Guide
What is ACH
ACH is how money moves inside the US, and the reason a US account lets you receive dollars like a local. Here is what it is, how it works, and why it matters if you get paid from the US.
ACH is how money moves inside the US
ACH (Automated Clearing House) is the network that moves money between US bank accounts. With a US account that supports ACH, you can receive and send dollars much like a local resident or business. It is the everyday rail behind salaries, bills and bank transfers, and it is usually cheap or free.
A payment system built for everyday money movement
ACH was created in the early 1970s to replace paper checks with electronic transfers. Today it powers payroll, direct deposits, bill payments, tax refunds and bank-to-bank transfers. Most Americans use ACH every month without ever thinking about it, so this is not a niche fintech rail, it is the default way money moves in the US.
How big ACH actually is
Tens of billions of ACH payments are processed every year, moving trillions of dollars across the network. Payroll deposits, Social Security payments and tax refunds all rely heavily on ACH. When you understand how widely it is used, it is easy to trust it as core financial infrastructure rather than something experimental.
How an ACH payment works
An ACH transfer moves through a few simple steps:
- Initiate: an employer or customer starts the payment.
- Instruct: their bank sends the instructions to the ACH network.
- Batch: the network processes payments in scheduled batches.
- Credit: the receiving bank credits your account.
Why ACH costs so little
Unlike international wires, ACH payments do not pass through correspondent or intermediary banks. Funds move through a single standardized domestic network, which keeps costs low and makes many ACH transfers free. There is no chain of banks each taking a cut along the way.
ACH vs wire vs RTP
Inside the US you will mainly see three rails: ACH for everyday payments, Wire for large or urgent transfers, and RTP (Real-Time Payments) for instant transfers around the clock. For receiving regular dollar income, ACH and RTP cover almost everything without the cost of an international wire. Here is how they compare:
How long does ACH take?
- Standard ACH: one to two business days.
- Same-Day ACH: available at many banks for faster settlement.
- Weekends and US holidays can add a delay, since ACH runs on the banking calendar.
What is direct deposit?
Direct deposit is simply an ACH payment sent straight into your account. Employers use it to pay salaries, and government agencies use it to distribute benefits and tax refunds. Many people do not realize that direct deposit and ACH are essentially the same infrastructure.
Can an ACH payment be reversed?
ACH transfers can sometimes be returned or reversed, for example in cases of fraud, duplicate payments or insufficient funds. This is different from a wire transfer, which is generally much harder to recall once it is completed. For most people receiving income, this safety net is a quiet advantage of the ACH network.
ACH is the US equivalent of Pix
If Pix is the default way to move money between accounts in Brazil, ACH is the closest equivalent for bank-to-bank transfers in the United States. It is not instant the way Pix is, but it plays the same role: the standard, low-cost rail that almost every payment runs on.
Why US account details matter
Many US companies can only pay through domestic payment rails such as ACH, RTP or direct deposit. Having US account details (an account number and routing number) lets you receive payments through the same infrastructure used by local businesses and employees, with no SWIFT, no intermediary banks and no 3.5% IOF on an outbound wire.
Getting paid by a US client
Imagine receiving US$5,000 from a US client. With an international wire, the money travels through SWIFT, passes several banks and each one can deduct a fee before it arrives. With ACH it is far simpler:
- The client enters your US account and routing number.
- They send the payment through ACH, exactly as they would pay a US supplier.
- Dollars arrive in your account, with no intermediary banks taking a cut.
ACH or SWIFT?
The simple rule: ACH moves dollars inside the US, SWIFT moves money between countries. To get paid in dollars from a US source, ACH into a US account is the clean, cheap path, while SWIFT is what you fall back on when there is no US account to receive into.
How Ruvo uses ACH
ACH is the backbone of everyday money movement in the US. If you are paid by US employers, clients, marketplaces or platforms, access to ACH can make receiving dollars simpler, faster and far cheaper than relying on international wires. With Ruvo you can:
- Receive ACH payments from US employers, clients and marketplaces.
- Send ACH payments to US bank accounts.
- Receive direct deposits in USD.
- Hold dollars in a US account.
- Move funds to Brazil when you choose, at 0.3% for businesses and 0.5% for individuals, with 0% IOF.
ACH vs wire vs RTP
| Feature | ACH | Wire | RTP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed | 1–2 business days | Same day | Seconds |
| Cost | Usually free | Often US$15–US$50 | Usually low |
| Availability | Business days | Business hours | 24/7 |
| Best for | Payroll, invoices | Large urgent payments | Instant payments |
Traditional Brazilian account vs Ruvo US account
| Capability | Traditional Brazilian account | Ruvo US account |
|---|---|---|
| Receive ACH | No | Yes |
| Send ACH | No | Yes |
| Receive direct deposit | No | Yes |
| Receive US marketplace payouts | Limited | Yes |
| Receive wires | Yes | Yes |
| Hold USD | Usually no | Yes |
No. ACH moves money inside the US. To get paid by ACH you need a US account, like the one Ruvo gives you.
Standard ACH settles in one to two business days. Same-Day ACH is available at many banks, and weekends or US holidays can add a short delay.
Essentially yes. Direct deposit is an ACH payment sent straight into your account, which is how employers pay salaries and agencies pay benefits and tax refunds.
ACH is cheaper and fine for most payments (1 to 2 days, or instant via RTP). Wires are for large or urgent transfers and cost more, often US$15 to US$50.
Sometimes. ACH transfers can be returned or reversed in cases like fraud, duplicate payments or insufficient funds, unlike a wire, which is generally hard to recall once sent.
It plays the same role. Pix is the default rail for moving money between accounts in Brazil; ACH is the standard low-cost rail for bank-to-bank transfers in the US, though it is not instant the way Pix is.
Yes. You get US account details that accept ACH, RTP and wire, and receiving dollars is free.
