We have a home health care business and one of our clients is requesting we just pull money directly out of their bank account as opposed to them having the bank cut a check. (Daughter has bank cut a check for her mother's care. We do take personal checks, I dunno why she doesn't write them herself)

Does anyone have any experience with this? I see ACH services, and I've also heard that you can do a bank draft or something? Basically the information from a check that we submit to the bank without a signature. Anything else worth mentioning?

I know, go talk to the bank! I just want to make sure I hear all sides of the story and not just what the bank has to offer.

Edit: Went to one of our banks and the lead teller said she was going to look into it for me. She said I can probably just draft it out of the account but she's not 100% sure what I need to do on my end.

You will want an ACH authorization form to debit the account.  It is written authorization to debit on a specific day for specific amount so nobody comes back and says your stealing from them.  Get a copy of a voided check and use the routing and account number for it.  The copy of the check is just so they don't give the wrong numbers and you have something for your file.  Your bank should be able to do it for you, but you may have to pay a monthly fee, or per occurrence fee which is usually pretty steep.  You can also check with Intuit (Quicken/Quickbooks).  Also some companies can do echeck.  Converts check to ACH debits. f

You might also talk to the daughter and see if she can just set up a recurring online payment from the mothers bank account, to you as a payee.  Won't cost either of you anything.  You won't need an ACH authorization because the mother is paying you.  Your not debiting her account.

The problem with the recurring payment is the amount is different ever month. The e-check might work, we'll try that. I also found some bank draft software for $80 then I just order blank checks and it prints all the numbers and stuff on the bottom. No signature needed. Allows for "check by fax."

I use Securenet for this purpose makes life easy.

Thanks!

I wouldn't let them do it.

Wouldn't let who do it?

BTW, bank wanted $45/month plus $0.40/item for ACH services.