When accepting ACH payments, it's important to follow NACHA guidelines to protect your business. First, what is NACHA? National Automated Clearinghouse Association (NACHA) is a non-profit that works closely with the Federal Reserve, the U.S. Treasury and state banking agency. They manage the ACH network to ensure fast, safe payments and deposits for all U.S. bank and credit union accounts, as well as providing guidelines to ensure the safety of sensitive customer information!
It is the responsibility of each merchant to know these rules and remain compliant, even if using a third party processor!
NACHA Requirements
- Ensure secure transmission and storage of sensitive data
- Any time sensitive customer information is sent, received, or stored, it must be done through use of encryption. Using an unencrypted medium is prohibited by NACHA! When using FusionPay to process ACH transactions, this requirement is covered by their encryption!
- If your business collects hard copies regarding sensitive customer data (such as receipts or hard copies of agreements with banking information present), these will need to be kept behind lock and key. These should only be accessible to employees for legitimate business purposes!
- NACHA requires that each business takes reasonable steps to ensure that their customers' routing numbers are valid. By using FusionPay, this will be done automatically by checking the routing number against a database of valid possibilities!
- When accepting an ACH payment, it is the responsibility of the accepting party to make reasonably sure a customer is who they say they are and is coming from a valid source. There are many options to achieve this! Among those are:
- Check the individual's Drivers License number
- Use a third party verification source
- Deposit test amounts to the customer's bank account
- Be vigilant about detecting possible fraud! It will be your responsibility to do what is "Commercially Reasonable" to make sure the ACH payments being accepted are not fraudulent.
- Outline a clear security policy! If you are already PCI Compliant, then you can easily extend those security policies to include ACH payments, but be sure to include how you validate customer identity via web and phone transactions!
Payment Authorization Templates
As part of NACHA's governing of ACH transactions, they require very specific types of authorizations to be obtained by businesses collecting ACH payments:
- PPD: (Business to Consumer) Written authorization between your business and the customer, verifying approval of the debit for the agreed upon amount and date.
- CCD: (Business to Business) Written authorization signed by your customer (another business), verifying ongoing permission to debit their business bank account. This is known as an overriding agreement and is generally included in your business contract.
- TEL: (Business to Consumer) Verbal authorization between your business and the customer, confirmed over the phone, verifying approval of the debit for the agreed upon amount and date.
- WEB: (Business to Consumer) Electronic authorization made via a web payment form, verifying approval of the debit for the agreed upon amount and date.
Included below are a few payment authorization templates created using Service Fusion's eSign Document functionality! Please copy the included Source Code to copy the document shown for each option. These are not required to use and can be changed once included in your system if preferred.
Navigate to My Office > Custom Documents within your Service Fusion account and choose to create a new Job Document. Make sure the toggle is set to "Yes" for eSign Document at the top of the page!
Please click the above image to enlarge
There will be a blank document on the page. To properly include the Source Code, select the source code option from the icons bar! Here is where you will paste the copied codes below by using keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl + V).
Please click the above image to enlarge
Please review the Sending eSign Document Requests from Estimates and Jobs Knowledge Base Article to ensure your eSign documents are properly sent.
One Time Payment Authorization Template:
This template can be used for a one time credit card or ACH payment!
Source Code for the One Time Payment Template:
<div style="text-align: center;">
<table class="table-none" style="height: 17px; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 17px;">
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: center; height: 17px;">{Company:CompanyLogo}<br />{Company:Street1} {Company:Street2}<br />{Company:City}, {Company:StateProv} {Company:PostalCode}</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br /><br />
<table class="table-none" style="width: 100%;">
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<td style="width: 100%;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;" align="center"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One Time Payment Authorization Form</span></strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; background-color: transparent;"> </span></span></p>
<div style="mso-element: para-border-div; border: none; border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;">Sign and complete this form to authorize {Company:Name}</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;"> to make a one time debit to your bank account or credit card. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; background-color: transparent;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;">By signing this form, you give us permission to debit your credit card or account for the amount indicated on or after the indicated date. This is permission for a single transaction only, and does not provide authorization for any additional unrelated debits or credits to your account.</span></p>
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<br />
<table class="table-none" style="width: 100%;">
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<td style="width: 100%; text-align: left;">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;">Please complete the information below:</span></strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;"> <br /></span></strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;">I </span><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;">{Signature[role=Customer&type=SignedBy]}</span></u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;"> authorize {Company:Name}</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;"> to charge my credit card or </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;">account provided to <span style="text-decoration: underline;">{Company:Name}</span> for </span><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;"> {Job:Total} </span></u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;"> on or after </span><!-- [if supportFields]><u><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-bidi-font-family:
Arial;color:black'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>FORMTEXT <span style='mso-element:field-separator'></span></span></u><![endif]--><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;">_{Job:DateStart}_</span></u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;">.</span></span></p>
</td>
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</tbody>
</table>
<br /><br />
<table class="table-none" style="width: 100%;">
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<td style="width: 50%;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">SIGNATURE <u> {Signature[role=Customer]} </u></span></td>
<td style="width: 50%;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">DATE <u> {CurrentDate} </u></span></td>
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<table class="table-none" style="width: 100%;">
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<td style="width: 100%;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">For ACH debits to my checking/savings account, I understand that because these are electronic transactions, these funds may be withdrawn from my account as soon as the above noted periodic transaction dates. In the case of an ACH Transaction being rejected for Non Sufficient Funds (NSF) I understand that {Company:Name} may at its discretion attempt to process the charge again within 30 days, and agree to an additional <span style="color: red;"><insert $></span> charge for each attempt returned NSF which will be initiated as a separate transaction from the authorized recurring payment. I acknowledge that the origination of ACH transactions to my account must comply with the provisions of U.S. law. I certify that I am an authorized user of this credit card/bank account and will not dispute this transaction with my bank or credit card company; so long as the transaction corresponds to the terms indicated in this authorization form. </span></p>
</td>
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</tbody>
</table>
</div>
Recurring Payment Authorization Template:
This template can be used with our Recurring Invoice add-on to facilitate the Auto-Bill feature!
