The Top 5 Reasons to Use E-checks

Business professionals and their clients want an easy, more streamlined means to make and receive payments. E-checks, or the Automated Clearing House (ACH), allow payments to be processed via the internet and offer a multitude of benefits.

1. Save money. No more wire transfer or credit card processing fees. E-checks are transferred directly from the consumer's account to the merchant's. Money, time and other valuable resources are no longer spent on processing payments. Since the entire transaction, from invoice to payment to receipt, is handled digitally, with a lower payment processing fee, merchants stand to reduce their bottom line.

2. No more time wasted on bank trips. Deposits are made with only a few simple clicks of the mouse and merchants have the luxury of saving valuable time to handle more important business matters. Wasted time and gas is a thing of the past.

3. Customer convenience. It is easy for customers to access their invoices and pay using e-checks. The hassle and concern over checks lost in the mail can be eliminated, and customers no longer have to spend time and money printing and mailing checks. Plus, because customers can access their account 24/7, "just-in-time" payments are made possible. Customers gain a feeling of security knowing the possibility of human error is eliminated, as the payment never passes through strangers' hands.

4. It's green. Using e-checks is a completely green method of banking. By switching to electronic banking, the average household could save approximately 6.6 pounds of paper a year. Not only are e-check users conserving paper resources, but they are also protecting the environment with less drives to the bank.

5. Get paid faster. Paying with a paper check involves writing it, putting it in the mail, receiving it and taking a trip to the bank. This outdated process means businesses often have to wait weeks before the funds are available. E-check services such as CheckAlt.com can allow merchants to be paid within minutes from invoicing and have access to funds in as little as 48 hours.