This update reintroduces ACH payments using AIO Pay by Bank with Plaid, giving customers a lower-cost alternative to credit cards while improving bank account verification and payment reliability.
Previously, ACH Direct Debit was disabled because invalid or test bank details could pass through the old payment flow and occasionally appear as successful payments.
With this release, customers can now securely connect and verify their bank account through Plaid before completing payment. This creates a safer and more reliable ACH experience across both Website and Customer Portal checkout flows while helping businesses reduce payment processing costs.
Why This Feature Exists
Many businesses prefer ACH because it is significantly less expensive than card payments.
However, the previous ACH implementation created operational risk because routing and account numbers were not always properly validated. This led to:
False payment success states
Payment returns
Increased fraud exposure
More manual reconciliation work
Higher support overhead
This update resolves those issues by introducing AIO Pay by Bank powered by Plaid, which verifies bank ownership before payment authorization.
The result is:
Lower processing costs
Stronger bank verification
Fewer ACH returns
Reduced false-positive payment success
A safer and more scalable ACH experience
Who This Is For
This feature is designed for customers who prefer paying with ACH instead of traditional card payments.
ACH payments must first be enabled by an admin in:
Settings → Payments
Accessing ACH Payments
During checkout in either the Website or Customer Portal, customers can now select ACH / Pay by Bank as a payment option.
Once selected, the customer is guided into the Plaid authentication experience to securely connect and verify their bank account before payment is completed.
⚠️ Important: ACH payments are only available after successful bank verification through Plaid.
Step 1: Select ACH / Pay by Bank
Start by choosing ACH / Pay by Bank during checkout.
This option is available in:
Website Checkout
Customer Portal / Payment Links
Once selected, the customer is redirected into the secure Plaid authentication flow.
Step 2: Authenticate the Bank Account
Inside the Plaid flow, the customer will:
Search for their bank
Securely log in using their bank credentials
Select the bank account they want to use for payment
Plaid then verifies that the account is valid and accessible by the customer before allowing payment authorization.
This verification step helps prevent:
Incorrect routing or account number submissions
Invalid or test bank accounts
Failed ACH payments
Fraud-related payment attempts
Step 3: Complete the ACH Payment
After successful authentication, the verified bank account becomes available as the ACH payment method.
The customer can then:
Review their payment details
Confirm the payment
Complete checkout normally
The payment is processed through AIO Pay by Bank using the verified bank connection.
Step 4: ACH Availability Rules
Admins can control where ACH appears and when it is available.
From Settings → Payments, admins can:
Enable or disable ACH payments
Show ACH on Website Checkout, Customer Portal, or both
Configure a maximum ACH transaction amount
If the order total exceeds the configured maximum amount, ACH will automatically be hidden during checkout even if ACH is enabled.
This helps businesses control payment risk and decide when ACH should be available based on transaction size.
Step 5: Improved Payment Reliability
With Plaid verification in place, ACH payments now provide a more reliable checkout experience.
Benefits include:
Reduced ACH returns
Fewer false-positive payment success states
Improved fraud prevention
Lower operational overhead
Better payment accuracy across checkout flows
This creates a safer and more scalable ACH experience for both customers and businesses.
What Changed from the Previous Experience
Previous Experience | Updated Experience |
ACH Direct Debit is disabled | ACH re-enabled through AIO Pay by Bank |
Manual bank account entry | Secure bank authentication through Plaid |
Invalid accounts could appear successful | Verified accounts before authorization |
Higher ACH validation risk | Improved payment reliability and accuracy |
ACH fee: 0.8% | ACH fee: 1% |
You’re All Set!
ACH payments are now securely re-enabled using AIO Pay by Bank with Plaid integration.
Customers can confidently pay using verified bank authentication, while businesses benefit from lower processing costs, stronger verification, and reduced payment risk across Website and Customer Portal checkout experiences.