How long do I have to keep an ACH authorisation?

NACHA requires originators to retain the authorisation for two years after it is terminated or revoked, and to be able to provide a copy on request. In practice that means keeping the signed submission for two years past the final debit, not two years from the date it was signed. Check the current rules with your bank, since they are revised periodically.

Is it safe to collect bank account numbers in an online form?

It carries real risk and should be a deliberate choice. The numbers land in your submissions, in notification emails, and in any export your team takes, and anyone with them can attempt a debit. If your flow allows it, a Stripe bank debit setup is the better option because it verifies the account and stores it as a payment method instead. Where you do use this form, limit who can view submissions.

What is the difference between an ACH authorisation and a direct debit mandate?

They are the same idea under different banking systems. ACH is the United States network and is governed by NACHA rules. A direct debit mandate is the equivalent in the United Kingdom under Bacs, or in the euro area under SEPA, and each has its own notice and refund rules. This template is written for ACH, so adjust the wording if you are collecting under one of the others.

ACH Authorization Form

Collect written permission to debit a bank account by ACH, with the account details, the amount, the schedule, and a signature on file.

About this template

An ACH authorisation form is the record that a customer agreed to let you debit their bank account. It captures the account holder, the bank, the account and routing numbers, the amount, the schedule, and a signature. NACHA rules require you to obtain that authorisation before the first debit and to be able to produce it afterwards, so this is a document you keep rather than one you collect and forget.

Bank details are the most sensitive thing most businesses ever put in a form. Two practical consequences. First, restrict who on your team can open the submissions, because a routing and account number pair is enough to attempt a debit. Second, prefer a Stripe bank debit setup over this form wherever the flow allows it, because that verifies the account and stores it as a payment method rather than as text in a submission you now have to guard.

This template still exists because plenty of arrangements genuinely need paper: a signed mandate for a landlord, a supplier setting up terms, a payroll deduction. When that is the situation, having the fields laid out correctly and a signature attached beats a scanned PDF that arrives half filled in.

Set the frequency options to the schedules you actually offer, and put your own cancellation notice period into the checkbox wording before publishing.

Templates are a starting point, not legal or professional advice. Where a form carries consent, medical, or contractual wording, have somebody qualified review it against the rules that apply to you before you publish.

Fields in this template

Account holder name*Short text
Business name if the account is a business accountShort text
Email address*Email
Phone numberPhone
Billing address*Address
Bank name*Short text
Account type*Single choice
Routing number*Short text
Account number*Short text
Amount to debit*Number
How often*Single choice
First debit on*Date
What the debit is for*Long text
Please confirm the following*Multiple choice
Signature*Signature
Date signed*Date

Every field can be renamed, reordered, made optional, or removed once the template is open in the builder.

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Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to keep an ACH authorisation?: NACHA requires originators to retain the authorisation for two years after it is terminated or revoked, and to be able to provide a copy on request. In practice that means keeping the signed submission for two years past the final debit, not two years from the date it was signed. Check the current rules with your bank, since they are revised periodically.
Is it safe to collect bank account numbers in an online form?: It carries real risk and should be a deliberate choice. The numbers land in your submissions, in notification emails, and in any export your team takes, and anyone with them can attempt a debit. If your flow allows it, a Stripe bank debit setup is the better option because it verifies the account and stores it as a payment method instead. Where you do use this form, limit who can view submissions.
What is the difference between an ACH authorisation and a direct debit mandate?: They are the same idea under different banking systems. ACH is the United States network and is governed by NACHA rules. A direct debit mandate is the equivalent in the United Kingdom under Bacs, or in the euro area under SEPA, and each has its own notice and refund rules. This template is written for ACH, so adjust the wording if you are collecting under one of the others.

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