Authorize.Net eCheck (eCheck.Net): Funding Time, Fees and Returns

An eCheck 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. For how that works step by step and how it compares with a paper check, see what an eCheck is and how electronic checks work.

eCheck.Net is Authorize.Net's version. 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. You can also save a customer's bank details for repeat charges, and run scheduled payments through Authorize.Net Automated Recurring Billing.

One key difference from cards: the 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 customer's 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. On eCheck.Net, the code also 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 October 13, 2026, lists:

What that means on eCheck.Net 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 code also 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. For what each code requires, see ACH SEC codes and authorization rules.

Authorize.Net's pricing page, checked October 13, 2026, lists these direct eCheck.Net 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 rest of the gateway and card fees, see Authorize.Net pricing and fees. To compare eCheck and ACH costs across providers, or run your own numbers in a calculator, see eCheck and ACH fees and the cost calculator.

eCheck.Net funding takes longer than cards. Authorize.Net gives two answers, both checked October 13, 2026:

Plan your cash flow around the longer number until you see how your own deposits run. The feature page also says ACH processing "is tied to business days," so weekends and bank holidays add to the wait. Through a provider, funding times vary; ask for yours in writing. For how ACH clearing works and what speeds it up, see how long an eCheck takes to clear.

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 code that says why. Look up any code in our list of ACH return codes. On its direct pricing, Authorize.Net charges $3 per returned item and $25 for each eCheck chargeback; a 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.

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 (checked September 27, 2026) 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.

Two limits apply, both from Authorize.Net's own pages (checked October 13, 2026):

• 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.

Not sure eCheck suits your business at all? See which businesses use eChecks.

eCheck.Net is its own service on top of the gateway. On Authorize.Net's direct pricing it's a separate plan, Gateway + eCheck at $25 a month. Authorize.Net refers merchants to START, and we set up the merchant account and the Authorize.Net gateway together. Here's how adding eCheck.Net works:

1. Tell us what you sell and how customers pay. Your typical payment size, who pays you (consumers or businesses) and whether payments are one-time or recurring. We'll tell you whether eCheck fits, and what setting it up on your account involves.
2. Already on Authorize.Net through another provider? Tell us who set up your account, and we'll tell you what adding eCheck would take.
3. 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. Through a provider these vary, so ask for ours in writing.
4. Pick your SEC codes. WEB for online checkout, TEL for phone orders, PPD for signed consumer forms, CCD for business customers.
5. Set up authorization wording. Online checkbox text, a phone script or a signed form, depending on the code. Keep the records. Our ACH authorization form templates show what each one needs to cover.
6. 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. See the Authorize.Net virtual terminal and invoicing.
7. 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. 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.