ACH US Direct Debit

Learn how to enable the ACH US Direct Debit donations option and discover its benefits in reducing donation fees and supporting larger gifts to U.S.-based organizations.

Organizations within the United States can implement ACH US Direct Debit as a donation option to enable supporters to give using their bank details.

ACH is a popular choice for larger donations due to its lower fees of 0.8% per donation, capped at 5 USD, compared to Stripe’s standard fee for card and wallet payments, which is 2.9% plus 0.30 USD per donation.

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Prerequisites

To enable ACH US Direct Debit in Givetly, you first need to enable it in Stripe. This requires accessing your organization’s Stripe account using an account with either the Administrator or Developer role.

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Enabling ACH

Activating ACH US Direct Debit for your supporters is a simple three-part process. First, enable ACH in your Stripe account. Next, disable emails from Stripe. Finally, enable ACH in your Givetly Dashboard.

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Step 1: Enable ACH from Stripe

1. Log in to Stripe.
2. Click the gear icon in the top-right corner and select Settings.
3. In the Payments section, choose Payment methods.
4. Find the ACH US Direct Debit option and select Turn on.
5. When prompted, select Turn on anyway.
6. Reenter your password if necessary and confirm.
7. If you see a Confirm financial data access alert, confirm it.
8. Ensure Tokenized account and routing number is selected, and save.
9. You may be redirected to the Settlement timing page, which requires no further actions.

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Step 2: Disable emails from Stripe

1. Go to your Stripe dashboard.
2. Select Settings.
3. Locate Business settings and, under Your business, click Emails.
4. In the Customer emails section, toggle Debit emails off.

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Step 3: Enable ACH from Givetly

1. Sign in to your Givetly account and access Settings.
2. In the left-hand menu, select Payment methods.
3. Choose ACH US Direct Debit from the list.
4. Click Enable.

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Verifying Supporter Bank Accounts

Once ACH is enabled, choose from three verification methods for supporter donations:

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Online Banking Verification

Donors can instantly verify payments by logging into their online banking. Automatically enabled in the Dashboard under Allow donors to donate by logging into online banking.

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Manual Verification

Donors enter their account and routing numbers during donation. Stripe will send microdeposits or a confirmation code for the donor to verify. Automatically activated on ACH setup in the Dashboard.

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Automatic Verification

Automatically confirm valid bank accounts during checkout. If account numbers match an existing bank account, payments are instantly verified. Risks exist as ownership isn’t verified.

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Verification Fees

Stripe charges a verification fee in addition to the 0.8% transaction fee (max 5 USD). This cost applies to new bank account transactions during Automatic Verification.

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Disputes

Supporters can dispute ACH donations via their bank within 60 days for personal accounts or 2 business days for business accounts.

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Refunds and Cancellations

• ACH donations can be refunded within 180 days.
• Refunds may take a minimum of 3 business days.
• Only donations requiring manual verification (pre-verified) can be canceled.