6 ACH Trends That Defined 2025 — And How ISOs and Merchants Can Prepare for 2026

The ACH Network had a record-breaking 2025. In Q3 alone, businesses sent 8.8 billion ACH payments totaling $23.2 trillion, driven largely by continued growth in B2B transactions as companies moved away from paper checks and wire transfers.

For merchants in commercial finance and the ISOs supporting them, this growth presents both opportunities and responsibilities. Faster payments, higher transaction volumes, and increased regulatory scrutiny mean ACH strategies that worked a few years ago may no longer suffice.

Here are seven ACH trends that defined 2025 and what they mean for ISOs and merchants heading into 2026.

1. B2B ACH Payments Continued Rapid Growth

Businesses are rapidly abandoning paper checks, which are now widely viewed as both costly and high-risk. In 2024, 63% of organizations reported attempted or successful check fraud, making checks the most targeted payment method by a wide margin.

ACH offers a more secure and cost-effective alternative to both checks and wires. It also provides predictable settlement timing, which improves cash-flow planning – particularly for high-value transactions such as equipment leases, commercial loans, and vendor payments.

What this means for 2026:

Merchants that don’t offer ACH risk losing business to competitors who do. If checks still account for a large share of your receivables, now is the time to migrate customers to ACH proactively.

2. Nacha’s New Fraud Rules Raised the Bar for Compliance

One of the most significant developments in 2025 was Nacha’s expansion of fraud monitoring requirements. With 79% of organizations experiencing payment fraud attempts in 2024 and business email compromise (BEC) scams causing nearly $2.8 billion in losses, Nacha responded with stricter expectations for ACH originators.

Under the new rules, all originators must have systems in place to detect and prevent fraud. The rollout occurs in two phases:

• Phase 1 (March 20, 2026): Applies to large originators and third parties that processed 6 million or more ACH transactions in 2023
• Phase 2 (June 19, 2026): Applies to all remaining originators and receiving banks

To comply, organizations must:

• Conduct a risk assessment that categorizes outgoing payments by risk level
• Implement processes to identify potentially unauthorized entries
• Review and update fraud monitoring procedures annually
• Use fraud detection tools to identify unusual or suspicious patterns

What this means for 2026:

These requirements turn fraud monitoring from a best practice into a required operational standard. ISOs and merchants that postpone preparation face fines or even losing access to the ACH network.

3. Bank Account Verification Became Essential

A failed ACH payment does more than interrupt cash flow. Returns generate fees, increase administrative workload, and can result in permanent losses. In 2024, only 22% of organizations recovered most of their funds after payment fraud—down from 41% the year before.

Automated bank account verification helps prevent these issues before payments are initiated. While Nacha already requires account ownership verification for first-time web debits, leading merchants now verify accounts at the start of every new payment relationship.

Modern verification checks can confirm:

• Whether an account is open and active
• Whether the account belongs to the stated individual or business
• Whether the name matches the expected recipient
• Risk indicators based on account history

Unlike outdated micro-deposit methods that take days, today’s verification tools provide results in seconds. VeriCheck offers ACH with integrated account verification, helping merchants reduce returns and mitigate fraud before funds move.

What this means for 2026:

Without automated account verification, merchants face increased fraud exposure and may struggle to meet evolving Nacha requirements.

4. ISOs Found Growth Through Industry Specialization

In 2025, the fastest-growing ISOs focused on serving specific industries rather than trying to support every business type. Different verticals come with distinct risk profiles, compliance requirements, and operational needs—and ACH is better suited to some than others.

Industries where ACH performs best typically share these characteristics:

• High transaction values: Lower ACH fees offer significant savings compared to cards
• Recurring payments: Ideal for loans, subscriptions, and invoicing
• Cost sensitivity: Businesses focused on margin efficiency prefer ACH

Top verticals for ISO growth included:

• Commercial lending and equipment finance
• B2B and professional services
• Healthcare billing
• Subscription-based businesses

What this means for 2026:

Specialization enables better underwriting, lower return rates, and stronger merchant relationships. ISOs that deeply understand their chosen verticals are better positioned to scale.

5. AI and Automation Transformed Risk Management

Advanced AI-driven tools are reshaping how ACH risk is managed across the payment lifecycle. In 2025, automation became central to improving both efficiency and security.

Key benefits include:

• Faster onboarding through automated verification
• Real-time fraud detection using pattern recognition
• More accurate risk decisions based on broader data analysis
• Lower support costs through automated workflows and guidance

What this means for 2026:

Manual reviews and reactive fraud processes are no longer sufficient. Merchants and ISOs should prioritize partners that have invested in automation to scale securely.

6. Compliance Standards Continued to Tighten

Beyond fraud monitoring, Nacha introduced additional rule changes in 2025. Beginning March 20, 2026, originators must use standardized Company Entry Descriptions for certain ACH transactions, including:

• PAYROLL: Required for ACH credits related to employee wages
• PURCHASE: Required for ACH debits related to online consumer purchases

These standards improve transparency and make suspicious transactions easier to identify.

What this means for 2026:

Merchants should review their ACH file formats with their processor to ensure compliance with the new requirements.

Your 2026 ACH Action Plan

The trends from 2025 point to a clear direction: ACH adoption is accelerating, fraud risks are rising, and compliance expectations are becoming more stringent.

For Merchants:

• Transition more customers from checks to ACH
• Implement automated bank account verification
• Review fraud monitoring processes ahead of the March 2026 deadline

For ISOs:

• Focus on one or two verticals and build deep expertise
• Partner with processors that support compliance and risk management

How VeriCheck Can Help

VeriCheck provides ACH payment processing designed specifically for commercial finance merchants and the ISOs who serve them. Our platform combines automated account verification, advanced fraud monitoring, to help you reduce risk, stay compliant, and move money with confidence.

If you’re preparing for the changes ahead in 2026, our team is ready to help you build an ACH strategy that’s compliant, scalable, and built for your business.

Ready to learn more? Contact our team to get started.