OFFICE: Stripe ACH Payments
Set up and manage ACH bank transfers through Stripe in Unificus for cost-effective client payments.
What is ACH?
ACH (Automated Clearing House) enables direct bank-to-bank transfers within the United States. This payment method typically costs less than credit card processing, making it an attractive option for businesses seeking to reduce transaction fees.
Instead of sharing credit card details, your clients provide their bank account information. You can leverage our Stored Payment Information feature, which allows clients to authorize your business to process payments from their accounts.
Learn more about Stored Payment Information
IMPORTANT: ACH transfers only work between U.S.-based banks. Your business must be located in the U.S. and use USD as your transaction currency to enable this feature.
How do I set up ACH Payments?
Stripe is the current provider for ACH functionality in Unificus. If you already use Stripe for credit card payments, you can reuse your existing API credentials.
Stripe ACH operates as a separate Payment Gateway from standard Stripe. Even if you accept Stripe credit cards, you must configure this gateway independently to offer ACH payments.
Begin by verifying your Stripe account is ready to use.
Learn more about Payment Gateways
Once prepared, connect your gateway to Unificus. Go to Office > Gateways.
Select the Configure button next to Stripe ACH.
Enter your Publishable Key and Secret Key from Stripe. Find these credentials under Developers > API keys in your Stripe Dashboard.
You may use the same keys from your existing Stripe Gateway setup.
After configuring your gateway, you can select ACH Payments when creating Invoices and store banking details for future transactions. See the sections below for additional details.
With a Plaid account, you can enable instant verification and skip microdeposit confirmation. Continue reading for more information.
How do I enable instant authentication via Plaid?
A Plaid integration streamlines bank account linking through Stripe. Your customers can authenticate by logging into their bank’s website—no need to manually type routing or account numbers. Verification typically completes instantly.
Connect your Stripe and Plaid accounts via Unificus. Open Team Settings at the top, then choose Integrations.
Click Connect next to Stripe and follow the provided documentation.
You’ll need a Plaid paid plan. After creating your account, access your dashboard and tap Migrate to Production.
https://dashboard.plaid.com/overview/production
Approval typically takes several business days. Once confirmed, you can link your Plaid account to Unificus.
When prompted “Which products do you plan to use?”, select Auth.
In your Plaid dashboard, go to Team Settings, then Keys.
Copy your client_id value and paste it into the Client ID field in the Stripe ACH configuration.
Below in the Secrets area, copy the Production field value and use it for the Secret field in your Stripe ACH setup.
IMPORTANT: Until your account receives final approval, only Development and Sandbox keys display. These cannot connect Plaid to Unificus.
In Unificus, turn Enable instant authentication via Plaid to the ON position.
Fill in your Plaid Client ID and Secret Key values.
Don’t forget to customize!
Personalize the Plaid interface—background color, text, and more—through your Plaid account. Open Customize at the top of your dashboard, and adjustment options appear on the left.
How do I use the Stored Payment Information feature with ACH?
Stored Payment Information lets your contacts securely save bank details with a third-party processor. You can ask them to enter the data themselves, or as a Super Admin or Admin, you can input it on their behalf.
Since ACH requires initial bank setup, request or manually add payment details before attempting any transactions.
Learn more about Stored Payment Information
Go to CRM > Contacts.
To request your client provide banking details, click the Options menu (three dots) next to their name and pick Request Payment Info.
Choose Stripe ACH under Choose Gateway and continue.
To manually add information, click Options beside the client and select Add Payment Info.
Choose Bank Account and proceed through the steps.
How do I accept ACH Payments from my Clients?
IMPORTANT: Collecting payment information from clients in advance is strongly encouraged. Clients cannot pay invoices until their setup completes, which may take up to two business days.
Learn more about Requesting Payment Information
When building an Invoice or similar item (Invoice Generator, Recurring Generator, Accumulating Generator), pick Stripe ACH from available gateways.
Navigate to Office > Invoices and click +Add Invoice.
In the Payment Settings area, find the Available Gateway(s) field.
If you set Stripe ACH as your Preferred Gateway, it automatically loads.
Otherwise, click the field and select Stripe ACH from the menu. You can also offer multiple gateways.
What does the Client See?
When paying an invoice, clients choose between an already-saved bank account or entering a new one.
If adding a new bank account (required if none is on file), a dialog box opens for entering bank details.
They then enter the two small test deposits that arrive in their account. This typically takes up to two business days.
After confirming the amounts, the test deposits reverse, and the account is ready to use for payments.