Same Day ACH is the option to send ACH credits and debits that settle on the same business day they are sent. Nacha launched it for credits in 2016 and added debits in 2017. Payments settle at 1:00, 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. ET. The limit is $1 million per payment, rising to $10 million on September 17, 2027. Almost every ACH payment is eligible, except international (IAT) payments and payments over the limit. The originating bank pays the receiving bank a Same Day Entry Fee of 5.2 cents for each payment.
What is Same Day ACH?
Same Day ACH lets a bank send ACH payments that settle within hours on the same business day. Standard ACH payments settle the next banking day or the one after. Nacha says Same Day ACH reaches nearly every bank and credit union account in the US and works for both debits and credits.
A payment is treated as same-day when it carries that day's date as its effective entry date and reaches the ACH Operator by a same-day deadline. If it misses the deadline, it settles in the next available window.
What are the Same Day ACH windows?
There are three windows each business day. Nacha's rules leave the exact processing schedule to the ACH Operators. Nacha gives the settlement times, and the 2:45 p.m. and 4:45 p.m. ET deadlines for sending files. The first deadline below is the Federal Reserve's FedACH schedule.
| Window | Bank's deadline to send (ET) | Interbank settlement (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| First | 10:30 a.m. | 1:00 p.m. |
| Second | 2:45 p.m. | 5:00 p.m. |
| Third | 4:45 p.m. | 6:00 p.m. |
The third window opened on March 19, 2021. These are deadlines for banks. Your own bank or processor sets an earlier cutoff for you.
When does the receiver get the money?
For Same Day ACH credits, Nacha requires the receiving bank to make funds available:
- by 1:30 p.m. local time for the first window
- by 5:00 p.m. local time for the second window
- by the end of its processing day for the third window
What is the Same Day ACH limit?
The limit is $1 million per payment. It has risen in steps:
| Period | Limit per payment |
|---|---|
| 2016 launch | $25,000 |
| From 2020 | $100,000 |
| From 2022 | $1 million |
| From September 17, 2027 | $10 million |
The $10 million limit will apply to credits and debits, consumer and business payments, and all three windows. International ACH payments (IATs) stay ineligible. Payments over the limit settle the next day.
What does Same Day ACH cost?
Nacha's rules include a Same Day Entry Fee of 5.2 cents. The originating bank (the ODFI) pays it to the receiving bank (the RDFI) for each Same Day ACH payment, billed monthly through the ACH Operators. Returns settled same-day don't carry the fee. Banks and processors set their own prices for customers on top.
Does Same Day ACH change returns?
Returns and notifications of change can use all three windows. Nacha notes that because a Same Day ACH payment settles a day sooner, its return deadline is also one day sooner.
How big is Same Day ACH?
Nacha counted 403 million Same Day ACH payments worth $1.1 trillion in the first quarter of 2026. That was up 23.6% in number from the first quarter of 2025.
Does Same Day ACH make a processor faster?
Not by itself. A processor confirms and pays out on its own timeline. On Stripe, an ACH Direct Debit settles to your Stripe balance in up to four business days on standard settlement, or two on faster settlement for eligible US accounts.
- Nacha: Same Day ACH
- Nacha: What is ACH
- Nacha: Increasing the Same Day ACH dollar limit to $10 million
- Nacha: Expanding Same Day ACH
- Nacha: Same Day ACH, moving payments faster (Phase 1)
- Nacha: Providing faster funds availability
- Federal Reserve Financial Services: FedACH processing schedule
- Stripe: ACH Direct Debit
Every figure on this page was checked against these sources on Oct 6, 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice.