If you sell something priced in the hundreds or thousands, such as a term of classes, a coaching package or a business service, the card fee on each sale adds up. Some buyers also ask to pay straight from their bank account, particularly businesses paying a larger amount.
That's what ACH Direct Debit is for. Many guides to accepting ACH payments start with opening a merchant account, choosing a processor and collecting signed authorization forms. If you already accept card payments through Stripe, the process can be simpler. ACH is a payment method you switch on, and the buyer authorizes the debit during checkout.
On Stripe, ACH costs 0.8% of the payment, capped at $5. A $1,200 payment costs $5 by ACH, compared with about $35 by card. That difference makes ACH worth offering for larger one-time payments.
This guide explains what ACH payments are, what buyers see when they pay by bank, what each option costs and how to turn ACH on.
Quick answer: To accept ACH payments online, you need a US bank account, a Stripe account and a checkout that offers ACH Direct Debit. At checkout, the buyer connects their bank and authorizes the debit. Stripe confirms the payment a few business days later. Stripe charges 0.8% per ACH payment, capped at $5. With Checkout Page, you choose multiple payment methods on your checkout and switch ACH Direct Debit on in Stripe. ACH works on one-time payments in US dollars.
What ACH payments are
ACH is the US bank network that moves money directly between bank accounts. An ACH debit lets you, the seller, collect money from the buyer's account with their permission. An ACH credit works in the opposite direction: the buyer's bank sends money to you, as with a bank transfer from an invoice.
When you accept ACH payments at checkout, you're taking ACH debits. Stripe calls this ACH Direct Debit. The buyer gives permission by completing the checkout, and Stripe handles the authorization, called a mandate, and the debit notification emails.
ACH suits bigger one-off payments, because the fee is capped. It's for US buyers paying from a US bank account, and the checkout has to be in US dollars.
What happens when a buyer pays by ACH
When a buyer chooses to pay by bank, Stripe asks them to sign in to their bank and pick an account. Stripe says this method verifies bank accounts in seconds. If the buyer can't connect their bank, they can enter their account details and confirm small test deposits instead. These can take one to two business days to appear.
The buyer then agrees to the debit and completes the checkout, and Stripe emails them to confirm the authorization.
When the money arrives. An ACH payment takes a few business days to confirm, longer than a card. The money then reaches your Stripe balance and is paid out to your bank on your usual payout schedule.
When a payment fails. A bank payment can fail after checkout, for example if the buyer's account doesn't have enough money. Stripe's guide says most failures happen within the first five days. If you provide a service or ship an order, consider waiting until the payment clears before delivering it.
What you need to handle
ACH covers one-time payments. The help center documents ACH on Checkout Page for one-time payments in US dollars. For monthly dues, memberships or a payment plan, buyers pay by card; our guide to Stripe recurring payments explains how subscriptions work.
Bank payments are slower than cards. An ACH payment takes a few business days to confirm after checkout. If you need the money before an event or a delivery date, set your deadline with that in mind.
Larger payments save the most. Stripe's ACH fee reaches its $5 cap at $625. Below about $100, the saving over a card is a couple of dollars at most.
Only US buyers can use it. Buyers need a US bank account. Everyone else pays by card or another method on the same checkout.
Which tool to use to accept ACH payments
You can accept ACH through a checkout tool, payment processor or invoicing tool. This table compares four options by their ACH fees, where buyers make payments and the types of payments they support.
Tool | ACH fee | Where the buyer pays | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
Checkout Page | Stripe's 0.8%, max $5 | Your checkout page | One-time payments |
Stripe on its own | 0.8%, max $5 | Stripe's pages or your code | One-time and recurring |
Square | 1%, $1 min | Square Invoices | Invoices |
GoCardless | 0.5% + 5¢, max $5 | Its own payment pages | One-time and recurring |
US rates from each provider's own pricing page, checked 3 November 2026. GoCardless is its Standard plan.
Square fits if you already send invoices through Square; our breakdown of Square fees covers its other rates. GoCardless takes one-off and recurring bank payments on its own payment pages.
With Checkout Page, ACH is offered on the same branded checkout as cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay, with no code. Checkout Page charges 0% per transaction fees, so the ACH fee is Stripe's alone.
What it costs to accept ACH payments
An ACH payment costs the processor's fee, plus any monthly fee for the tool you use to accept it. Card payments have a percentage fee and a fixed fee, with no cap, so the difference grows as the payment amount increases.
On a US Stripe account, this is how ACH compares with a card at different prices.
Payment | Card (2.9% + 30¢) | ACH (0.8%, max $5) | You save with ACH |
|---|---|---|---|
$100 | $3.20 | $0.80 | $2.40 |
$300 | $9.00 | $2.40 | $6.60 |
$625 | $18.43 | $5.00 | $13.43 |
$1,200 | $35.10 | $5.00 | $30.10 |
Stripe's US rates for domestic cards and ACH Direct Debit, checked 3 November 2026. Before any refunds or failed payments.
