ACH Debit, Credit Transactions Hit 5.7B In Q1

NACHA, the Electronic Payments Association, announced news on Monday (April 30) that ACH debit and credit transactions totaled nearly 5.7 billion in the first quarter of 2018.

In a press release, NACHA said the 5.7 billion in ACH debit and credit transactions marked a 5.9 percent increase over last year’s first quarter. The group said the strong uptick in transactions during the first quarter demonstrates the widespread use of ACH payments as well as the increased use of Same Day ACH transactions.

“The ACH Network is a vital component of the U.S. economy,” said NACHA Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel Jane Larimer in the press release. “The robust growth demonstrates that the ACH Network provides substantial value to consumers, businesses and financial institutions that need to make payments.”

According to NACHA, about 3.3 billion debit and 2.4 billion credit transactions were made in the first quarter of this year. During the same period, Direct Deposit for payroll and other consumer credits accounted for the largest number of transactions, coming in at 1.7 billion, which is a 4.3 percent increase.

Additionally, NACHA said 1.4 billion internet transactions were made, representing a 14.2 percent increase, while business-to-business transactions totaled 848 million, up 7.6 percent. Person-to-person transactions stood at 28.7 million during the first three months of the year. NACHA said Same Day ACH transactions also saw strong growth during the first quarter, with 42.6 million Same Day ACH payments, representing a 220 percent increase from the first quarter of 2017. Same Day ACH credits have been available since September 2016, and Same Day ACH debits went live in September 2017, NACHA noted.

“A growing number of ACH users are enjoying the benefits of Same Day ACH,” Larimer said. “NACHA is seeking to further enhance Same Day ACH capabilities by extending access later in the day, providing faster funds availability and raising the dollar limit for Same Day ACH transactions.”