AUSTIN, Texas, April 4, 2011 – Total ACH payment volume grew to 19,406,103,109[1] in 2010, up 3.44 percent over 2009, according new statistics released today by NACHA — The Electronic Payments Association at its PAYMENTS 2011 conference. Coinciding with the release of Network volume information, NACHA also unveiled the top 50 largest financial institution Originators and Receivers of ACH payments in 2010.
Growing at a faster pace than a year ago, ACH payments moved a total of $31.74 trillion dollars over the Network in 2010. Steady Network growth is attributable to several key areas: expansion of the use of native electronic payments, increasing consumer adoption of consumer Internet-initiated Direct Payments, and the escalating use of the ACH Network for vendor payments and business-to-business transactions.
Native Electronic Payments
Native electronic payments – those payments which start as an electronic payment (i.e., non-check conversion applications) – outpaced overall Network growth and increased 4.21 percent over 2009. According to NACHA, the statistics reflect an ongoing trend of increasing preferences for fully electronic payments.
Recommended For You
"Consumers and businesses alike are looking for expediency and convenience in payments, with a stroke of the keyboard or the touch of an app to make a one-time payment or to enroll in recurring payments," said Janet O. Estep, NACHA president and CEO. "The advent of mobile payments has increased this mindset, and native electronic payments are certain to continue an upward climb, mirroring the evolving preferences of those making payments."
Business-to-Business Transactions
Business-to-business transactions reflected marked surges as well. CTX transactions – or those business transactions enabling robust use of addenda records – increased 11.12 percent year-over-year. The use of addenda records for these transactions grew at nearly the same rate with a 10.66 percent increase, showing that business are embracing the core competency of the Network to transmit payments plus information.
Consumer Internet Transactions
Examining consumer behavior, CIE (consumer-initiated entries) transactions grew 15.62 percent year-over-year, showcasing one of the largest overall percentage increases in ACH payments this year. Used primarily in online banking and bill pay, CIE volume benefitted from the expanding use of EBIDS for PayOnlyand bill presentment throughout 2010.
WEB transactions, consumer Direct Payments made when authorization is given via the Internet, also continued on an upward trajectory. WEB transactions increased 7.40 percent and made up 15.68 percent of total Network volume. WEB is the code used for mobile payments, and these transactions have contributed to ongoing growth.
Network Quality Indicators
While Network use is increasing, the volume of returned transactions is declining.The number of returned transactions declined by 6.0 percent in 2010 compared to 2009. Overall, the Network return rate decreased 8.26 percent to 1.00 percent of transactions.
The volume of debit transactions returned as unauthorized declined even more: 10.91 percent from 2009. The unauthorized debit return rate for 2010 fell to 0.03 percent of debit transactions.
"As the Network continues to grow, effective risk management processes, diligent Rules oversight, and industry-wide involvement have led to an ongoing decline in return rates," indicated Estep. "These rates are indicative of the quality of transactions on the Network and point to the benefits of consistent oversight of all ACH payments."
Top 50 Originators and Receivers
In addition to the year-end statistics, NACHA also released lists of the Top 50 Originating Depository Financial Institutions (ODFIs) and Receiving Depository Financial Institutions (RDFIs). The Top 50 ODFIs originated 13,771,366,580 ACH transactions, which is 95.8 percent of the commercial ACH Network volume. The Top 50 RDFIs received 8,732,205,955 ACH transactions, which is 55.9 percent of the total ACH Network volume.
For more information on ACH Network volume, visit http://www.nacha.org/c/ACHntwkstats.cfm.
About NACHA — The Electronic Payments Association
NACHA manages the development, administration, and governance of the ACH Network, the backbone for the electronic movement of money and data. The ACH Network serves as a safe, secure, reliable network for direct consumer, business, and government payments, and annually facilitates billions of payments such as Direct Deposit and Direct Payment. Utilized by all types of financial institutions, the ACH Network is governed by the NACHA Operating Rules, a set of fair and equitable rules that guide risk management and create certainty for all participants. As a not-for-profit association, NACHA represents nearly 11,000 financial institutions via 17 regional payments associations and direct membership. Through its industry councils and forums, NACHA brings together payments system stakeholders to enable innovation that strengthens the industry with creative payment solutions. To learn more, visit www.nacha.org, www.electronicpayments.org, and www.payitgreen.org.
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
