ACH gives patients a simple way to pay directly from their bank account instead of using a credit or debit card. Bank payments can be used for one-time payments or automatic charges, and they cost less to process than card payments.
What Is ACH?
ACH stands for Automated Clearing House. It is the network banks use to move money directly from one bank account to another. It is commonly used for direct deposits, recurring bills, and other bank payments.
In Atlas.md, ACH lets a patient connect their bank account and save it as a payment method.
How Much Do ACH Payments Cost?
Bank payments have a lower processing rate than credit and debit card payments. Learn more about current payment processing rates.
How to Set Up ACH
To request a patient’s bank account information:
- Open the patient’s chart and go to their Billing page.
- Click the settings icon in the upper-right corner.
- Select Request bank account information.
- Atlas.md will send the patient a secure request by email or SMS.
- The patient follows the link, securely signs into their bank, selects the account they want to use, and completes the verification process.
- The patient chooses whether to allow the clinic to run automatic charges.
Once connected, the account will appear under Bank Accounts on the patient’s Billing page. From there, you can see the account holder’s name, bank name, last four digits, whether the account is eligible for auto-charge, and its verification status.
An account awaiting verification appears as Pending. Once verification is complete, its status changes to Verified.
Note: Patients can also connect a bank account themselves directly through the Patient Hub.
When a patient uses secure bank sign-in, verification happens in real time, and the account is immediately available in Atlas.md.
Patients can instead choose manual verification using microdeposits, which may take one to two business days.
If the patient does not complete manual verification within 10 days, the verification expires. Atlas.md will provide the instructions they need, so the clinic doesn’t need to coordinate the verification.
How Long Do ACH Payments Take?
Bank-account verification, payment confirmation, settlement, and payouts are separate steps.
Accounts connected through secure bank sign-in can be verified in real time. Manual microdeposit verification may take one to two business days.
After an ACH payment is submitted, the funds become available in two business days. Once the funds are available, they can be included in a payout to your clinic’s connected bank account. Payout timing may vary.
How Does Auto-Charge Work With ACH?
When connecting a bank account, the patient can choose whether to allow automatic charges.
If a patient has both a bank account and a card eligible for auto-charge, Atlas.md will try the bank account first. You can disable auto-charge for the bank account if the patient would rather use their card.
What Happens if an ACH Payment Is Disputed?
ACH disputes are final and cannot be contested. Unlike a credit-card dispute, there is no evidence-review or appeal process. Patients can dispute an ACH payment through their bank for up to 60 days after the payment.
When an ACH payment is disputed, the patient’s saved bank account is removed from Atlas.md.
If you have questions about a specific disputed payment, contact Atlas.md support.
