How to Sign Up for a foreUP ACH Account

Overview

This article provides step-by-step instructions for signing up for a foreUP ACH account with Dwolla, our ACH provider.

PLEASE NOTE: There is a 1% processing fee for all ACH transactions

Preconditions

The following conditions must be met before starting on the instructional steps below: 

• You must have the Billing module as part of your contract

Steps

Follow the steps below to sign up for a foreUP ACH Account to give your customers the option to pay their billing dues with their bank account:

1. Log in to your foreUP account, click on the module dropdown in the top left, and select Billing
2. Click Actions in the top-right and select foreUP ACH
3. 
4. Review the terms and conditions and agree to continue
5. Fill out the contact information. The top section is business owner information. The bottom section is Controller information. Only enter “Doing Business As” information if you have supporting documentation.
6.  
   1. If there are any other beneficiaries, they must be included in this step. If not, continue by clicking “Certify Ownership”
   2. 
7. Business ownership documentation needs to be added and uploaded via file images (Not pictured) 
8. You will now add the bank account you wish to receive the ACH funds through micro-deposit verification
   1. Micro Deposit Verification - You will submit your bank account and routing number*. Micro deposits will show in your bank account within one to two business days. Once you see the micro-deposit amounts, go into the Billing Module > Actions > foreUP ACH, and enter in the amounts to verify the bank. If you cannot verify the micro-deposit amounts yourself, please contact foreUP Support for assistance.

PLEASE NOTE:  You will not be able to process any ACH transactions in foreUP until your facility's bank account has been verified.

*Note - foreUP does not hold your bank information. This process is verified by our ACH provider, Dwolla  

Now that you are set up with foreUP ACH, your customers/members can now set up their personal ACH accounts as payment types in their online customer portal for member billing (see this support article: How to Add and Verify a Facility's Customer's Bank Account for Autopay). 

 

FAQ

Q: When can I expect to see those funds hit my facility's bank account once a customer's bank account has been charged? 

A: The funds will deposit into your bank account the next business day. Please note that each bank account transaction will hit your bank account as a separate deposit rather than getting lumped into one deposit. For example:  two customer's bank accounts are charged today, one in the amount of $500 and another in the amount of $1,000. (the 1% ACH processing fee will be deducted before the funds hit your bank account). You would not see a lump net deposit of $1,485 hit your bank account the next business day but would see two separate deposits, $495 and $990, hit your bank account the next business day.

Q: How long does it take for an ACH transaction to settle fully? 

A: Seven business days. foreUP is pre-funding all of your facility's ACH transactions by offering next-day ACH deposits for all bank account transactions. If the transaction does not fully settle for whatever reason in those seven business days (e.g.: the customer has insufficient funds, the customer put a stop to the transaction, etc.), foreUP will immediately withdraw those funds from your facility's bank account and reverse the sales transaction in your foreUP reports.

You can find a report of all ACH transactions and their statuses by going to Billing > Actions > foreUP ACH Transactions. This report will list all ACH transactions, the status, and how much was deposited into your bank account after removing the 1% ACH fee.

Q: My customer's bank accounts on file are failing. Why?

A: The most likely reason is that you, the course, have yet to verify your bank account. Go Billing > Actions > foreUP ACH to see if you have verified your bank account. Until your bank account is verified, you cannot process any transactions using your customer's bank accounts.

The other reason might be that the individual customer has yet to verify their bank account through the online customer/booking portal (see this support article: How to Add and Verify a Facility's Customer's Bank Account for Autopay).

Q: Can I verify my customer's bank accounts if they give me their micro-deposit amounts?

A: No. For security purposes, your customers will need to log into the online customer/booking portal and verify their bank accounts themselves.

Q: Can I use my customer's saved bank account as a normal payment method for day-to-day transactions?

A: No, a customer's bank account can only be used to pay off an outstanding open invoice balance and cannot be used daily like a normal saved credit card can.

Q: Can my employees see a customer's bank account information? 

A: The only information an employee could see in the customer profile is the bank's name. All other bank account information is not visible, as seen in the example below:

Q: Can I add my customer's bank account on file?

A: Yes, you will need the routing and bank account number from your customer (see this support article: How to Add and Verify a Facility's Customer's Bank Account for Autopay).

Q: Can I charge my customers a convenience fee when they do pay their outstanding balance with their bank account?

A: Yes, however, we HIGHLY recommend you research your local city and state laws to ensure charging a convenience fee on ACH transactions is legal.

To turn on this fee, go to Settings > Billing > check the box "Enable ACH convenience fee" > Fill in the "ACH convenience fee" field with your desired fee percentage > click "Save Changes" in the top right.

Q: Can I use my customer's bank account as the preferred payment method for autopay?

A: Yes, you will need to open the customer profile and go to the Billing Tab. Under the "Account Autopay" box, you will want to check the box "Account Autopay Enabled" and choose the bank account from the Primary Autopay Method dropdown. For more information, see this article: Setting up a Customer to Autopay.

For additional assistance or questions, please contact our Support Team at [e-mail] or [phone]