What are Instant Bank Payments?

Instant Bank Payments let your customers pay with a US bank account with Link. Unlike ACH Direct Debit, Instant Bank Payments deliver instant confirmation and faster settlement, protection from common ACH failures, and an accelerated checkout experience for your customers. They are best for businesses that need to deliver their products and services immediately and don't want to manage the risk of processing ACH transactions.

Instant Bank Payments are automatically enabled when you turn Link on, subject to eligibility requirements. On sites where it’s enabled, Link saves and autofills payment details for customers.

Are Instant Bank Payments the same as ACH Direct Debit?

Unlike ACH Direct Debit, where it can take up to four business days to successfully process a transaction, Instant Bank Payments are instantly confirmed. Settlement timing matches your card payments and you're protected from bank-initiated returns that might occur after authorization. Learn more about these US bank debit options.

If a transaction is eligible for Instant Bank Payments, your customer will see a Bank option.

If you have enabled ACH Direct Debit on Payment Element or Checkout, they'll see it as a US bank account option.

How do I enable Instant Bank Payments?

Instant Bank Payments are available with every Link integration, if eligible. Just ensure Link is turned on in your payment method settings and it will be automatically presented as a payment option to your US customers. See the technical documentation for details on how to view Instant Bank Payment transactions.

I have Link enabled. Why don't I see Bank as a payment option on my checkout page?

Not all businesses and transactions are eligible for this payment method. Instant Bank Payments will be presented as a payment option during a session only when certain risk criteria are met. Some examples are:

• Two-step authentication: Enable two-step authentication on your Stripe account.
• Onboarding criteria: Satisfy a set of onboarding criteria, including but not limited to being a US business and having a history of Stripe usage.
• Transaction limits: Eligible transactions must be below an order amount dynamically set by our risk systems. By default, Instant Bank Payments are presented as an option only for transactions under $500.
• ACH Direct Debit: If you have enabled ACH Direct Debit for a transaction, then Instant Bank Payments will not be presented as a payment option.

How do I handle disputes?

Disputes with Instant Bank Payments behave like cards, not like ACH Direct Debit. Like cards, when a dispute is created, Stripe debits your balance for the payment amount and dispute fee. Disputes can be viewed and challenged from within the Stripe Dashboard.

With bank debits, customers can generally dispute a payment through their bank for up to 60 calendar days after a debit on a personal account, or up to 2 business days for a business account. In rare instances, a customer might be able to successfully dispute a debit payment outside these standard dispute timelines.

What are cash back offers?

To boost your conversion and revenue, you can opt into Stripe cash back offers for your customers who choose to pay with Link using their bank account. There is no cost to you or your business. Manage your participation in this program at any time via the Settings page. To redeem the offer, customers must check out with their bank account and then the discount will be automatically deposited within 3-5 days. See eligibility details.