How to choose a pay by bank provider in the US

Choose a pay by bank provider by who owns each layer of the payment, because the bank connection, the processing, the return risk and the payouts together decide what you pay, what you lose when a payment is returned and how fast money reaches you. US pay by bank providers follow three models, and each one owns a different set of those layers.

A provider that owns all four layers gives you one contract, one integration and one party accountable for returns. Aeropay is built this way: Aerosync links the customer's bank, Aeropay processes the payment, Aeropay Guaranteed ACH covers eligible bank-initiated returns up to the merchant's agreed coverage limit, and Aeropay sends payouts over RTP or FedNow with ACH fallback.

What should you compare when choosing a pay by bank provider?

Compare who owns each layer of the payment, because that decides your processing cost, your exposure to returns and how fast money reaches you. Most providers list similar features, so ownership is the clearer way to tell them apart.

• Bank connection. Ask whether the provider runs its own account-linking flow or resells another company's. The owner of the flow is who you call when a customer's bank connection breaks, and whose network recognizes returning customers. Our explainer on bank linking covers how it works.
• Processing and settlement. Some providers move the money. Others verify the account and hand the details to a separate processor, which means a second contract and a second set of fees.
• Return risk. An ACH payment can be returned days after the funds look final, for reasons such as insufficient funds or a closed account. Ask who carries that loss, which return types are covered, and up to what limit. Our guide to ACH returns explains why bank payments fail.
• Rails and speed. ACH settles in one to two business days, or the same day as Same Day ACH. The RTP network settles in seconds and reaches more than 74% of US demand deposit accounts through more than 1,200 participating financial institutions, according to Mastercard's 2026 case study with The Clearing House. Ask what happens to a payment when the customer's bank is in the other quarter.
• Payouts. If you pay customers back (withdrawals, refunds, seller payouts), check whether payouts run through the same integration as acceptance or need a separate build. Our post on payout speed goes deeper.

What types of pay by bank providers are there?

US pay by bank providers follow one of three models, and the model tells you which layers you are buying before you read a single feature list.

Pay by bank networks link the customer's bank and move the payment themselves. The most complete ones also cover returns and send payouts. Bank connectivity platforms started with account linking and financial data and added money movement later; some pass verified account details to a separate processor, and some process the payment too. Card processors with a bank payment method offer pay by bank next to cards, usually by pairing their processing with another company's account linking.

What does it look like when one provider owns every layer?

Aeropay is a Chicago-based pay by bank network, founded in 2017, that owns all four layers, which makes it a useful example of what the full model includes.

• Bank connection. Aerosync, Aeropay's bank-linking product, connects to more than 12,000 US banks and credit unions. Anyone who has already paid an Aeropay merchant pays again without relinking.
• Processing and risk. Aeropay Guard scores each transaction in real time for fraud and return risk before funds move. When it rejects a payment, the merchant gets a specific reason code instead of a generic decline.
• Return coverage. Aeropay Guaranteed ACH covers eligible bank-initiated returns, across 50+ return types including insufficient funds, up to the merchant's agreed coverage limit.
• Payouts. Aeropay routes payouts over RTP or FedNow first and falls back to ACH when the recipient's bank can't receive a real-time payment. Trading platform Topstep cut trader payout times from 3 days to 9 seconds with Aeropay instant payouts.

Aeropay averaged 99.96% uptime across the 39 days of the 2026 World Cup. It works alongside card processors, including Worldpay.

What should you ask a pay by bank provider in a demo?

Ask questions that force a specific answer, because the answers show which layers a provider owns.

1. Do you run your own bank linking, or use another company's?
2. Do you process the payment, or hand the account details to my processor?
3. Which return types do you cover, and up to what limit? Get the answer in writing.
4. Which payment paths sit outside your guarantee?
5. Which rail does each payment settle on, and what happens when the customer's bank can't take a real-time payment?
6. Do payouts run through the same integration as payments?

Which type of provider fits your business?

The right model follows from what you are trying to change. Three situations cover most US buyers.

If card fees are your biggest payment cost, choose a pay by bank network that owns linking, processing and return coverage. US businesses paid a record $198.25 billion in credit and debit card swipe fees in 2025, according to the National Retail Federation, and every dollar of volume moved to bank payments skips card interchange. That saving holds only if returns stay low, so the guarantee terms matter as much as the price. Our pay by bank vs. credit cards breakdown works through the fees in detail.

If you want to keep your current card processor, add pay by bank beside it. Pay by bank is a separate payment method, so a network or a connectivity platform can run next to the processor you already have.

If you are building a financial app, start from bank connectivity, because account data is the first thing your product needs.

Whichever model you choose, ask for one answer in writing before you sign: when a customer's payment is returned, who pays?

Frequently asked questions

Is pay by bank the same as ACH?

No. Pay by bank is the checkout experience: the customer picks their bank, logs in and approves the payment. ACH is one of the rails that moves the money. RTP and FedNow are the real-time rails, which settle in seconds at participating banks.

Who covers the loss when a pay by bank payment is returned?

The merchant does, unless the provider guarantees the payment. Guarantees differ by which return types they cover and up to what limit. Aeropay Guaranteed ACH, for example, covers eligible bank-initiated returns across 50+ return types, including insufficient funds, up to the merchant's agreed coverage limit.

Can I add pay by bank without replacing my card processor?

Yes. Pay by bank is a separate payment method, so it sits next to your card processor at checkout rather than replacing it. Aeropay works alongside card processors, including Worldpay.

See what pay by bank would save you

Run your card volume through our pay by bank savings calculator to see what moving it to bank payments would cut from your processing costs.

Sources

• Swipe Fees, National Retail Federation, 2025 data
• Powering the U.S. economy with real-time payments, Mastercard, 2026