How to accept ACH donations for your nonprofit
A step-by-step look at how to accept ACH donations through Stripe: why bank transfers cost less than cards on large gifts, how settlement timing works, and how to pair ACH with recurring giving for major and monthly donors.
Last updated July 2026 by Fatih
Quick answer
To accept ACH donations, use a payment processor that supports US bank debits, such as Stripe, and turn on bank payments on your donation form. Donors link or enter their bank account instead of a card. ACH gifts take a few business days to settle but cost far less than cards on large gifts, which makes them useful for major gifts and monthly donors.
Key takeaways
- At Stripe's standard 2.9% + $0.30 card rate, a $1,000 card gift costs $29.30 to process.
- Offer ACH next to cards and let the donor choose.
- ACH gifts get the same tax receipt as card gifts.
Who this is for: Organizations that receive large gifts where card fees take a noticeable bite; Development teams building a monthly giving program; Finance staff who want lower, predictable processing costs on pledges
ACH (Automated Clearing House) donations move money straight from a donor's checking or savings account to your organization, without a card network in between. For a fundraising team that matters most on large and recurring gifts, because Stripe caps its ACH Direct Debit fee at $5 per payment: on a $5,000 gift that is $5 of processing instead of the $145.30 a card would cost at Stripe's standard online rate.
The trade-off is time. A card gift is confirmed in seconds; an ACH debit takes up to four business days to confirm on Stripe, or about two with faster settlement. That does not matter for a monthly pledge or a planned major gift, and the savings repeat every month the gift continues.
On Givebear, donors can choose bank transfer when they set up a recurring gift on your giving page, once Stripe has activated ACH on your account. Staff can also charge a bank account already saved on a donor's record for a one-time gift, which suits a major donor who prefers not to use a card.
How do ACH donations actually work?
The donor links a bank account, either instantly by signing in to their bank or by entering routing and account numbers that Stripe verifies with small test deposits, and agrees to the debit. Stripe then pulls the funds over the ACH network.
Because the transfer clears over several business days, the gift is recorded when the payment succeeds rather than at the moment the donor clicks give. If the debit fails, for example because of insufficient funds, no gift is recorded.
When should you choose ACH over a card?
Bank transfer makes sense where the amount is large or the gift repeats: monthly pledges, capital campaign installments, and planned major gifts. Waiting a few days for the money is no problem there, and the fee cap makes the saving larger as the gift grows.
Cards and wallets remain the right choice for in-the-moment giving: a tap on the kiosk at an event, or a quick gift on the website, where the donor expects immediate confirmation.
Pairing ACH with recurring giving
Monthly giving is where ACH earns its keep. The donor links the account once, the gift renews each month without anyone re-entering details, and the lower processing cost applies every month for as long as the gift continues.
Bank accounts also do not expire the way cards do, which removes one common reason a monthly gift stops. Recurring ACH gifts on Givebear follow the same fund and donor records as card gifts, so a restricted pledge stays in its fund.
Practical use cases
- A monthly donor chooses bank transfer when setting up the gift, and every month costs less to process than a card would.
- A capital campaign pledge is paid by monthly bank debit into the restricted building fund.
- A major donor's annual gift is charged by staff to the bank account saved on their record.
Key features
- Bank transfer (ACH) offered on recurring gifts once Stripe activates it
- Staff charges to a bank account saved on a donor's record
- Stripe's ACH fee capped at $5 per payment
- Instant bank linking or routing and account numbers, verified by Stripe
- Receipts sent when the payment succeeds
- Gifts recorded against the right fund and donor
Common questions
How long do ACH donations take to settle?
Is ACH cheaper than accepting cards?
Can donors set up recurring ACH gifts?
Can donors give a one-time gift by ACH online?
Do ACH donations still get a tax receipt?
More in Guides
See it with your own funds.
Book a 30-minute walkthrough. No slides and no hard sell: we set Givebear up around how your organization already gives.
- Your funds, set up the way your treasurer reports them
- Where a kiosk would go, and what it costs
- The reports your board will actually see
Rather set it up yourself? Start free
Loading available times
Or open the booking page