Short answer: ACH payments pull funds directly from your customer's bank account instead of a card. Because the money moves through the banking system rather than the card networks, ACH deposits take longer than card deposits — typically 3–5 business days from the transaction to the money arriving in your account. This is normal and expected.
How an ACH payment moves
Your customer authorizes the payment and the transaction is submitted for processing in real time — there's no end-of-day terminal batch like there is with card payments.
All transactions submitted before the daily cutoff are grouped and sent into the banking network that business day. Transactions after the cutoff go out the next business day.
The customer's bank account is then debited, and the debit must fully clear the banking system.
Once cleared, your deposit is sent to your bank account.
Why ACH is slower than cards
With a card payment, the customer's bank approves the charge the instant the card is run. With ACH, there is no instant approval — the banking system doesn't confirm the money is actually there until the debit clears, which takes a few business days. Your deposit is released after that clearing process, which protects everyone from paying out funds that were never really available.
Business days only
ACH moves only on banking days. Payments taken on a Friday, over the weekend, or before a bank holiday will start their clearing process on the next business day, so expect those deposits later in the following week.
ACH returns: what they are and why they matter
An ACH payment can "return" days after it was submitted. Common reasons include insufficient funds, a closed or invalid account, or the account holder telling their bank the debit wasn't authorized. When a payment returns, it will not be deposited — and if the funds were already paid out, the amount is reversed from your account. You'll then need to collect from your customer directly. Note that a customer can dispute a debit as unauthorized with their bank for up to 60 days, and unlike card disputes, there is no bank-level process to contest these — which is why getting proper authorization up front matters so much.
Best practices for smooth ACH deposits
Get clear authorization — a signed agreement or checkbox authorization for every debit protects you if a customer later disputes.
Use ACH with customers you know — it shines for invoices, recurring billing, rent, and repeat customers, less so for one-time transactions with strangers.
Double-check bank details — a single wrong digit means a returned payment and a restarted clock.
Plan your cash flow around the timeline — don't count on ACH funds arriving next day; they won't, and that's by design.
If a deposit seems late
Count business days only, starting the business day after the transaction. If a payment is past the normal window, check whether it shows as returned, then contact support with your business name and the transaction date — we'll trace exactly where it is.