eCheck Processing with Authorize.Net: Fees, Timing and Returns

An eCheck (electronic check) is a payment pulled from a customer's bank account over the ACH network, the U.S. system banks use to move money between accounts. There's no paper. The customer gives you their bank routing number, account number and permission to take the payment, and the gateway sends the debit to their bank.

Authorize.Net's version is called eCheck.Net. Its developer guide describes it as a way for "customers with US bank accounts" to pay by ACH. It sits alongside cards in the same Authorize.Net payment gateway account, so you can take it on your website, in the virtual terminal or on an invoice.

How it compares with a paper check:

One key difference from cards: Authorize.Net's developer guide says eCheck payments "do not receive immediate authorization from the customer bank." A card sale is approved or declined in seconds. An eCheck is accepted by the gateway, but the bank can still reject it later.

Every eCheck carries a Standard Entry Class (SEC) code. It tells the banks how the customer authorized the payment and what kind of account it's drawn on. The code decides whether you can refund the payment through the gateway and whether you can charge it on a schedule. Authorize.Net's developer guide, checked September 27, 2026, lists:

What that means day to day:

• Online checkout uses WEB. You can bill it on a schedule, but you can't push a refund back through the gateway. Plan another way to return money, and say so in your refund policy.
• Phone orders use TEL. One-time only, no refunds through the gateway. Authorize.Net's support article says TEL needs an existing business relationship, or the customer must call you.
• Signed forms use PPD. Good for payment plans and memberships where the customer signs up in writing. Refunds and recurring both work.
• Business customers use CCD. For invoices paid from a business checking account. Refunds and recurring both work.

Each type has its own rules for how you capture and keep the customer's permission. Those rules come from Nacha, the body that runs the ACH network, and from Authorize.Net's eCheck guide. Keep a record of every authorization, and ask your provider or a lawyer if you're unsure which type fits.

Authorize.Net's pricing page, checked September 27, 2026, lists these direct eCheck fees:

Authorize.Net's eCheck feature page puts it as "capped at 0.75%." The pricing page's note about tiers means your rate could be lower at higher volume, so read the terms on your own account.

A quick example. On a $2,000 invoice, 0.75% is $15. Authorize.Net's own all-in-one card price, 2.9% + 30¢, would be $58.30 on the same sale. On a slow month, the $10 minimum means you pay at least $10 in eCheck fees.

Through a provider, prices vary. These are Authorize.Net's direct prices, not START's. When eCheck comes through a merchant services provider, that provider sets the rate, minimum and return fees. Ask for them in writing. For the full list of gateway and card fees, see Authorize.Net pricing and fees.

Funding takes longer than cards. Authorize.Net gives two answers. Its eCheck feature page says processing "typically takes three to five business days." Its developer guide says merchants "might wait up to seven days" to receive the funds. Plan your cash flow around the longer number until you see how your own deposits run.

A payment can come back after it's accepted. Because the customer's bank doesn't approve an eCheck up front, it can return the payment after you submit it. Common reasons include:

• Not enough money in the account
• The account is closed
• The account number or routing number is wrong
• The customer tells their bank they didn't authorize the payment

Each return comes with a standard ACH return code that says why. Authorize.Net charges $3 per returned item and lists a separate $25 fee for each eCheck chargeback; your provider's fees may differ. A customer telling their bank "I didn't authorize this" works much like a card dispute, and good authorization records are your best defense. For ways to cut disputes across all payment types, see chargeback management.

Notices of change (NOCs). Sometimes the payment goes through, but the bank sends a notice that the customer's details have changed, for example a new account number after a bank merger. Authorize.Net's developer guide says NOC codes let you "learn of changes to a customer's banking information." Update the customer's saved details before the next charge.

Don't ship too early. For high-value orders, consider waiting until the funds settle before you ship or deliver. A returned eCheck on goods already shipped is money you may not get back.

Authorize.Net's support article says that as of March 18, 2022 it "now also verifies the customer's account number in addition to the routing number" for:

• WEB payments (made on a website or online form)
• The first payment in an Automated Recurring Billing subscription

That catches typos and fake numbers before the payment goes out, which cuts returns for a bad account number. It is not a balance check. The article doesn't say it confirms the customer has enough money or that the account is open, so returns for insufficient funds or closed accounts can still happen.

eCheck isn't a card replacement for most shops. It works best where the lower fee matters and the wait doesn't:

• B2B invoices. Business customers often prefer paying from a bank account. CCD supports refunds and recurring charges, and Authorize.Net's invoices let customers pay by card or eCheck from one link. See the Authorize.Net virtual terminal and invoicing.
• High tickets. On a $5,000 sale, a percentage card fee adds up fast. At 0.75%, the direct eCheck fee is $37.50.
• Recurring bills. Memberships, tuition, rent and payment plans can run on eCheck. The customer's bank details are stored and charged on a schedule. See Authorize.Net recurring billing for how subscriptions and saved payment details work.
• High-risk businesses. A second way to pay helps when card limits are tight or card disputes run high. See our high risk payment gateway guide for how eCheck fits a high-risk setup.

It's a poorer fit when you ship right away on low-margin orders, when customers expect instant confirmation, or when many buyers are outside the U.S.

Two limits apply, both from Authorize.Net's own pages:

• Your business: the pricing page says "eCheck only available for businesses based in the U.S."
• Your customer: the developer guide says eCheck is for "customers with US bank accounts."

So a Canadian business can't add Authorize.Net eCheck, even if it uses the gateway for cards. A U.S. business can't take eCheck from a customer who banks only outside the U.S. Canadian businesses should read Authorize.Net in Canada for what the gateway does there, and ask their provider about other bank payment options.

Do you need a separate eCheck merchant account? Not always, but eCheck is its own service. On Authorize.Net's direct pricing, it comes as a separate plan: Gateway + eCheck at $25 a month. Some providers set eCheck up as its own eCheck merchant account with its own review. Others add it to your existing account. If your gateway came through a merchant services provider, the steps go through that provider:

1. Ask your provider to add eCheck. Some call it an eCheck merchant account, others an add-on. Either way, find out whether it needs its own application or review and what they need to know about your business.
2. Get the terms in writing. The rate, monthly minimum, return and chargeback fees, any limits per payment or per month, and how long funding takes.
3. Pick your SEC types. WEB for online checkout, TEL for phone orders, PPD for signed consumer forms, CCD for business customers.
4. Set up authorization wording. Online checkbox text, a phone script or a signed form, depending on the type. Keep the records.
5. Turn it on where you take payments. Your cart or website, the virtual terminal and invoices. Check that your cart's plugin supports eCheck; not all do.
6. Test with a small payment. Run one real eCheck, watch when it funds and note the timing for your cash flow plans.

We've worked with Authorize.Net for more than 20 years and set up over 60,000 Authorize.Net accounts, with the merchant account and gateway set up together. Tell us what you sell, your typical ticket and how customers pay, and we'll tell you whether eCheck makes sense for you and what applies to your account.