ACH, or Automated Clearing House, payments move money electronically from one bank account to another. Setting up your business to accept ACH payments gives you an alternative to credit cards, cash or checks.

1. How to Accept ACH Payments
ACH, or Automated Clearing House, payments move money
electronically from one bank account to another. Setting up your
business to accept ACH payments gives you an alternative to credit
cards, cash or checks. Because the payments are not as easily
reversed as credit cards, the transfers come with fees much lower
than those for a credit card transaction.

2. Set Up Your Account
Set up an account with a merchant services company
that sets up ACH payments.
It's a good idea to start with your current bank when
beginning your search for a merchant services ACH
provider. Working with your existing bank will be
simpler, and you may get better treatment because
you're a long-term customer.

3. Fill out all paperwork to enable
your company for ACH payments.
In this case, the paperwork might be
done entirely online. This paperwork
will set up your bank account to receive
ACH payments.

4. Read the ACH payment setup
forms.
Your merchant services provider will
give you these -- again, they may be
paper, electronic or both -- as part of
your welcome package.

5. Fill out a payment setup form for a
client who wants to pay by ACH.
Although forms vary, most need the account
number and routing number of the bank
account from which you will make an ACH
payment, as well as the amount and date of
the payment.

6. Review the form with your client to
confirm all information is correct.
Get an authorizing signature.

7. Transmit the ACH form to your
merchant services provider.
Depending on the company, they may want
this faxed, mailed or hand-delivered. Some
companies will use a web portal for
instantaneous electronic transmission.

8. Wait for the funds to transfer
into your bank account.
This typically takes 4 business days.

9. ACH payments aren't recommended
for one-time, small payments.
They are best for regular payments on
account, or for single, high-ticket transactions.
http://www.ach-payments.com/solutions/ach-processing/