloud does not charge any setup fees for ACH payment processing or any of its other e-commerce features.
- Paysley mobile payments. With PaymentCloud’s Paysley service, you can send invoices and payment links through email, SMS, WhatsApp, and more.
For more details, read our expert PaymentCloud review.
| Payment methods accepted | Credit and debit cards, digital wallets, ACH, bank transfers, cryptocurrency |
| Integrations | 100+ including QuickBooks, WooCommerce, Shopify and more |
| Customer support | Email and phone support Monday to Friday from 7:00 – 18:00 (PST) |
| Transaction fees on cheapest plan | 2% + 25¢ |
| Monthly fee on cheapest plan | $25.00 |
CardX’s Lightbox gateway integrates directly into your website, allowing customers to initiate ACH payments without leaving your page. By clicking a “Pay Now” button, customers can access a pop-up form to select ACH as their payment method. It reduces friction and keeps the transaction within your branded environment.
Lightbox also functions as a virtual terminal, enabling you to process ACH payments for mail-order and telephone-order (MOTO) transactions. This is especially useful in B2B scenarios where your clients may prefer to provide payment details over the phone or through order forms.
CardX is primarily known for its standout surcharging program. To make use of CardX’s gateway and advanced software, you’ll have to pay a $29 monthly fee. It’s not a lot, but if you’re not interested in surcharging, Paysafe or LMS will be cheaper.
Features and Benefits
- Zero-cost surcharging. If you plan to process credit card transactions along with ACH payments, you’ll be glad to know that CardX allows you to pass processing fees directly to customers who choose to pay with a credit card.
- Advanced analytics and reporting. The CardX Portal provides detailed insights into your sales and deposit activities. You’ll be able to monitor ACH transactions specifically and assess their impact on your business’s cash flow.
- Custom POS terminal & software. For in-person payments, CardX provides a Verifone VX520 POS terminal with pre-installed software.
- No surprises. Surcharging can save you thousands on fees, and with CardX’s virtual terminal, you don’t have to worry about regulatory requirements. Advanced software recognizes the card type and automatically calculates the appropriate fees.
Our comprehensive CardX review contains more information.
| Payment methods accepted | Credit and debit cards, ACH (e-checks) |
| Integrations | No native integrations |
| Customer support | 24/7 technical support line, other support available via phone, email, and live chat |
| Transaction fees on cheapest plan | 3.5% customer surcharge |
| Monthly fee on cheapest plan | N/A |
Stax is a great option for more established businesses with higher sales volume that want an advanced payment system that includes ACH processing. ACH processing comes as standard with all plans, in addition to the other payment options, such as all major credit cards, debit cards, and digital wallets.
With Stax, you’ll pay a 1% transaction fee on all ACH payments. You can set up the ACH payments through your Stax account and easily track and manage all ACH payments through its dashboard. Stax also makes it easy to set up digital invoicing and recurring billing, which is especially important if you run a service-based business.
With a flat monthly subscription fee, Stax works differently from many other payment processors. Stax’s all-in-one plans start at €88.86, which is admittedly a bit too high for small businesses. However, if you earn more than $8,000 a month in revenue, it’s a good option to consider.
Features and Benefits
- Pre-built shopping cart options. If you need to create an online shopping cart, Stax offers no-frills, pre-built templates designed with small businesses in mind.
- Advanced integrations. With Stax, you’ll get access to a one-click shopping cart setup and advanced API integrations to accept online ACH payments with ease.
- In-depth reporting. You’ll gain access to a user-friendly dashboard to make tracking and reporting ACH payments simple.
- Customer support. Stax offers a thorough knowledge base on its website, as well as a dedicated support team available through chat, email, and phone.
Read our expert Stax review for more details.
| Payment methods accepted | Credit and debit cards, selected digital wallets, ACH, bank transfers |
| Integrations | 14+ including QuickBooks, Zoho, Xero, and Hubspot |
| Customer support | Live chat, email, ticket, and phone support |
| Transaction fees on cheapest plan | 15¢ + interchange (online) |
| Monthly fee on cheapest plan | $99.00 |
6. Payment Depot: Ideal ACH Solution for Variable Sales Volumes
Payment Depot is a great ACH payment processor for small businesses and companies with inconsistent sales volumes. Its transparent interchange+ model combines the base rate with a fixed percentage markup, eliminating hidden fees and potentially saving money compared to a flat fee pricing structure.
Payment Depot has its own virtual terminal, which takes care of ACH payments. However, Payment Depot also integrates seamlessly with payment gateways like Authorize.net, Stripe, and PayPal – all of which support ACH payments.
One minor issue I have with Payment Depot, though, is that it doesn’t offer any options (whether free or paid) for same-day ACH processing. That said, you won’t have to wait too long to receive your ACH payments, as Payment Depot typically pays out within 24 hours.
