Accept Electronic Check Payments In-Person and Online
E-checks work for in-person transactions where a customer presents a paper check, and for online or phone transactions where the customer provides their banking details directly. Either way, the result is the same: funds move from their bank to yours electronically, without the delays or risks that come with paper checks.
How E-Check Processing Works
For online or phone-based e-check collection, the customer provides their bank account information directly, and the payment is initiated from your virtual terminal or online payment page. No paper check is involved.
Why Businesses Accept E-Checks
Lower processing costs than credit cards
E-check processing fees are typically flat fees per transaction rather than a percentage of the amount. For large-dollar transactions, this is often significantly cheaper than credit card interchange. Businesses that regularly handle high-ticket sales, such as B2B companies, contractors, and healthcare providers, benefit most from offering e-checks as a payment option.
Faster and safer than paper checks
Paper checks can be lost, stolen, or delayed in transit. An e-check eliminates those risks by moving the funds electronically. You also receive faster notification if a payment does not clear, which reduces the time you spend chasing non-payment compared to waiting for a bounced paper check to return through the mail.
Wider acceptance for out-of-area customers
E-check processing works across virtually any US bank account. Accepting payment from a customer based in another state or city is no different from accepting one locally. The ACH network handles the routing regardless of which bank the customer uses.
Keeps options open for customers without credit cards
Some customers prefer not to pay by credit card or do not have one. E-checks give them a way to pay electronically from their bank account, which broadens your potential customer base beyond those who carry cards.
Transparent Pricing (No Hidden Fees)
Security and Reliability
Account numbers are encrypted during transmission through the ACH network. Our e-check processing includes duplicate transaction detection, which prevents the same payment from being charged twice. You have full visibility into all e-check transactions through your merchant reporting portal, and each one is recorded alongside your card transactions in the same consolidated view.
If a check does not clear, you receive prompt notification and a record of the failed transaction. We also maintain files of customers with prior returned payments, which can help you make informed decisions about accepting future checks from the same account.