Batch payments - Support for NACHA file format
We desperately need NACHA file format for batch payments export file in the USA. This is the Australian ABA equivalent. Second option to that is a CSV file in a format that is accepted by US banks - the current format is not acceptable by their systems, unless we laboriously spend time making adjustments to each payment file in excel before loading it in, and even then it's barely acceptable and prone to human error, which is unacceptable from a control perspective.
No matter which US Bank we use, the CSV file export from Xero does not split the routing and account in two columns, despite it being already split in two fields in the contact form. All banks require this split it and won't validate the account number without the split. Most banks also require some other fields that Xero doesn't export (customizable CSV here would be ideal). I imagine it wouldn't be too much to dev on Xero's end.
More importantly, an export from Xero in Nacha file format (txt) would be the main thing we all need. Given the Aus version of Xero already has this equivalent in an ABA file, I can't see that a NACHA file would be that hard to dev out on the US side for Xero either. But then, I am no developer!
Melissa Dawe
shared this idea
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Anurag Srivastava
commented
Our USA-based company is eagerly looking for a NACHA file. This idea is not accepted by Xero since May 2023.
I will ask our development team to develop a utility that gets the data from Xero Bill to Pay (Batch) and generates the bank-specific NACHA for Banks. -
Melissa Wasgatt
commented
Any update on this? I just decided to explore this feature, but with ABA and Account combined, not an option at all. NACHA would be ideal as that is universal. No US bank that I'm aware of would accept the current combined format. Silly that they separate it in Financial Details, but then combines in the csv export. I'm moving more of my clients away from writing checks as there is so much check and postal fraud happening. Thank you!
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Erica Russell
commented
Is there any update to having a NACHA format available? I raised a case and was directed to this thread.
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Brendan Marsh
commented
It blows my mind that they haven't added this functionality. Even changing the ACH export file to separate the ABA and account numbers really doesn't seem like it would be a big undertaking. I totally understand that Xero wasn't developed for American clients, but why even offer this option on the US version if they can't get it into a format that US banks can work with? Seems like a wasted opportunity, this would be such a game-changer for our payables manager!