Ultra Web Hosting now accepts direct bank payments by ACH e-check, alongside credit and debit cards and PayPal. You can pay an invoice or set up automatic renewals straight from a US checking or savings account, with no card required. This guide covers how to add a bank account, what you will need, how long payments take to clear, and how ACH billing behaves on renewals.
You can now pay directly from a US bank account by ACH e-check. Log in to your client area, go to Billing > Payment Methods, add your bank account with its routing and account number, and use it to pay invoices or renew automatically. There is no extra fee to pay this way, and it works for both one-time payments and recurring hosting renewals.
01. What ACH E-Check Payment Is
ACH stands for Automated Clearing House, the network US banks use to move money electronically between accounts. An ACH e-check is the online equivalent of writing a paper check: instead of a card, you authorize us to pull the amount directly from your bank account using your routing and account number.
This is a good option if you would rather not put a card on file, if a card keeps expiring or getting reissued, or if you simply prefer paying from your bank. It sits alongside the payment methods we already support:
- Credit and debit cards - Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover
- PayPal - linked account or PayPal balance
- Bank account (ACH e-check) - direct payment from a US checking or savings account
ACH runs on the US banking network, so this method works with US-based checking and savings accounts. If your bank is outside the United States, use a card or PayPal instead.
02. What You Will Need
Have these details ready before you start. They are all printed on a paper check and are available in your online banking under account or routing information:
- Account type - personal or business, checking or savings
- Routing number - the 9-digit number that identifies your bank (the first group of numbers on the bottom of a check)
- Account number - your individual account number at that bank (the second group of numbers on a check)
Some banks print a different routing number for wire transfers than for ACH or direct deposit. Use the ACH or electronic routing number, which is the one shown on your checks and on the direct-deposit page of your online banking. Entering the wire routing number is the most common reason a bank payment is rejected.
03. Adding a Bank Account
You can add a bank account in two places, depending on what you are doing.
From the Payment Methods page
- Log in to your client area.
- Open the Billing menu and choose Payment Methods.
- Click Add New Bank Account.
- Choose the account type, then enter your routing number and account number.
- Save. The account is stored securely and is ready to use on your next invoice.
During checkout or when paying an invoice
When you check out for a new order, add funds, or pay an open invoice, choose Bank Account (ACH) as the payment method and enter your bank details on the secure payment screen. If you tell us to save the account, it is stored for future invoices too, so you only enter it once.
Adding the account from Billing > Payment Methods before your next invoice is due is the smoothest path. The account is then already on file and can be charged automatically, so a renewal never lapses while you enter details.
04. How Long Bank Payments Take to Clear
This is the one real difference between paying by bank and paying by card, so it is worth understanding.
Card payments authorize instantly. An ACH e-check does not. When you submit a bank payment it is accepted right away but marked as pending, and it settles through the banking network over the next few business days. During that window the payment is on its way but not yet final.
What this means for you in practice:
- Your service is not delayed. Your invoice is recorded as paid when you submit the payment, so your account provisions or renews normally while the transfer clears.
- Pay a day or two early when you can. Because ACH takes a few business days to settle, submitting close to a due date is fine, but leaving a little margin avoids any edge cases around weekends and bank holidays.
- You will not see it clear instantly in your bank. The debit typically posts to your bank account within a few business days, not the same day.
05. Automatic Renewals from Your Bank
A saved bank account works for automatic billing exactly like a saved card. Once the account is on file and set as your default payment method, we charge it automatically when a hosting invoice comes due, so your service renews without any action from you.
To use your bank for automatic renewals, add it under Billing > Payment Methods and make sure it is set as the default. You can switch your default back to a card or over to PayPal at any time from the same page.
You can update or remove a saved bank account whenever you like from Billing > Payment Methods. If you close the bank account or switch banks, remove the old one and add the new details before your next renewal so a payment is not attempted against a closed account.
06. If a Bank Payment Is Returned
Because an ACH e-check settles over a few days rather than instantly, a payment can occasionally be returned after it was first accepted. The usual reasons are insufficient funds, a closed or frozen account, or a wrong routing or account number.
If that happens:
- The invoice is re-opened as unpaid and we email you so you know the payment did not go through.
- Your account is not immediately suspended for a single returned payment. Simply pay the invoice again, either by correcting the bank details or using a card or PayPal.
- If a bank payment is returned, double-check your routing and account numbers and that you used the ACH routing number, then re-enter the account before trying again.
Your bank can tell you the exact return reason (for example, a returned-item or NSF notice). If the details all look correct and it keeps failing, open a support ticket and we will help you sort it out.
07. Is It Safe?
Yes. Bank payments are handled by the same secure billing system as our card payments, through Intuit QuickBooks Payments, a PCI-DSS compliant payment processor.
- Our client area uses SSL/TLS encryption, so your bank details are encrypted in transit.
- Your account details are stored as a secure token with the payment processor. Your full bank account number is not kept on our servers.
- ACH debits are only initiated for invoices you owe on your own account. You stay in control and can remove the saved account at any time.
For more on how we protect payment information generally, see the payment security section of our Pre-Sale FAQ.
Ready to Pay by Bank?
Add your bank account in a couple of minutes and pay your next invoice with no card required.
Go to Payment MethodsQuick Recap: Paying by Bank Account
If you only do these things, do these:
- Gather your details - account type, ACH routing number, and account number from a check or online banking
- Add the account in the client area under Billing > Payment Methods, or choose Bank Account (ACH) at checkout
- Set it as default if you want hosting to renew automatically from your bank
- Allow a few business days for the e-check to clear, so pay with a little margin before the due date
- If a payment is returned, check the routing and account numbers and pay again, or use a card or PayPal