Source code for Recurring Payment Template:
<table class="table-none" style="height: 17px; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 17px;">
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: center; height: 17px;">{Company:CompanyLogo}<br />{Company:Street1} {Company:Street2}<br />{Company:City}, {Company:StateProv} {Company:PostalCode}</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br style="text-align: center;" /><br style="text-align: center;" />
<table class="table-none" style="width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;" align="center"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Recurring Payment Authorization Form</span></strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; background-color: transparent;"> </span></span></p>
<div style="mso-element: para-border-div; border: none; border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none; margin: 12.0pt -9.0pt .0001pt 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;">Schedule your payment to be automatically deducted from your bank account or charged to your credit card. Just complete and sign this form to get started!<br /><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;">Recurring Payments Will Make Your Life Easier:</span></strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.25in; mso-pagination: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><!-- [if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; color: black;">·<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;">It’s convenient (saving you time and postage)</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.25in; mso-pagination: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><!-- [if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; color: black;">·<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;">Your payment is always on time (even if you’re out of town), eliminating late charges</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;"> </span></strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;">Here’s How Recurring Payments Work:</span></strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;">You authorize regularly scheduled charges to your checking/savings account or credit card. You will be charged the amount indicated below each billing period. A receipt for each payment will be emailed to you and the charge will appear on your bank statement as an “ACH Debit.” You agree that no prior notification will be provided unless the date or amount changes, in which case you will receive notice from us at least 10 days prior to the payment being collected.</span></p>
</div>
</td>
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</table>
<br style="text-align: center;" />
<table class="table-none" style="width: 100%;">
<tbody>
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<td style="width: 100%; text-align: left;">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;">Please complete the information below:</span></strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;"> <br /></span></strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;">I </span><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;">{Signature[role=Customer&type=SignedBy]}</span></u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;"> authorize {Company:Name}</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;"> to charge my credit card or </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;">account provided to <span style="text-decoration: underline;">{Company:Name}</span> for a recurring payment beginning on <span style="text-decoration: underline;">{Invoice:Date}</span> for the amount of <span style="text-decoration: underline;">{Invoice:Total}</span> relating to Job <span style="text-decoration: underline;">#{Job:Number}</span>.</span></span></p>
</td>
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</tbody>
</table>
<br style="text-align: center;" /><br style="text-align: center;" />
<table class="table-none" style="width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 50%;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">SIGNATURE <u> {Signature[role=Customer]} </u></span></td>
<td style="width: 50%;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">DATE <u> {CurrentDate} </u></span></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table class="table-none" style="width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I understand that this authorization will remain in effect until I cancel it in writing, and I agree to notify {Company:Name} in writing of any changes in my account information or termination of this authorization at least 15 days prior to the next billing date. If the above noted payment dates fall on a weekend or holiday, I understand that the payments may be executed on the next business day. For ACH debits to my checking/savings account, I understand that because these are electronic transactions, these funds may be withdrawn from my account as soon as the above noted periodic transaction dates. In the case of an ACH Transaction being rejected for Non Sufficient Funds (NSF) I understand that {Company:Name} may at its discretion attempt to process the charge again within 30 days, and agree to an additional <span style="color: red;"><insert $></span> charge for each attempt returned NSF which will be initiated as a separate transaction from the authorized recurring payment. I acknowledge that the origination of ACH transactions to my account must comply with the provisions of U.S. law. I certify that I am an authorized user of this credit card/bank account and will not dispute these scheduled transactions with my bank or credit card company; so long as the transactions correspond to the terms indicated in this authorization form. </span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
ACH Authorization for CCD Transactions Template:
This template can be used for CCD ACH transactions!
