ACH
ACH (Automated Clearing House) is the United States’ batch payment network for moving money between bank accounts. Payments are collected into files and settled in scheduled windows — same-day or next-day — which makes ACH the cheapest US rail and the default for payroll, vendor payments, and recurring debits. The network is governed by Nacha and processes tens of billions of payments a year.
By Raj Lad, Founder & CTOLast updated July 2026
ACH supports both credits (pushing funds, like payroll) and debits (pulling funds, like subscription billing). Its trade-offs are timing and revocability: transfers settle in windows rather than instantly, and debits can be returned days later — which is why operating teams pair ACH with faster, final rails for urgent or high-value payments.
On Infinite, ACH is one of three USD rails behind a single API, alongside Fedwire and RTP. You can specify the rail per payment, or let the platform pick the right one for each payment’s size and urgency.
Frequently asked questions
How long does an ACH transfer take?
Most ACH transfers land in one to three business days. The network itself settles in scheduled windows — same-day for eligible payments submitted before daily cutoffs, otherwise next-day — and the receiving bank’s posting time accounts for the rest. Nothing moves on weekends or holidays. Same Day ACH
Can an ACH payment be reversed?
ACH has return mechanisms — a debit can come back days after settlement. That revocability is why operating teams pair ACH with final rails like Fedwire or RTP for urgent or high-value payments. USD Payments
What is the difference between ACH and a wire transfer?
ACH batches payments into settlement windows at low cost, and a debit can be returned after settlement. A wire settles individually, same-day, and finally, at a higher per-payment fee — which is why high-value, time-critical transfers go by wire. Wire transfer
See how it works on the network.
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