Bottomline Now a Nacha Preferred Partner for ACH Experience, Open Banking, and Risk and Fraud Prevention

WHY THIS MATTERS: The escalating speed and volume of transactions across the ACH Network demand a commensurate rise in robust, real-time security infrastructure. This partnership between Nacha and Bottomline signifies a crucial regulatory-level acknowledgment that post-facto fraud detection is no longer sufficient. As banks and corporates embrace faster payments and Open Banking connectivity, the points of vulnerability multiply. The focus on ACH Experience alongside Risk and Fraud Prevention underscores a fundamental shift: friction from security cannot be allowed to impede the velocity of business payments. This collaboration provides a strong signal to financial institutions that industry governance bodies are actively selecting and validating technology capable of embedding security directly into the payment flow itself. For treasurers and corporate finance teams, this translates directly to increased confidence in shifting away from legacy payment rails, accelerating their digital transformation journey by addressing payment security concerns head-on.

Nacha announced that Bottomline has become a Nacha Preferred Partner for ACH Experience, Open Banking, and Risk and Fraud Prevention.

Bottomline builds secure and resilient payment technologies which help banks and businesses move money safely and without friction. Bottomline’s solutions monitor ACH transactions in real time to spot behavior that falls outside of normal patterns. This helps customers stop suspicious activity before funds are released.

“A longtime focus for Nacha has been on moving businesses to secure, dependable ACH and away from checks, while also making the ACH Network even safer for all participants,” said Jane Larimer, Nacha President and CEO. “Nacha is pleased to welcome Bottomline as a Preferred Partner for ACH Experience, Open Banking, and Risk and Fraud Prevention.”

“Customers depend on our business payments, digital banking, and fraud prevention technology to keep their operations running smoothly,” said Gareth Priest, Chief Product Officer. “Becoming a Nacha Preferred Partner reinforces our commitment to helping banks and businesses manage ACH payments with confidence, while working alongside Nacha and other industry experts to support continued progress across the ACH Network.”

Nacha’s Preferred Partners are organizations that offer products and services that advance the ACH Network through their demonstrated leadership and innovation. For more information about the program, visit Nacha’s Preferred Partner page.

FF NEWS TAKE: This move is foundational, reinforcing the strategic importance of the ACH Network for future digital finance, particularly around Open Banking rails. While it doesn’t move the entire industry immediately, it establishes a necessary gold standard for real-time fraud prevention within a critical clearing house. We must now watch for Nacha to incorporate stricter, real-time fraud mitigation requirements directly into its ruleset, using these preferred partner capabilities as a blueprint for mandatory network-wide adoption.