As a property owner, collecting rent payments is a vital part of your business. Traditional rent collection methods, such as collecting checks or money orders from tenants, can be time-consuming and labor-intensive. Fortunately, there’s a faster and more efficient alternative: Automated Clearing House (ACH) payments.

What is ACH? 

ACH stands for “Automated Clearing House,” which is a network of banks and financial institutions that facilitates transactions between banks. Simply put, ACH is how electronic bank-to-bank transfers are processed.

Benefits of ACH

ACH is the ideal option for property owners who want to save time and money while managing rental payments in a secure and reliable way. Some of the benefits that ACH offers include:

1. Cost-effectiveness: One of the major benefits of ACH is that it is significantly less expensive than traditional payment methods. The cost of processing an ACH payment on average is up to 7 times less than processing a paper-based check.
2. Efficiency: ACH payments provide a timely and efficient way of transferring funds between banks. Transactions are processed quickly, usually within one-to-two business days. This means that landlords and property managers can get timely rental payments and tenants can easily pay their rent on time.
3. Security: Paper checks can be risky since they can be lost, stolen, or altered. When tenants use ACH payments, which are electronic transfers, the transactions are less prone to errors, theft, or forgery. This ensures that both tenants and landlords feel secure in their transactions.
4. Convenience: ACH allows tenants to make rent payments from the convenience of their own homes or offices. By connecting to online platforms like STRATAFOLIO, tenants can easily make one-time payments, set up recurring payments, or modify existing payments, providing a flexible and convenient payment platform.
5. Compliance: ACH transfers are regulated by an exclusive set of rules and regulations that provide the framework for the ACH system. By complying with these rules and regulations, property owners can manage tenant rent payments and avoid potential legal issues.

Checks vs. ACH

While checks have been a standard form of payment for decades, they come with their own set of issues. 

1. Checks have a slow nature of the process.
2. Mailing a check can take several days and checks can get lost in the mail.
3. Bank closures during holidays or weekends further delay the processing of checks.
4. Banks may not process checks after hours, causing additional delays.
5. Approval from internal employees may be required before cutting checks or increasing limits.
6. The approval process can be time-consuming, and the unavailability of employees can further delay payments.

ACH payments are faster and more efficient than checks. They can be processed in just a few business days and don’t have the same limitations that checks do. By switching to ACH, you can save time and eliminate the hassle that comes with payment by check.

Regular ACH vs. Expedited ACH

STRATAFOLIO now allows Expedited ACH for both autopay and one-time payments, which gets you paid faster! Regular ACH vs Expedited ACH refer to the time it takes for these ACH payments to process.

Processing times for ACH payments vary, but regular processing can take 4-7 days, while expedited processing takes 2-3 days (holidays and weekends may affect this). However, if your bank doesn’t support Expedited ACH, your payments will be processed as Regular ACH.

Standard ACH vs. Premium ACH

Standard ACH vs Premium ACH refer to the amount of money that users can submit payments for. To use ACH payments with STRATAFOLIO, property owners need to have Premium ACH set up in your STRATAFOLIO account. The information required may vary depending on your account type:

• For Standard and Premium Personal accounts, you need to provide your First Name, Last Name, Email Address, and Account Type.
• Sole Proprietorship accounts require the aforementioned information, plus additional information like industry classification and business EIN.
• Corporation, LLC, and Partnership accounts required the aforementioned information, plus information about the Account Admin and Controller.

STRATAFOLIO offers both Standard ($50,000 or less) and Premium (up to $100,000) ACH options for your tenants. A convenience fee of 0.05% with a $1.50 minimum per transaction is applied, which can be enabled to be paid by your tenants within STRATAFOLIO. Tenants can also elect to set up autopay, ensuring rent is automatically paid on the same day each month.

ACH Payments with STRATAFOLIO

STRATAFOLIO’s ACH integration is easy and efficient for property owners. It’s important to note that participating banks and financial institutions may have their own policies regarding ACH, so it’s important to check with your bank to determine your ability to use this feature. By implementing ACH payments through STRATAFOLIO, you can streamline your rent collection process, saving time, money, and effort. Schedule a 1:1 demo today to learn how you can take advantage of STRATAFOLIO’s ACH integration!

For instructions on enabling ACH integration in STRATAFOLIO, check out the following links:

Owner Payment Integration (ACH) in STRATAFOLIO

Tenant Payment Integration (ACH) in STRATAFOLIO