ach vs card
ACH vs Card Fees: Where the Break-Even Lives
At what ticket size does ACH actually beat card, and where do the trade-offs (settlement timing, returns) matter most?
$45+
Stripe ACH beats card above
$5 cap
Stripe ACH fee ceiling
4 GBP cap
GoCardless Standard cap
1-3 days
ACH settlement vs T+2 card
Headline answer
On Stripe, ACH costs 0.8% capped at $5 vs 2.9% + 30c on card. The break-even is around $45 ticket: above that, ACH is materially cheaper. On GoCardless UK Standard, Bacs Direct Debit costs 1% + 20p capped at 4 GBP. The cap dominates for any ticket above 50 GBP. Trade-off: ACH takes 1-3 business days to settle and ~0.5-1% of transactions get returned (NSF, account closed, no authorisation).
Per-vendor ACH fees
| Vendor | ACH / bank rail rate | Cap |
|---|---|---|
| Stripe | 0.8% | $5 |
| Braintree | 0.75% | $5 |
| Braintree same-day ACH | 1.5% + 10c | No cap |
| Helcim ACH | 0.5% + 25c | $6 |
| Authorize.Net eCheck | 0.75% + 10c | No cap |
| GoCardless UK Standard | 1% + 20p | 4 GBP |
| Mollie SEPA Direct Debit | 0.35 EUR flat | n/a |
Worked break-even examples
(illustrative example, not a real company)
$30 ticket
Stripe card 2.9% + 30c
$1.17
Stripe ACH 0.8%
$0.24
ACH saves
$0.93
$500 ticket
Stripe card 2.9% + 30c
$14.80
Stripe ACH 0.8% (capped $5)
$4.00
ACH saves
$10.80
$5,000 ticket
Stripe card 2.9% + 30c
$145.30
Stripe ACH (capped)
$5.00
ACH saves
$140.30
Trade-offs
| Feature | Card | ACH |
|---|---|---|
| Instant authorisation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sub-1% fee on high tickets | ✗ | ✓ |
| Chargeback risk | ✓ | ◐ |
| Return risk (NSF, closed account) | ✗ | ✓ |
| T+1 to T+2 settlement | ✓ | ✗ |
| Strong for B2B invoicing | ◐ | ✓ |
When card beats ACH
- Average ticket below the break-even (around $45 on Stripe).
- Customer experience demands instant authorisation (digital goods, paid signup flows).
- Customer-saved card on file is friction-free; ACH mandate setup is more steps.
- Return rate concerns; ACH returns can be 0.5%-1% of transactions, vs card auth failures around 5%-10% with retry-recovery available.
Related
verified Last verified June 2026