B2B ACH Payments Are Growing: What the Latest 2026 Data Means for Businesses
Nacha's latest figures show B2B ACH volume climbing at close to double-digit rates—here's what's driving it, and what businesses should watch.
ACH continues to gain ground in business payments, and the latest numbers from Nacha show that the trend is holding.
The Latest Numbers
B2B ACH Volume Keeps Climbing
In the second quarter of 2026, business-to-business ACH volume increased 9.9% year over year, reaching 2.2 billion payments. During the first half of the year, B2B ACH volume reached 4.3 billion payments, up 10.3% compared with the same period in 2025.
Overall ACH activity remained strong in Q2 2026, with the ACH Network processing 9.3 billion payments totaling $25.9 trillion in value. Compared with the same period a year earlier, payment volume increased 6.2%, while total value rose 11.1%.
For businesses, those numbers reflect a broader shift toward electronic bank payments as part of day-to-day accounts receivable and payment operations.
The Trend
B2B ACH Growth Has Been Building
The second-quarter results are consistent with what we have seen over the past year. In 2025, businesses made approximately 8.1 billion B2B ACH payments, nearly 10% more than in 2024. That momentum continued into 2026, with B2B ACH volume increasing 9.4% in the first quarter.
That kind of consistent growth suggests ACH is becoming a more established part of the B2B payment mix. For many finance teams, the appeal is straightforward: ACH can be a practical option for moving larger payments electronically while avoiding some of the costs associated with card acceptance.
Why It's Growing
What Is Driving More ACH Use?
There is no single reason businesses are increasing their use of ACH. In most cases, it comes down to a combination of cost, efficiency and customer preference.
Lower payment acceptance costs
Card payments can be convenient, but processing costs become more significant as transaction values increase. For businesses that routinely accept larger B2B payments, ACH can provide a lower-cost alternative—especially relevant for companies reviewing their overall payment mix and looking for ways to control acceptance costs without limiting how customers can pay.
Fewer manual payment processes
Paper checks still create extra steps for finance teams. They have to be received, deposited, reconciled and posted, often with manual involvement along the way. ACH helps move more of that activity into an electronic workflow, which can reduce administrative work and make payment handling more efficient.
More options for customers
Businesses increasingly support multiple payment methods instead of relying on one channel. ACH gives customers another way to pay, particularly when a card is not the preferred or most economical option. For B2B transactions, where payment amounts can be substantial, that flexibility can be valuable for both the business and the customer.
Faster electronic payment activity
Same Day ACH is also growing quickly. In Q2 2026, Same Day ACH volume increased 29.5%, reaching 435.7 million payments valued at $1.3 trillion. Not every business transaction requires same-day movement, but the growth shows continued demand for faster electronic payment options across the ACH Network.
The Trade-Off
ACH Risk Still Needs to Be Managed
Although ACH can offer cost and operational advantages, businesses still need to account for return risk. Traditional ACH payments can be returned for reasons such as insufficient funds or account issues. That can create additional work for accounts receivable teams and delay access to funds.
For businesses that process large transactions, accept COD or prepayment, or routinely manage higher-value receivables, the risk of returned payments can be an important consideration when deciding how broadly to use ACH.
How UTA Addresses This
UTA's ACH with a Guarantee is designed to protect eligible ACH transactions against returned payments, NSFs and chargebacks—giving businesses another way to take advantage of ACH while reducing exposure to some of the risks that come with standard ACH processing.
The Takeaway
Reviewing the Payment Mix
The growth in B2B ACH is a useful signal for finance teams evaluating how customers are paying today and where processing costs are going. ACH does not need to replace every other payment method. In many cases, it works best as part of a broader payment strategy that gives customers options while helping the business manage cost, efficiency and risk.
With B2B ACH volume continuing to grow at close to double-digit rates in 2026, more businesses are clearly finding a place for ACH in their payment operations. For companies reviewing their own payment strategy, ACH can offer a practical way to reduce processing costs, streamline payment handling and provide a better fit for larger B2B transactions.
References
- Nacha, Large Gains in Same Day ACH Help Drive ACH Network in Second Quarter of 2026, July 30, 2026.
- Nacha, Same Day ACH and Business-to-Business Payments Propel ACH Network Volume Growth in 2025, January 29, 2026.
- Nacha, Same Day ACH Gains Lead to First Quarter ACH Network Growth, April 20, 2026.
- Nacha, Businesses Seeking Operational Efficiency Drive ACH Growth, August 6, 2026.
Is ACH the Right Fit for Your Payment Mix?
If you would like to explore how ACH—backed by a guarantee against returns, NSFs and chargebacks—could fit into your payment strategy, we'd welcome the opportunity to review your current process and compare approaches.
Vice President, Business Development
mtapia@unitedtranzactions.com | 800.858.5256 ext. 3028 | Direct: 786.264.7028
www.unitedtranzactions.com
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