What is NACHA ?
National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA) – Governing association that sets rules, guidelines and policy for the operation of automated clearinghouses for the twenty-eight ACH operators in the U.S.
NACHA – The Electronic Payments Association is the steward of the ACH Network – one of the largest, safest and most reliable payment systems in the world. The ACH Network creates value and enables innovation by universally connecting all U.S. financial institutions, and moving money and information directly from one bank account to another.
NACHA’s self-regulatory work through the NACHA Operating Rules, as well as its leadership and engagement of wide-ranging Network participants, has helped make the Network ubiquitous, while still evolving its capabilities over time. NACHA administers and facilitates private-sector operating rules for ACH payments, which define the roles and responsibilities of ACH Network participants.
As a not-for-profit association, the organization works with others to support and bring the payments industry together in a variety of ways. Through the Payments Innovation Alliance, accreditation programs, conferences and educational offerings, NACHA unites payments systems stakeholders, fostering dialogue and encouraging the use and evolution of electronic payments.
The association also brings together diverse organizations to develop rules and standards to benefit a variety of payments ecosystem participants, including Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT), and healthcare Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) and other industry groups. By collaborating with other standards organizations and geographies, NACHA facilitates compatibility and integration with U.S. payments.
Purpose of National Automated Clearing House Association
The purpose of NACHA – The Electronic Payments Association is focused in two ways:
- The ACH Network enables end users to easily make payments through a high-quality, ubiquitous payment system that securely and efficiently moves money and information directly from one bank account to another.
- NACHA enables financial services industry stakeholders to shape and benefit from common rules sets and standards for ACH and other transaction types through its expertise in convening diverse parties in rulemaking, standards development, governance and education.
Originally conceived of and created by collaboration among several ACH Associations in 1974, NACHA has evolved from a set of ACH rules and regulations to the Network governing body it is today. Throughout all of our growth, the safety and security of electronic payments has always been the first priority. Ref. www.Nacha.org
