How to Avoid QuickBooks ACH Fees

Are you frustrated by QuickBooks' 1% ACH fee eating into your profits? You're not alone. This guide will show you three practical ways to avoid quickbooks ach fees and keep more of your hard-earned money.

The Problem

QuickBooks Payments charges a 1% fee on every ACH bank transfer you receive. Even with the $10-15 cap that older accounts have, these fees can add up quickly for businesses processing multiple transactions. What's worse, according to users on QuickBooks forums and Reddit, new accounts have no cap at all on this fee as of March 26, 2025.

This means a business receiving a $20,000 payment would pay $200 in fees, and a $50,000 payment would cost $500 - just for accepting money through bank transfers.

Three Ways to Avoid QuickBooks ACH Fees

1. Use Your Bank's Direct ACH Transfer

The simplest approach is to bypass QuickBooks Payments entirely. You can still send invoices through QuickBooks but disable the online payment option and include your banking details for direct payment.

How it works:

• Modify your invoice template to include your bank routing and account number
• Turn off the "Pay Now" button in QuickBooks
• When clients pay via their bank, manually mark the invoice as paid in QuickBooks

This approach is discussed in detail in this Reddit thread where users share their experiences with this method.

Pros: No fees at all, keep using QuickBooks for accounting, familiar process for B2B clients
Cons: Less convenient for customers, requires manual reconciliation, potential for entry errors

2. Use Third-Party Payment Services

Several payment processors offer lower ACH fees than QuickBooks:

• Square Invoices Plus ($20/month): 1% fee with a $10 maximum cap per transaction
• Stripe ACH: 0.8% fee capped at $5 per transaction
• Helcim: Approximately 0.5% per transaction with no monthly fee

Business owners have compared these options extensively on Reddit and other forums.

Pros: Lower fees than QuickBooks, established payment platforms, professional payment experience
Cons: Still paying some fees, extra workflow steps, not directly integrated with QuickBooks

3. Consider Free ACH Payment Solutions

Some newer payment platforms, including Nickel, offer free ACH payments with QuickBooks integration. These services typically make money through other features while providing ACH transfers at no cost.

Ready to eliminate ACH fees? Explore Nickel's free ACH solution or see what businesses are saying on G2.

Comparison

Lets compare our options:

Making Your Decision

When choosing how to handle ACH payments outside of QuickBooks, consider:

1. Volume of transactions: Higher volume means more savings from avoiding fees
2. Average transaction size: Larger payments make fee savings more significant
3. Technical comfort: Some solutions require more setup than others
4. Client preferences: Some clients may prefer certain payment methods
5. Integration needs: How important is automatic syncing with your accounting software?

Conclusion: Stop Paying for ACH Transfers

QuickBooks' 1% ACH fee is an unnecessary expense that directly impacts your bottom line. Whether you choose to use direct bank transfers, a third-party processor, or a free ACH solution like Nickel, you can save thousands of dollars annually.

For most businesses processing regular ACH payments, finding an alternative to avoid Quickbooks ACH fees is well worth the effort. Take some time to evaluate which option best fits your business needs and payment volume.