02/20/2024
ACH Payments & Cash Flow: What Every Martial Arts School & Fitness Studio Should Know
Did you know ACH payments can make things easier for businesses looking to simplify payments and boost profits? In fact, plenty of savvy martial arts and fitness business owners sing the praises of ACH payments as their go-to payment method for members—thanks to its cost-effectiveness.
So, if you’re looking to improve your bottom line, it’s time to consider ACH payments.
Here we’ll go over what ACH is, the perks of using it, and how you can bring it into your martial arts school or fitness studio without any hassle.
First … What exactly is an ACH Payment?
Simply stated, an ACH payment refers to the electronic movement of money from one bank account to another.
ACH stands for Automated Clearing House—a secure, reliable, and efficient network that banks in the U.S. use to handle electronic transactions. So, when you make an ACH payment, the cash takes a direct trip from one bank account to another. And, it usually lands there in a few business days.
ACH payments can be used to send and receive money for a variety of purposes—like payroll, recurring membership payments, and online purchases.
How ACH Payments Boost Profitability
Now that you know what an ACH payment is, let’s look at how ACH payments can boost profitability for your martial arts school or fitness studio—and why you may want to consider moving your members from credit card payments to ACH payments:
Reason #1: ACH payments are more cost-effective compared to credit card payments
Credit card transactions often involve several middlemen, including credit card processors and banks that charge associated transaction fees. ACH payments, on the other hand, skip those extra middlemen and go straight to the bank. This direct route means you end up saving by cutting those extra costs.
Credit card transactions also have supplementary fees, such as interchange fees, processing fees, and chargeback fees. All these fees can add up quickly and make credit card processing more expensive than ACH payments.
Reason #2: ACH payments are ideal for businesses with recurring revenue
The more transactions you have, the more transaction fees you pay. So, if you run a business that charges a recurring membership fee, like a martial arts or fitness business, you have lots of transactions that could add up to lots of transaction fees. The sheer number of transactions your business runs makes ACH payments especially cost-effective.
Reason #3: ACH payments help keep your cash flow steady
With ACH payments seamlessly deducted from your members’ bank accounts, the likelihood of payments bouncing due to insufficient funds or expired credit cards significantly decreases. This translates to a reduced occurrence of delinquent accounts resulting from non-payment.
Making the Move to ACH
Thinking about switching to ACH payments? It’s a savvy move, especially if you’re running a martial arts school or fitness studio with recurring membership payments.
But, you may now be wondering…how do you make the leap and get your members on board with ACH payments?
Good news: it’s not complicated, but the move to ACH does require clear communication and a solid plan. Hit the big orange “Get Tips Now” button below for handy pointers.
Make the Move to ACH
Get our top 5 tips for successfully transitioning your members from credit card payments to ACH.