Add a New Payment Method: Credit Card and ACH/e-Check (How to)

Congregants can add two types of payment methods to their ShulCloud account:

• Credit Card
• ACH/e-Check - requires validation through Plaid or micro deposit

NACHA, the authority that oversees ACH payments, has implemented stricter measures for processing ACH (eCheck) payments. To comply with these rules, businesses must verify and validate payer bank account information before processing the first ACH payment. This is accomplished either by using a tool such as Plaid or a micro deposit. 

Before You Begin

New payment methods can be added to an account through the Member Portal (shulurl.shulcloud.com/member) or by navigating to an account in ShulCloud and selecting the Pay Methods tab.

Add New Payment Method: Credit Card

1. Select + Add New Payment Method
2. Select the gateway from the dropdown menu to associate with the payment method. Select + Add payment method to this gateway.
3. If the option to choose a type appears, select Credit Card and complete all fields.
4. Select Save Payment Method at the bottom of the screen.

Add New Payment Method: ACH/e-Check with Plaid Verification

Plaid is a financial technology company that provides a platform for connecting user bank accounts with various applications and services. It acts as an intermediary between financial institutions and developers, allowing users to securely link their bank accounts and share financial data with third-party applications.

In order to allow congregants to use Plaid to validate ACH/e-Check payment methods, the feature must be enabled in ShulCloud settings:

1. Navigate to Admin > Settings > Edit Settings > Credit Card Display > Allow Plaid.
2. Select Yes, then select Update Settings at the bottom of the screen.

To add a new ACH/e-Check and validate with Plaid:

1. Select + Add New Payment Method
2. Select the gateway from the dropdown menu to associate with the ACH/e-Check option. Select + Add payment method to this gateway.
   If credit card and ACH/e-Check are listed together but an ACH/e-Check payment method cannot be saved, return to the previous screen and select a different gateway in the dropdown.
3. Select E-Check and the Account Type on the Add Payment Method page. 
4. Select Choose Account with Plaid.
5. A screen will open that says ShulCloud uses Plaid to connect your account. Select Continue.
6. Use the search box to select your bank.*
7. Select Continue to authenticate with your bank.
8. Log in to your bank account. 
9. In Plaid, select the account to give consent to share bank account data.
10. The pop-up will close and return to ShulCloud. Check the Authorization box and complete all remaining fields.
11. Select Save Payment Method at the bottom of the screen.

*PLEASE NOTE: If the bank does not show up in the list in Plaid, users will be prompted to enter bank account information via micro deposit. 

Add New Payment Method: e-Check and ACH with Micro Deposit Verification

Micro deposit verification must be used when Plaid is not enabled. It requires congregants to provide bank account and ABA routing numbers. 

This process involves the user providing the online platform with bank routing and account number, the temporary deposit of small amounts into the user's bank account, and the user providing those amounts to the online platform to prove ownership and control of the bank account. It may take a few business days to complete this process, so it needs to be done in advance of payment.

For shuls using Plaid, micro deposit verification appears only after an attempt to use Plaid fails. 

1. Select + Add New Payment Method
2. Select the gateway from the dropdown menu to associate with the ACH/e-Check option. Select + Add payment method to this gateway. If credit card and e-Check are listed together but you cannot save an e-Check payment method, return to the previous screen and select a different gateway in the dropdown.
3. Select E-Check and the Account Type on the Add Payment Method page. Check the Authorization box and and fill out the ABA Routing and Bank Account Number.
4. Complete all remaining fields.
5. Select Save Payment Method at the bottom of the screen.
6. Once the payment method is saved, micro deposits will appear in the user's bank account within 24-48 hours and will disappear from the bank account once verified.
7. When micro deposits are visible in the user's bank account, return to My Payment Methods. The new payment method will appear with the option to Verify with Micro Deposit.
8. Select Verify Micro Deposits.
9. Add the two Micro Deposit amounts and select verify.

Track ACH/e-Check Micro Deposit Verification (Admins)

1. Navigate to Online Payments > Online Payments.
2. Under Status, select Pending Verification.
3. Select Filter.
4. The results will display any ACH/e-Check accounts that still require micro deposit validation for use.
5. If a user contacts the shul with micro deposits for verification, select the Verify Micro deposits button next to any account that still requires validation.

Related Resources

• View Online Payments (Reference)