Same-day payments drive ACH growth

The value of ACH payments charted double-digit growth during the second quarter of 2026, compared to the same period of 2025. This was driven by a nearly 30 percent jump in same-day payments and a nearly 10 percent increase in business-to-business payments, according to Nacha, the Reston, Va.-based, organization that oversees the ACH network. Person-to-person payments also charted double-digit gains compared to the second quarter of 2025.

In all, the ACH carried 9.3 billion payments during the second quarter valued at $25.9 trillion. That represented an increase of 6.2 percent in number of transactions and an 11.1 percent increase in the value of payments crossing the network compared to the second quarter of 2025. Same-day ACH payments totaled 435.7 million, up 29.5 percent over 2025, while the value of those payments climbed 28.1 percent to total $1.3 trillion.

For the first half of 2026, the ACH network handled 18.2 billion payments worth nearly $50 trillion, representing a 5.5 percent increase in number and 10.2 percent increase in value of payments carried over the network. There were 838.7 million same-day ACH payments valued at almost $2.4 trillion – totals that represented respective increases of 26.6 percent and 27 percent over the first half of 2025.

"The phenomenal growth of same-day ACH demonstrates its value as a safe, fast payment method for consumers, businesses and other organizations," said Jane Larimer, Nacha president and CEO. Larimer added that in 2027 the dollar limit for same-day ACH payments will increase to $10 million, from its current cap of $1 million, "further strengthening same-day ACH's position in the market as a compelling faster payment method."

B2B, internet payments growing, too

B2B payments were up 9.9 percent in the second quarter compared to the same three months of 2025. In all, businesses sent 2.2 billion payments to other businesses using the ACH in the second quarter, Nacha reported. That brought the B2B payment total to 4.3 billion for the first half of the year, an increase of 10.3 percent over the same period in 2025.

Internet payments by consumers topped the 3 billion mark for the first time in the second quarter, Nacha said. The total number of internet payments was up 7.6 percent while the value of those transactions rose 16 percent, Nacha said.

Consumer-initiated person-to-person payments rose 21 percent to total 136.6 million for the quarter; the value of those payments rose 35.6 percent over to the same quarter last year. Direct deposit, the legacy ACH application recorded a 7.2 percent increase in number of payments and a 3.6 percent increase in value, Nacha said.

Notice to readers: These are archived articles. Contact information, links and other details may be out of date. We regret any inconvenience.