ACH
Automated Clearing House (ACH) Payment Services
Easy meets convenience with ACH transactions
Transferring money via the Automated Clearing House through our Online Banking Cash Management system is a reliable, secure and inexpensive way to automate the payment process. Keeping track of regular payments and processing invoices requires time and organization. With ACH, you can conveniently ensure money is where it’s supposed to be, when it’s supposed to be there. Our business customers take advantage of our ACH payment services for many reasons including:
- Distributing payroll deposits
- Accepting recurring payments, such as rent
- Sending and receiving vendor payments
- Collecting insurance premiums
There are many benefits to choosing Century Bank’s ACH feature including:
- Increased cash flow
- Saved time and costs associated with printed checks
- Simplified account reconciliation
- Reduced occurrences of check fraud
Wire transfers vs. ACH transactions: Which is best for you?
Organizations of all sizes have been able to benefit from the convenience ACH offers. Town and municipalities, insurance agencies, property management companies and organizations that initiate payroll or vendor payments are ideal candidates for ACH. While both ACH and Wire Transfers are used to move funds, there are differences between the two payment services. Here is a quick breakdown:
| Wire Transfers | ACH Transactions |
|---|---|
|
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Getting started with ACH transactions
With ACH, you are in charge. Not only is it easy to make an ACH transaction, but you control when and where money is going. You’ll need a completed ACH Agreement Form on file with us to perform ACH transactions.
An ACH file can be initiated in three ways through Online Banking:
- Enter information manually
- Upload a NACHA formatted file
- Import a .csv or fixed formatted file
Not sure which approach is best for you? Contact your banker for guidance.
Make sure you have a valid bank account number and routing number for any people or businesses you want to send or receive funds from.
ACH transactions can be performed:
- Weekly
- Bi-weekly
- Monthly
- Semi-monthly
- Quarterly
- Annually
- Semi-annually
FAQs
A: You need the bank routing number and account number for any individual or business you want to initiate an ACH transaction for.
A: ACH files can be initiated up to 30 days in advance.
A: Recurring ACH transactions scheduled for non-business days will be sent on the next business day.
A: Yes, there is an option for same-day ACH transactions. These payments must be initiated by specific deadlines and there are restrictions on the types of payments eligible for same-day settlement. Contact us for details.
A: Customers receive notification about incoming returns via an email notification alerting them to any returns posting to their account(s).
A: Yes, there are fees for ACH transactions. Please email us for more information.
