2009

Table Of Contents
Payflow ACH Payment Service Guide 25
4
How Payflow ACH Payment
Works
This chapter describes Payflow ACH Payment in detail.
In This Chapter
z “ACH Payment Flow” on page 25
z “Timetable for a Typical ACH Payment” on page 26
z “ACH Payment Types” on page 29
z “Retrying Returned Payments” on page 30
z “Notifications of Change” on page 31
ACH Payment Flow
PayPal breaks each debit or credit payment into two parts—one with the customer/target bank
account, and one with your bank account.
To help manage returns, a three-business-day delay is typically used between the parts of the
payment. You and PayPal agree to this period when setting up your Payflow ACH Payment
account.
For example, if you submit a Debit/Sale payment against a customers bank account, PayPal
submits an ACH payment to debit the customers bank account at the first available
opportunity. Three business days later, if the payment is not returned, PayPal submits a
payment to credit your bank account. For a credit, conversely, PayPal debits your bank
account, waits the period specified in your Payflow ACH Payment account agreement
(typically three business days), and then credits the customers bank account.
If a Debit/Sale is returned during the holding period, your bank account is not credited. If the
Debit/Sale is returned after the holding period, PayPal initially credits your bank account and
then debits it when the return is received. For returned credits, PayPal initially debits your
bank account and then credits your bank account when the return is received.
Payment Batch Settlement Time
Because the ACH network operates only on banking days (not on banking holidays), PayPal
settles at 7 p.m. the night before each banking day: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,
and Thursday at 7 p.m.
Payments submitted Thursday after 7 p.m. are not sent for settlement until Sunday at 7 p.m.