ACH letter templates
Write an ACH letter to customers, vendors, clients or employees, with the matching form as page 2. No signup. This site does not upload what you type.
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Letter, US Letter, 2 pages - scroll for page 2Pay by ACH: a simpler way to pay us
Dear Customer,
You can now pay our company by ACH, a transfer straight from your checking or savings account. There is no check to write or mail and no card number to give out.
It takes one form. You fill in and sign the enclosed authorization once. After that, we collect each payment from your bank account on the date it is due. You can cancel by telling us in writing. The form says how much notice we need.
To start, please complete the enclosed form and return it to us. If you have any questions, contact us.
Thank you for your business.
Sincerely,
Enclosed: ACH Payment Authorization
ACH Payment Authorization
Use this form to let ____________________ collect payment from your bank account by ACH. Fill in each section, sign, and return the form to us.
Account holder
Bank account
Please attach a voided check, or a bank letter that shows the routing and account numbers.
Payment
Authorization
I authorize ____________________ to collect the payment or payments described under "Payment" above from the bank account named on this form by ACH debit (an electronic withdrawal). If I chose recurring payments, they will be collected on the schedule shown above until the end date, or until I cancel if no end date is given. If a recurring payment will be for a different amount than the one before it, ____________________ will send me written notice of the amount and date at least 10 calendar days before that payment. If a payment date falls on a weekend or bank holiday, the payment will be collected on the next business day. ____________________ may also credit the account to correct a payment collected in error.
To cancel this authorization, I must tell ____________________ in writing, at least 3 business days before the next scheduled payment.
I confirm that I own this bank account or am authorized to sign for it, and that the details on this form are correct. If this is a business account, the account holder agrees to be bound by the Nacha Operating Rules for these payments. ____________________ will give me a copy of this authorization to keep.
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How to use the ACH letter templates
- Choose the letter. A request to customers, vendors, a client or your employees, a notice that a payment amount or date is changing, or a letter about payments taken from your own account. The wording and the form on page 2 change to match.
- Add your business details so the letter carries your name, logo and contact details. A letter about your own account asks for your name and address instead.
- Fill in the letter details. Add the person’s name, your name and title, and a date to return the form by if you want one. For a change notice, add the new amount and the date of the first changed payment.
- Edit the wording. The suggested text is a starting point. Change anything.
- Download a PDF to print or email, or a Word file to edit further.
Which letter to use
| You want to | Letter | Form on page 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Collect payments from customers by ACH | Ask customers to pay by ACH | ACH authorization form |
| Pay your suppliers by ACH instead of checks | Ask vendors to accept ACH payments | Vendor ACH form |
| Be paid by a client by bank transfer | Ask a client to pay you by ACH | ACH information form |
| Pay your staff by direct deposit | Tell employees about direct deposit | Direct deposit form |
| Change the amount of a recurring payment | Payment amount change notice | None |
| Change the date of a recurring payment | Payment date change notice | None |
| Stop a company taking payments from your account | Tell a company to stop taking payments | None |
| Tell your bank that the company no longer has your permission | Tell your bank you took back your permission | None |
| Stop a payment before it is taken | Give your bank a stop payment order | None |
| Report a payment you did not allow | Tell your bank about a payment you did not allow | None |
If a company is taking money from your account
The last four letters are from you, not from a business. Use them when a company takes payments from your own bank account and you want that to stop. Each one is based on the sample letter the CFPB publishes.
- Write to the company. Say that you take back your permission. The CFPB suggests that you call as well.
- Write to your bank or credit union. Say that the company no longer has your permission. Send this after the letter to the company.
- Give your bank a stop payment order if you want the bank to stop a payment. To stop the next payment, your bank must get the order at least 3 business days before the payment date. Banks often charge a fee for a stop payment order.
- Tell your bank about a payment you did not allow, if one was already taken.
Keep a copy of each letter. A letter records your request. Your bank may ask you to use its own form. Your name, address, bank and payment details are never saved on this device, and the builder asks only for the last four digits of your account number. The deadlines and your rights are in how to stop an unauthorized ACH withdrawal.
What a good ACH request letter covers
- What is changing. One sentence: you now pay, or accept payment, by ACH.
- What the reader gains. No check to write, mail or deposit.
- What they need to do. Complete and sign the enclosed form and send it back.
- A date, if you need the form by a certain day.
- How their details are protected. For vendors and clients, say you will confirm bank details by phone.
- How to reach you with questions.
A letter does not replace the form. To take money from a customer’s account, you still need their signed authorization.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Sending the letter with no form. The reader then has to ask for one. Keep page 2. This applies to the four request letters. The two change notices and the four letters about your own account need no form.
- Asking for bank details by email. Ask for the signed form to be returned by mail, in person, or through a secure upload, and confirm the details by phone.
- Requiring employees to use one bank. Federal rules do not let an employer require direct deposit at a particular bank. Let employees choose.
- Promising a speed you cannot control. Avoid “instant” or “same day” unless your bank has confirmed it.
Questions and answers
What should a letter asking customers to pay by ACH say?
Keep it short. Say that you now accept ACH, what the customer gains (no check to write or mail), what they need to do (fill in and sign the enclosed authorization form), that they can cancel and how, and how to reach you. The sample ACH letter to customers on this page covers each point, and you can edit every word.
What goes in a sample letter to vendors for ACH payments?
Tell the vendor you are moving from checks to ACH, ask them to complete the enclosed enrollment form, explain that you will send a payment notice by email, and say that you will confirm their bank details by phone before the first payment. That last step protects both of you from fraud.
What is a bank letter for ACH?
A bank letter is a letter from your own bank, on its letterhead, that confirms the name on your account, the routing number and the account number. Payers often accept it instead of a voided check. Only your bank can issue it, so ask your branch or look in online banking for an "account verification letter". This page makes letters from you, not from your bank.
Can I put my own letterhead on the letter?
Yes. Add your logo, business name, address and contact details in the "Your business" section and they appear at the top of the letter and the form. You can also download the Word file and paste the text onto your own letterhead.
Do I have to include the form as page 2?
No. Untick the page 2 box under the letter wording to download the letter alone. Sending the two together saves a step, because the person can fill in the form and return it straight away. The two change notices and the four letters about your own account are sent on their own, with no form.
How much notice must I give before changing a recurring ACH payment?
For a consumer's account, send written notice of the new amount and date at least 10 calendar days before the payment. For a change of date, Nacha rules ask for at least 7 calendar days. A date that moves only because of a weekend or holiday does not count as a change. The two change notice letters on this page show the last day to send each one.
Can I make a letter to stop a company taking payments from my bank account?
Yes. Under "If money is being taken from your account" there are four letters. One tells the company that you take back your permission. One tells your bank that you did. One is a stop payment order for your bank. One tells your bank about a payment you did not allow. Each is based on the sample letter the CFPB publishes, and you can edit every word. To stop the next payment, your bank must get the order at least 3 business days before the payment date. The letter records your request, and your bank may ask you to use its own form. The steps are in how to stop an unauthorized ACH withdrawal.
Sources
- Watch out for common scams (call a known number to double-check), Nacha
- Meaningful Modernization (standards for authorizations), Nacha
- 12 CFR 1005.10, Preauthorized transfers (Regulation E), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
- How ACH works (notice of changes to recurring debits), Nacha
- How do I stop automatic payments from my bank account? (with four sample letters), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
General information, not legal or financial advice. Rules change and banks set their own requirements. Check with your bank before you act. ACH Forms is not affiliated with Nacha.