The savings add up over time. If you sell ten $1,200 packages a month and half the buyers pay by ACH, you'd keep about $150 more each month than if everyone paid by card. Our guide to Stripe processing fees covers the other rates.
Checkout Page is free up to $3K in monthly sales. Paid plans are a monthly price based on your sales volume. Stripe's processing fees apply.
On the free plan, your pages pause once you pass $3K in a 30-day period and reopen when the period resets or you upgrade.
Calculate your Stripe feesHow to accept ACH payments from your own checkout
If you'd like to take ACH payments from your own checkout, the five steps below take you from a new checkout page to a link you can share, with ACH turned on. We've used Checkout Page as the example, so each step shows you the setting to look for.
Step 1: create the checkout page
In your Checkout Page dashboard, create a checkout page for your product or service and set a one-time price in US dollars. ACH on Checkout Page covers this type of payment.
The money goes straight into your own Stripe account. You're the seller on every payment, and Checkout Page isn't the merchant of record.
Step 2: choose multiple payment methods
Open the checkout and go to Checkout → Payment methods. By default, the page takes cards with Apple Pay and Google Pay. Select Multiple payment methods so the checkout can offer bank debits, wallets and buy now, pay later options alongside cards.
The help center explains how to accept multiple payment methods on one checkout.
Step 3: switch on ACH Direct Debit in Stripe
Under Multiple payment methods, select Enable one-time payment methods. This opens the payment method settings in your Stripe dashboard. Turn on ACH Direct Debit and save.
From then on, the checkout offers ACH to buyers paying in US dollars. The help center has the same steps for how to accept ACH bank transfers.
Step 4: run a test payment
In the checkout editor, open Test payments and select Preview only, so the live checkout keeps taking real payments. Complete a test checkout in the editor preview using the test card details shown there, then check that the bank account option appears alongside the card option. Test payments use a test card and don't appear in Stripe. The help center explains how test payments work.
If you tested the live checkout with Everywhere, switch back to Preview only so the page takes real payments again.
Step 5: share the checkout
Publish the page and share its link, or embed it on your website. You can send the link by email, add it to an invoice or a proposal, or use one of the payment links options, such as a button or a QR code.
Accept ACH payments for freeTake more than one kind of payment
With multiple payment methods on, the same checkout can offer other ways to pay next to ACH.
- Cards and wallets on the same checkout: buyers who'd rather use a card, Apple Pay or Google Pay can still do so.
- Buy now, pay later: Klarna, Affirm and Afterpay can sit on the same checkout for buyers who want to spread the cost.
- Cards for recurring payments: a subscription or a payment plan can run on the same Stripe account for buyers who pay monthly.
If your buyer is a business that pays by invoice
Some business buyers arrange bank transfers through their accounts team, often using an ACH credit or a wire, rather than paying at checkout. With Checkout Page's manual payment options, the buyer can select Pay via invoice at checkout. No payment is taken at that point. They receive a confirmation email with an invoice, and you can add your bank details to it.
When the money arrives, you record the payment against the order. Manual payments are on the Scale plan.
If you'd like to try it, you can start accepting ACH payments on the free plan and upgrade once your sales pass $3K a month.
How to accept ACH payments FAQ
How does a customer pay by ACH at checkout?
The customer selects the bank payment option, signs in to their bank through Stripe and chooses an account. If they can't connect their bank, they can enter their account details and confirm small test deposits instead. They then authorize the debit and complete checkout. Stripe emails them to confirm the authorization.
How much does it cost to accept ACH payments?
On Stripe, ACH Direct Debit costs 0.8% of each payment, capped at $5, with no monthly or verification fees. A $100 payment costs $0.80 and anything above $625 costs $5. Other providers charge differently: Square takes 1% with a $1 minimum, and GoCardless's Standard plan charges 0.5% plus 5 cents, capped at $5.
Are ACH payments safe?
Yes, ACH payments through Stripe are protected for buyers. Stripe handles the authorization and the debit notification emails, and says consumers have 60 days from the withdrawal to report an incorrect or unauthorized debit, while businesses have two days. As the seller, your risk is a payment that fails or is returned after checkout.
Can I accept ACH payments for a subscription?
Not through Checkout Page, going by its help center today. ACH covers one-time payments in US dollars, so buyers pay for subscriptions and payment plans by card. For a term of classes or a year of dues paid in one go, ACH works well as a one-time payment, and the saving over a card is largest on bigger amounts.
How long do ACH payments take to clear?
An ACH payment takes a few business days to confirm, longer than a card. The money then reaches your Stripe balance and is paid out to your bank on your usual payout schedule. Most failed payments show up within the first five days, so you can wait for that before delivering a service or shipping an order.
