ACH vs Credit Card: Save More Money
6 mins read
Published Jun 11, 2024
The Real Cost of Fees
Not all payment methods cost the same. ACH (bank transfers) and credit cards both get money to you, but the fees eat into your earnings differently.
ACH transfers: Usually around 0.5% per payment. Bind is 0.5%.
Credit cards: Typically 2.5–3% plus 15¢ per transaction. Bind is flat 3.00%.
On a $2,000 project:
ACH fee ≈ $10
Credit card fee ≈ $57.15
That’s nearly six times more money lost to processing fees.
When to Use ACH vs Cards
Each method has tradeoffs.
Use ACH for big invoices: It saves the most money on large amounts.
Use cards for speed: Cards clear faster in some cases, and clients prefer the convenience.
Offer both: Letting clients choose can increase your chances of getting paid on time.
The trick is knowing when the convenience of cards outweighs the cost.
How to Lower Costs
Freelancers and small businesses don’t have to eat all the fees.
Pass fees to clients (legally): Some states allow you to add surcharges for card payments.
Set minimums: For small jobs, require ACH or cash.
Use integrated platforms: Services like Bind give you ACH and card options in one flow, with transparent fees, so you control how much you actually take home.
