Allowing guests to pay using their bank account can sae a considerable amount on processing fees. However, the process of getting approced to accept ACH Direct Debits (Stripe) or eChecks (Authorize.net) does require some effort, time and preparation as both Authorize.net and Stripe will have to underwrite / approve your account before being allowd to accept ACH Direct Debit or eChecks as a payment method.
Step #1: Authorize.net / Stripe.com Acceptance.
For most gateways, there is a separate fee structure and terms that must be agreed to before you can begin accepting eChecks / direct debit.
The documentation for Authorize.net document is located here: http://www.authorize.net/files/echecknetuserguide.pdf
To get started with Stripe ACH Direct Debit, click here:
Please note that Stripe will ask for a link to your privacy policy, as well as a square logo at least 200px x200px.
Enable ACH Direct Debit within your Stripe account:
If this message is displayed, click "Turn on anyway" to continue.
Confirm your bank account:
Review Stripe fees and settlement timing:
Step #2: Lodgix
Once you are all setup to accept eChecks at your payment gateway, go to Settings > Account Settings > Payment Gateway Setup within Lodgix.
Click the Accepted Payment Types tab and click on the box to begin offering eChecks / ACH Direct Debit as a payment method. ONLY THE PRIMARY LODGIX USER CAN ENABLE THIS OPTION.
Guest Booking Experience - Authorize.net
Once eCheck is set as a payment method (and setup at your payment gateway), the guest will be able to choose to pay via eCheck.
The interfaces are slightly different depending on your payment gateway. For authorize.net, it's a simple matter of entering the guest bank account details:
Once the date is entered, a payment profile will be created at the gateway and a "Process and Record Payment" button will become visible both within the invoice and within the Payments Tab within the guest control panel.
Guest Booking Experience - Stripe.com
Once ACH Direct Debit is set as a payment method (and setup at your payment gateway), the guest will be able to choose to pay via "eCheck / ACH Direct Debit" when making a booking.
Processing an eCheck / ACH Direct Debit Payment
Once a guest has made an online booking and linked their bank account to the Lodgix reservation, a payment still needs to be MANUALLY PROCESSED to confirm the reservation.
NOTE AS OF MARCH 8, 2023, ACTIVE CODING IS UNDERWAY TO AUTOMATE THE PROCESSING OF BOTH CREDIT CARD AND ACH DEBIT TRANSACTIONS. However for now this is a manual process.
Just as you would process a credit card, click on the "Process Payment" button either within the invoice or within the Transactions area of the Guest Control Panel. This screen will be presented:
Enter the amount to process (or click the Amount to Confirm / Balance buttons to have the amount auto-filled for you.
The amount will be sent for processing and noted on the invoice as "Payment Received".
Note: Actual processing times for an ACH Debit may take up to 5 days for the funds to be verified and deposited into your account.
The 9 Day Rule
Note that eChecks are only available for reservations that start at least 9 days in the future, as eChecks take at least 7 days to clear.
What Happens When an eCheck / ACH Direct Debit Payment Fails?
While the overwhelming amount of direct debt ach transactions will fulfill without issue, on occasion some will fail due to insufficient funds, etc.. When that happens an error window will display in the application alerting you to the failed transaction:
And an entry will be made in the failed transactions report.
Resolving the payment issue is your responsibility.