Features and Benefits
- Extensive e-commerce support. Payment Depot offers extensive e-commerce support, letting you build custom shopping carts or use ready-made templates to start selling right away. It integrates with platforms like BigCommerce and Shopify and syncs with accounting tools like QuickBooks to streamline operations.
- Fast business funding. As a Payment Depot merchant, you can access fast working capital of up to $500,000 with competitive rates and terms lasting up to 18 months. The application process is quick, taking just two minutes, and funds can be available in as little as 24 hours.
- Responsive live chat support. Payment Depot offers fast live chat responses (typically under 5 minutes) during business hours (8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. EST & PST). Outside those hours, phone and email support ensure help is still available.
- Free equipment for in-person transactions. Regardless of the plan you choose, Payment Depot offers a free Dejavoo terminal. If your business requires it, you may even be able to negotiate multiple free Dejavoo terminals, which could help you save quite a bit on the initial setup.
See our in-depth Payment Depot review for more details.
| Payment methods accepted | Credit and debit cards, digital wallets, ACH, bank transfers |
| Integrations | 10+ including WooCommerce, QuickBooks, and more |
| Customer support | Technical and sales support line via phone and ticket |
| Transaction fees on cheapest plan | 0.2%-1.95% |
| Monthly fee on cheapest plan | N/A |
The Best ACH Processing for Small Businesses Will Fit All Your Needs
Accepting ACH payments benefits most small businesses. After all, ACH payments can save you money on transaction fees and are a convenient option for subscription-based businesses or recurring billing. But to reap the benefits, you’ll need to find a merchant account provider that makes the process easy and transparent.
If your small business caters to a broad customer base, I highly recommend Paysafe. It supports bank transfers from over 3,000 banks, including many in the US. It also operates in over 120 markets and accepts more than 40 currencies, making it easy for you to process global transactions.
If you’re looking for an ACH processor to add to your all-in-one payment service, Leaders Merchant Services is my top pick. It makes it easy to negotiate rates based on the services you need. This is especially helpful if you run a small business and don’t want to pay for features you’ll never use.
If approval is your biggest concern, consider going with PaymentCloud. As an ACH processor that is dedicated to helping high-risk businesses, PaymentCloud offers some of the highest approval rates on the market.
| Best Feature | Best For | Monthly fee on cheapest plan | Transaction fees on cheapest plan | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paysafe | Active in 120+ markets, supporting 40+ currencies | Small businesses with a broad customer base | $7.95 | 0.50% + $0.10 | |
| Leaders Merchant Services | Negotiable rates | Small businesses on a tight budget | ~0.5% + $0.50 | ||
| PaymentCloud | 98% acceptance rate for all business types | High-risk businesses | $25.00 | 2% + 25¢ | |
| CardX | Proprietary payment gateway and virtual terminal | Swift online and MOTO ACH payments | N/A | 1.25% + 25¢ | |
| Stax | Detailed reporting and analytics | Established businesses with high sales volumes | $99.00 | 10¢ + interchange (in-person) | |
| Payment Depot | Transparent interchange-plus pricing model | Smaller businesses with inconsistent sales volumes | N/A | 0.2%-1.95% |
FAQ
What’s the average cost to process an ACH payment?
The cost to process an ACH payment can vary depending on the payment processor you choose and the type of transaction. Some charge a fixed fee for each ACH payment. Other processors, like Stax, charge a percentage of the transaction amount, usually around 1%.
What are the best ACH payment processing companies?
Paysafe is the best ACH payment processing company because it offers instant bank transfers across more than 3000 banks, fast settlement times, and built-in fraud protection. Leaders Merchant Services is another solid option due to its high approval rates, same-day account setup, and 24/7 support.
How do I set up an ACH for my small business?
To set up ACH payments, gather your business and customer bank details, obtain authorization, and use a payment processor to handle transactions. I recommend using Paysafe, LMS, or another top processor with competitive processing rates and flexible solutions for your small business.
What’s the difference between ACH payments and credit card payments?
ACH payments transfer funds directly between bank accounts and usually take 1–3 business days to process. They come with low fees, often under 1%, making them cost-effective for recurring or large transactions. Credit card payments are processed instantly but come with higher fees, typically ranging from 1.5% to 3%.
What processor works with high-risk businesses?
PaymentCloud is the ideal ACH processor for high-risk businesses. Whether you operate in an industry considered high risk, have bad credit, or are struggling to get approved elsewhere, PaymentCloud is your best option – and it tailors its solutions specifically for high-risk businesses.
Which ACH processor has the best rates for new businesses?
ACH payments have lower transaction fees compared to credit card processing and faster payment processing times. Additionally, ACH payments are highly secure and can reduce the risk of fraud or chargebacks. Luckily, many of our top credit card processors in 2026 also accept ACH payments either as an included service or as an add-on.
