ACH/Bank Account Authorization Process

access level payroll advisor (full access), enrollment specialist (full access), data processor (edit) module multiple (payroll, enrollment, data dashboard) the ach/bank account authorization process enables customers to pay their payroll invoices directly from their business bank account this secure process requires customers to complete both a bank authorization form and plaid account verification before ach payments can begin ⚠️ warning both the bank authorization form and plaid verification must be completed successfully notifications are only sent after both steps are finished process overview the ach setup involves two essential components bank authorization form legal documentation authorizing ach transactions plaid integration secure bank account verification and balance confirmation ℹ️ note notifications to the payroll and billing departments will only be sent once both the bank authorization form and plaid link connection are completed customers must complete both the plaid connection and bank authorization before proceeding step 1 send the ach validation request you can send ach setup requests from multiple locations in januscrm for new customers (enrollment phase) option 1 enrollment questionnaire during the enrollment questionnaire process send plaid connection link as part of questionnaire workflow option 2 bank authorization form navigate to customer's lead card select enrollment tab send bank account authorization form (includes plaid connection) for existing customers option 3 payroll dashboard open customer's payroll card navigate to billing tab send plaid validation link directly option 4 lead card accounting tab open customer's lead card select accounting tab navigate to bank account subtab select send access request button after sending the request through any method, the customer will receive an email with a link account button step 2 select the contact after initiating the request choose contact select the authorized person (typically business owner or authorized signer) send request select continue to dispatch the email confirmation green banner confirms successful email delivery ✅ success you will see a green confirmation banner indicating that the email was successfully sent step 3 customer receives link and starts plaid connection initial email customers receive an email with a link account button that initiates the secure plaid connection process ℹ️ note each bank has a slightly different login experience, but the general steps remain consistent ⚠️ warning a warning has been added to the bank authorization form instructing customers to complete the plaid activation before leaving the form to ensure proper processing understanding the role of plaid what is plaid? plaid is a secure, third party financial technology provider that verifies customer bank accounts it confirms account ownership and authorization minimum balance requirements for ach eligibility business entity matching ⚠️ warning januscrm never receives or stores customer login credentials plaid provides read only access to essential account details (account number, routing number, balance) for verification purposes only customer walkthrough (plaid experience) ⚠️ warning a warning label has been added on the second page of the client's form to let clients know to complete the plaid activation before leaving the form internal notifications will not show until the client completes the plaid activation once customers select the link, they will go through these steps 1\ phone number customer enters phone number linked to their business bank account 2\ select bank institution customer selects their bank from plaid's institution list selected bank should match information in bank authorization form 3\ log in to bank account customer logs into their bank account through plaid's secure interface each bank has slightly different login experiences 4\ select account customer selects specific account for ach authorization must match routing and account number provided in authorization form 5\ final confirmation and completion customer selects connect to complete authorization plaid redirects to confirmation screen showing connected account plaid will then redirect them back to the confirmation screen, showing a preview of the account successfully connected ✅ success once completed, the customer will see a message confirming successful account connection step 4 system processing successful connection when both requirements are completed system receives plaid connection confirmation task created in data dashboard ach tab ach approved flag appears on payroll dashboard processing timeline approval confirmation may take time depending on processing schedules final ach activation timing varies based on internal processing workflows step 5 notifications customer notifications approved requests confirmation email sent after successful processing details ach setup completion and next steps declined requests automatic decline email if minimum requirements not met explains rejection reason and alternative payment options internal notifications payroll and billing departments notified only after both steps complete ach approved flag triggers in payroll dashboard task appears in data dashboard for processing ℹ️ note important requirements customers must complete both the plaid connection and bank authorization form before proceeding notifications to payroll and billing departments will only be sent once both requirements are completed notifications to customers will only be triggered after both steps are successfully completed bank authorization form logic form fields configuration field name field type required condition/logic business name text ✅ always must match plaid verification business phone phone ✅ always 10 digits required business email email ✅ always valid email format federal tax id text ✅ always format xx xxxxxxx bank name text ✅ always must match plaid selection routing number number ✅ always 9 digits, validated account number number ✅ always numbers only, must match confirmation field account type dropdown ✅ always checking/savings authorized signer text ✅ always legal name required title text ✅ always signer's title plaid connection action ✅ always must complete before form submission confirm account number ✅ always must exactly match account number ⚠️ warning account numbers now only accept numeric input any non numeric characters will be rejected the confirmation field must match exactly even a single digit difference will prevent form submission conditional requirements scenario additional requirements validation new customer complete enrollment questionnaire first form won't display until enrollment done existing customer current payment method must allow change cannot change if active payroll processing reinstatement must complete reinstatement form ach section appears after reinstatement plaid integration requirements requirement details error prevention minimum balance $500 or carrier minimum shows in plaid verification account ownership business name must match plaid validates automatically account type business account required personal accounts rejected active status account must be active closed accounts fail verification troubleshooting & escalation common issues customer cannot access plaid link symptoms link account button not working or erroring possible causes email link expired (48 hours) pop up blocker active unsupported browser javascript disabled resolution steps resend fresh link to customer advise to disable pop up blocker recommend chrome or safari check browser javascript settings plaid shows wrong bank symptoms customer's bank not in plaid list possible causes small credit union not supported international bank bank recently changed systems searching wrong name resolution steps try alternate bank names check if bank uses different system contact plaid support for additions consider alternate payment method business name mismatch error symptoms plaid rejects due to name mismatch possible causes dba vs legal name issue recent business name change account under personal name typo in system resolution steps verify legal business name check bank account registration update januscrm if needed may need business account both steps not completing symptoms system not recognizing completion possible causes only did plaid, not form only did form, not plaid browser session timeout system sync delay resolution steps verify both steps completed check form submission confirmation verify plaid shows connected wait 10 minutes for sync notification not sending symptoms no confirmation after both steps done possible causes one step incomplete email delivery delay wrong email address system queue backed up resolution steps confirm both requirements met check spam folders verify email addresses manual notification if needed when to retry vs escalate retry these actions 🔄 resend plaid link 🔄 browser troubleshooting 🔄 wait for system sync 🔄 form resubmission escalate immediately for 🚨 plaid integration fully down 🚨 multiple customers affected 🚨 bank incorrectly rejected 🚨 system not saving form data escalation process level 1 team lead/manager business verification issues minimum balance exceptions alternate payment methods priority processing level 2 it help desk plaid technical issues form submission failures integration errors email system problems how to submit an it help desk ticket 📌 tip see how to submit a support ticket for detailed instructions quick reference navigate to help in the navigation bar select it help desk include customer name, which step failing, error messages screenshot plaid error or form issue note browser and device used next steps for more information about ach processing ach process ach requests in data dashboard ach approved flag walkthrough handle ach flags ach/bank authorization troubleshooting guide 📚 quick reference need help with terminology? check our januscrm glossary & acronym index for definitions of all terms used in this documentation questions about permissions? review the user roles & permissions matrix to understand access levels