Setting Up an ACH Payment
There are two ways to send an ACH transfer from your bank after you’ve started your payment in E-File and have a unique Identification Number for your payment.
It’s important to note that for either of these methods we must receive all of the following information in the correct fields to accept your payment. Also, be sure to read our Tips for Success.
| Record Type | Field | Data Element Name | Definition | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 3 | 1. Company Name | Your company name | Never changes |
| 5 | 6 | 2. Standard Entry Class Code | CCD | Never changes |
| 5 | 9 | 3. Effective Entry Date | Entry Date | Changes every payment |
| 6 | 2 | 4. Transaction Code | 22 – Demand Credit | Never changes |
| 6 | 3 & 4 | 5. Receiving DFI Identification (ABA Routing #) | Listed in E-File for security purposes | Never changes |
| 6 | 5 | 6. DFI Account Number | Listed in E-File for security purposes | Never changes |
| 6 | 6 | 7. Amount | Payment Amount (must be the exact amount you put in E-File) | May change every payment |
| 6 | 7 | 8. Identification Number | ID number (E-File will generate a new number for every payment) | Changes every payment |
| 6 | 8 | 9. Receiving Company Name | USAC Payment | Never changes |
Using Your Bank’s Website
The first way to send an ACH payment is using your bank’s website. The challenge when using your bank’s interface is making sure that you’re entering the right data into the right field because the fields don’t always follow the same order as above.
You’ll need to pay special attention to where to put the unique “Identification Number” that E-File gives you for every payment. It must go in the ID field for the receiver/payee. This field is called different names in different systems. For example, in JP Morgan’s system, the field is called “Beneficiary ID Number” while in Bank of America’s CashPro system the field is called the “Vendor ID” field.
Using Your Accounting System
The second way to send an ACH payments is to enter data into your accounting system. This creates a file in the NACHA format that is transmitted to your bank.
The Identification Number must be put in the NACHA standard for “Entry Detail Record Type Code 6, Field Number 7 – Identification Number.” You may have to get your IT department to identify a specific field in your accounting system that will store the Identification Number and they may also have to update the system to include this number in the right field. If the Identification Number is in the wrong field, your ACH transfer will be rejected.
We recommend dedicating sufficient time to setup this new process as this could take more time than you think, depending on your system.
Tips for Success
- Find out now which field is the correct field for the Identification Number. This could take time if you need to work with your bank or IT department.
- You must include the unique Identification Number for your payment and put it in the correct field or the U.S. Treasury will reject your payment.
- Do not put the Identification Number in the addendum or comments.
- Your bank or your company may require more information to make a transfer, such as USAC’s Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN). We’ve posted this information in the E-File FAQs, under “Company and Banking Information.” Contact us if you need other information to process a payment.
- Your ACH payment may seem like it processed correctly at first. It can take several days before you receive a rejection notice if your file didn’t contain the required data in the required format.
- Lastly, we recommend you process small ACH payments (such as $1.00) to test this process before the next invoice deadline. All payments will be credited to your account.