eCheck vs ACH: what's the difference?
Updated · 6 min read · By the Brijee team in Honolulu
Short answer: ACH is the network US banks use to move money between accounts. An eCheck is one kind of ACH payment — a debit your customer authorizes online or by phone by entering their routing and account number. Every eCheck is an ACH payment, but not every ACH payment is an eCheck: payroll direct deposit, bill pay and bank-to-bank transfers run on ACH too.
How an eCheck works
- Your customer enters their bank routing number and account number on your checkout page and agrees to the payment.
- Your processor sends a debit for that amount into the ACH network.
- The customer's bank takes the money from their account.
- The money settles and is deposited to your business account, usually within a few business days.
Nothing is printed and nothing is mailed. The name is left over from paper checks, which carry the same two numbers along the bottom.
eCheck vs card: the trade-off
| Card | eCheck (ACH) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost on Brijee | 2.8% + 25¢ | 1%, never more than $5 |
| On a $2,000 payment | $56.25 | $5.00 |
| Approval | Instant | Accepted right away, confirmed only when the money settles |
| What the customer needs | A card | Their routing and account number |
Because the fee is capped, the bigger the payment, the more an eCheck saves. Above $500 the $5 cap takes over, so a $500 payment and a $5,000 payment cost the same.
Timing: why “accepted” is not “paid”
A card payment is approved or declined on the spot. An eCheck is accepted on the spot, but the customer's bank only confirms it once the money actually moves — if the account is short, the payment comes back a few days later. So an eCheck has three states on Brijee: Processing after the customer pays, Cleared once the deposit is confirmed, and Returned if the bank sends it back. If you ship goods or hand over something valuable, wait for Cleared.
Returns: the one rule to know
A bank can send an ACH debit back. How long it has depends on why:
- Not enough money in the account — returned within two banking days of settlement. You find out quickly.
- The customer says they never authorized it — for a personal account, the bank can return it for up to 60 days. This is the bank-payment version of a chargeback.
The best protection is a clear authorization: show the amount and your business name before the customer confirms, make sure the name on their bank statement is one they will recognize, and keep a record of every payment.
A rule that changed in 2026
Since March 20, 2026, Nacha — the organization that writes the ACH rules — requires online debits to consumer accounts for the purchase of goods to carry the word PURCHASEas the description on the customer's bank statement. It is meant to make these payments easy to recognize and harder to fake. Your processor sets this field; it is not something you type in.
When to offer eChecks
- Large one-time payments — deposits, tuition, equipment, event bookings.
- Invoices to other businesses, where paying from a bank account is normal.
- Customers without a card, or who would rather not use one.
Keep cards for small payments and anything that needs an instant answer. Offering both lets the customer choose, and you pay less on the big ones.
Taking eChecks with Brijee
Tick the box for bank payments when you apply. Once bank payments are set up for your account, an eCheck option appears next to the card form on your payment links and checkout. It costs 1% with a $5 cap. For how card fees compare, see credit card processing fees, explained.