Processing fees don’t just nibble at margins—they compound across every transaction, refund, and reconciliation cycle. In 2025, teams are cutting up to 60% of their processing spend by moving recurring collections to $0 ACH pulls, using RTP for instant payouts when speed matters, and automating invoices with one-click e-payments. This article shows exactly where the savings come from, how to route payments by use case, and why Liftoff Platform is the best stack to make it real fast.
Why this works: the TCO equation (spelled out)
TCO = Total Cost of Ownership. It’s the all-in cost of running payments over time—not just sticker fees.
When you compare rails (cards vs ACH vs RTP), TCO includes:
· Direct processing fees (per-tx, % + $, monthly minimums)
· Returns & disputes (ACH returns, card chargebacks, representment labor, write-offs)
· Fraud & loss (friendly fraud, account takeover)
· Operational overhead (reconciliation, exception handling, support minutes)
· Working-capital timing (days to settle × cost of capital)
· Conversion/churn impact (acceptance, card churn, retry success)
· Build & maintenance (API work, data pipelines) and compliance (KYC/KYB/OFAC, audit)
Zero-fee ACH + targeted RTP compress multiple TCO components at once: the fee line, return noise, ops minutes, and cash timing.
The routing playbook (ACH vs RTP vs card)
· $0 ACH pulls (default for collections):
Use for subscriptions, retainers, B2B invoices, and lending/MCA repayments. Pair with account validation, pre-debit reminders, and intelligent retries to reduce R01/R09 NSFs.
· RTP payouts (speed when it matters):
Fund customers/partners in seconds, 24/7/365. Use for disbursements, instant credits/ refunds, and VIP moments. Keep collections on $0 ACH to preserve unit economics.
· Debit at $0 (optional):
Offer card-like checkout for one-off invoices without adding fee drag. Great for payer preference and first-time payments.
Where the 60% reduction comes from
1. Direct fees → $0 for the majority of volume
Shifting recurring collections to $0 ACH and one-off invoice payments to $0 debit removes the biggest visible cost.
2. Return reduction → fewer paid attempts & tickets Account validation (instant + micro-deposit fallback) catches bad data pre-pull; reminders and deposit-window retry lift first-pass success.
3. Ops shrink → auto-reconciliation One-click invoice pay + webhooks to your GL/ERP/CRM slash spreadsheet time and exception handling minutes.
4. Working capital → faster where it counts
RTP for immediate payouts (and friction-killing refunds), Same Day ACH for business hours speed—while collections stay on $0 rails.
What this looks like with Liftoff (Portal + API)
· Invoice automation: Branded invoices with one-click ACH/$0 debit, open/click tracking, auto-reminders, and recurring schedules.
· Collections engine: Account validation, return-code rules (retry/block/escalate), and intelligent retries tuned to pay cycles.
· Payouts: RTP 24/7/365 and Same Day ACH for “today” windows.
· Risk & compliance: KYB/KYC, OFAC, velocity/device checks, SEC-appropriate authorizations with ESIGN and audit trails.
· Chargeback prevention (cards): Ethoca + Verifi (RDR/Order Insight) and AI evidence if a dispute occurs.
· Analytics: DSO, return codes, recovery rate, blended $/1,000 moved, and cohort performance.
· Launch path: Start in the Portal (minutes), then deepen automation via API + webhooks (days).
Short version: Liftoff routes your volume on the cheapest rails, fixes failures automatically, pays out instantly when needed, and reconciles without spreadsheets.
Implementation checklist (one-week pilot)
· Turn on $0 ACH/$0 debit for collections and invoice payments.
· Require account validation on new payers; enable pre-due reminders.
· Set retry windows by segment (e.g., payroll-aligned).
· Add RTP for payouts/refunds where speed protects revenue or CX.
· Wire webhooks to GL/ERP/CRM for auto-recon + receipts.
· Review dashboards weekly; trim the top three drivers of returns and cost.
Example targets (first 60–90 days)
· Fee line: −40–60% vs. baseline by moving 70–90% of collections to $0 ACH/$0 debit
· NSF rate: −20–30% via validation + timing
· Ops minutes: −30–50% with one-click invoices + auto-recon
· Time-to-cash: Same-day refunds/credits with RTP; faster collections via reminders
(Your exact lift depends on mix, volumes, and legacy processes; we’ll model it with your last month data.)
Why Liftoff is best-in-class for reducing payment processing fees
· $0 ACH pulls & $0 debit transactions on the volumes that matter
· RTP payouts 24/7/365 without moving your whole flow off low-cost rails
· Invoice e-payments + recurring invoices that customers actually complete
· Return-code automation and intelligent retries to keep ratios clean
· Security & compliance by default (KYB/KYC, OFAC, ESIGN, audit trails)
· Portal + API with webhooks and clear analytics for Finance and Ops
Summary
· You reduce Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) by attacking fees, returns, ops minutes, and timing—not just the rate.
· Route collections to $0 ACH, keep $0 debit for payer choice, and use RTP when instant speed protects revenue or trust.
· Liftoff Platform bundles the rails, the risk controls, and the automation so you can realistically cut processing costs up to 60% and keep them down.
FAQs
Is the $0 ACH/$0 debit really zero?
For collections on Liftoff, per-transaction fees are $0. We’ll document your exact plan; standard bank/network edge cases may apply.
Will my return rates actually drop?
Yes—because account validation, pre-debit reminders, and deposit-window retries target the top failure codes (R01/R09; R03/R04).
Do I need cards at all?
Keep $0 debit for one-off invoices and payer preference: route recurring volume to ACH to maximize savings.
How fast can we fund/refund?
Use RTP for instant payouts and Same Day ACH when cutoffs allow. Collections remain on $0 ACH for best economics.
What’s the lift if we already use ACH?
The shift to $0 ACH, plus validation/timing + auto-recon + RTP credits, typically drives additional 20–30% TCO improvement vs. traditional ACH setups.