Source code for CCD ACH Transactions:
<table class="table-none" style="height: 17px; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 17px;">
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: center; height: 17px;">{Company:CompanyLogo}<br />{Company:Street1} {Company:Street2}<br />{Company:City}, {Company:StateProv} {Company:PostalCode}</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br style="text-align: center;" /><br style="text-align: center;" />
<table class="table-none" style="width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;" align="center"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Agreement: ACH Authorization for CCD Transactions</span></strong><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; background-color: transparent;"> </span></span></p>
<div style="mso-element: para-border-div; border: none; border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -9.0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;">This <strong>Agreement</strong> governs ACH transactions initiated by {Company:Name}</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;"> to credit or charge {Customer:Name}. Both parties agree to be bound by NACHA Operating Rules as they pertain to all ACH transactions initiated by {Customer:Name}</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;"> that credit or debit the bank account for {Customer:Name}, and acknowledge that the origination of ACH transactions to the listed account must comply with provisions of U.S. law.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;">This <strong>Agreement</strong> provides authorization for individual or recurring CCD transactions to be initiated by {Customer:Name}</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;"> when individually authorized using the methods designated below. This <strong>Agreement </strong>will remain in effect until <strong>Company</strong> cancels it in writing. Both parties agree that this<strong> Agreement</strong> in conjunction with any of the designated methods constitutes authorization to debit <strong>Company’s</strong> business bank account, and<strong> Company</strong> agrees not to dispute any debits with its bank provided the transaction(s) correspond to the terms indicated in this <strong>Agreement. </strong></span></span></p>
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</tbody>
</table>
<br style="text-align: center;" />
<table class="table-none" style="width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; text-align: left;">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;">Please complete the information below:</span></strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;"> <br /></span></strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;">I </span><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;">{Signature[role=Customer&type=SignedBy]}</span></u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;"> authorize {Company:Name}</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black;">to initiate ACH Debits and Credits from the provided bank account, provided each transaction is initiated according to the terms of this Agreement.</span></p>
</td>
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</tbody>
</table>
<br style="text-align: center;" /><br style="text-align: center;" />
<table class="table table-bordered" style="width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 50%;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">SIGNATURE <u> {Signature[role=Customer]} <br /><br /></u>NAME<u>____________{Signature[role=Customer&type=SignedBy]}____________</u><u><br /></u></span></td>
<td style="width: 50%;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">DATE <u> {CurrentDate} </u></span></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table class="table-none" style="width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -9.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I certify that I am an authorized representative of the Company indicated above and that I have the authority to enter into this Agreement on the Company’s behalf. Company understands that this authorization will remain in effect until it is canceled in writing, and agrees to notify {Company:Name} in writing at least 15 days in advance of any changes in its account information or termination of this authorization. Company understands that because these are electronic transactions, these funds may be withdrawn from its account as soon as the date an individual transaction is authorized, and that it will have limited time to report and dispute errors. In the case of an ACH Transaction being rejected for Non Sufficient Funds (NSF) Company understand that {Company:Name} may at its discretion attempt to process the charge again within 30 days, and agrees to an additional <span style="color: red;"><insert $></span> charge for each attempt returned NSF which will be initiated as a separate transaction from the authorized payment. Company has certified that the above business bank account is enabled for ACH transactions, and agrees to reimburse {Company:Name} for all penalties and fees incurred as a result of Company’s bank rejecting ACH debits or credits as a result of the account not being properly configured for ACH transactions. Company acknowledges that the origination of ACH transactions to its account must comply with the provisions of U.S. law. </span></p>
</td>
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</tbody>
</table>
Using the Standard Document:
In the event that you do not have Custom Documents and eSign Documents, do not fear! You can add verbiage to your Standard Documents for your customers to acknowledge by gathering a signature in the Post-Work Signature field.
- Add the verbiage to your Customer Message fields in My Office > Company Preferences.
Please click the above image to enlarge
- Add the verbiage to your Pre and/or Post-Work Signature fields.
Please click the above image to enlarge
Once the verbiage has been added to one, or both, of these options, navigate to My Office > Company Preferences and make sure the option to "Include Pre & Post-work Signature boxes on Invoices" is set to Yes. This will enable signatures collected in the Pre and Post-work signature fields to appear on the Invoice PDF!
To collect a signature from a customer, the Field Worker will select the "Sign" option when viewing the job:
The customer will then sign on the device. The verbiage used in the Pre and Post-work signature fields in Company Preferences will be visible here:
When completed and the PDF is printed, downloaded, or emailed, it will include the signatures as well as the Customer Message!
Taking Payment Over the Phone:
It's important to keep NACHA in mind when taking any payment, including payments via phone call. Using ServiceCall.ai can make this easy! By using Call Scripts, any agent can efficiently and safely take payment! Always be sure to let the caller know that a call is being recorded and then state the transaction particulars.
Call Script Template:
I want to confirm that today {insert current date} you are authorizing {insert your company name} to initiate a one‐time ACH debit from your bank account for {amount} on {date}. If you have any questions about this debit you can reach us at {insert your business phone number}. Please say “I agree” to authorize this transaction.