ACH Gains Ground in B2B Payments, Leaving Checks Behind

Emily Jones · 2026-09-22

### ACH Gains Ground in B2B Payments, Leaving Checks Behind It might feel like new B2B payment methods pop up every other week. But here's the thing: ACH is the only payment rail that's been growing steadily for the past decade. According to the Cleveland Fed, the number of B2B payments made via ACH more than doubled, from 3.6 billion in 2015 to 8.7 billion in 2024. And since 2020, it's been the most-used B2B payment method. Meanwhile, other payment methods like wire transfers, credit cards, and debit cards have stayed pretty flat. Checks? They're the exception. Nearly all of ACH's growth has come as checks have declined. ### Taking Share from Checks Back in 2015, checks were the most widely used B2B payment method, with 4.6 billion payments. Fast forward to 2024, and that number had fallen to 2.7 billion. Checks' share of total B2B payments dropped from 32% to 13%. But here's a surprising stat: nearly 90% of businesses still used checks in 2025. "The slow move towards ACH away from checks is about cost, automation, and reducing risk," said Ben Danner, Senior Analyst of Debit at Javelin Strategy & Research. "If you think about paper checks, there is a huge risk with mishandling, counterfeit, and alterations just to name a few things. When you add up all the costs associated with paper checks, ACH is just a better modality and also gives businesses the option of speed with same day ACH. Businesses have slowly followed consumer trends in moving towards digital payments in general." ACH also has a cost advantage. The median fee for sending or receiving an ACH payment is 25 to 50 cents per transaction. Checks, by comparison, carry a median fee of $1 for sending organizations and just under $1 for receiving organizations. ### Middle of the Pack ACH and checks tend to be used for mid-sized B2B payments. In 2024, the average ACH transaction was $8,084, compared with $5,577 for checks. Wires were used for significantly larger payments, averaging nearly $3.2 million per transaction. Credit and debit card transactions, meanwhile, averaged $275 and $119, respectively. As ACH has gained ground and checks have declined, the other major payment methods have seen relatively little change. Credit cards and wire payments accounted for nearly 30% and 2% of B2B payments, respectively, with both shares remaining largely unchanged over the decade. Debit cards saw somewhat more movement, increasing from 13% to 17%. ### What This Means for Your Business If you're still cutting checks, you're not alone. But the data is clear: ACH is cheaper, faster, and safer. Plus, with same-day ACH options, you can move money quickly when it matters. So next time you're about to write a check, ask yourself: is there a better way? The numbers say yes. > "When you add up all the costs associated with paper checks, ACH is just a better modality." — Ben Danner, Senior Analyst of Debit at Javelin Strategy & Research ### Key Takeaways - ACH payments more than doubled from 2015 to 2024, reaching 8.7 billion transactions. - Checks have declined significantly, from 4.6 billion to 2.7 billion transactions. - ACH offers lower costs: median fee of 25-50 cents vs. $1 for checks. - ACH is ideal for mid-sized payments, averaging $8,084 per transaction. - Nearly 90% of businesses still use checks, but the trend is shifting. Making the switch to ACH isn't just about saving a few cents—it's about modernizing your payment processes for the long haul.