Vendor Direct debits on Shopify Balance account

Shopify Discussion

Topic summary

A merchant inquired about allowing vendors to initiate ACH debits from their Shopify Balance account to receive payment discounts.

Initial Response: A Shopify representative initially stated that direct debiting is not supported through Shopify Balance and recommended caution when sharing account details.

Correction: After consulting with their team, the same representative corrected their response, confirming that ACH transfers are now available, which would allow the merchant to receive vendor discounts.

Conflicting Information: Another user contradicted this, clarifying that Shopify Balance is not a full traditional bank account. While it provides routing and account numbers for receiving deposits, it does not allow third parties to initiate ACH debits (pulling money out).

Alternative Solution: The conflicting user suggested using a personal Stripe account that supports ACH debits, connected to Shopify via third-party checkout integrations.

Status: The discussion remains unresolved with contradictory information about ACH debit capabilities.

Summarized with AI on October 25. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

Hi, Am i able to allow a vendor to directly debit (or ACH debit) my shopify balance account (using a Routing and account number) like a standard bank account?

Thanks,

Ben

1 Like
2

Hi, @bbittle

Thanks for posting your query to the Forums.

Unfortunately, direct debiting is not currently supported through Shopify Balance. Additionally, we only recommend direct debiting if the supplier has a safe portal in which you don’t need to directly provide them with your account details.

Can you provide more information about your business strategy and why you would like to direct debit instead of paying the supplier when you order inventory?

3

This would be providing my vendor with a routing and ACH number through
their secure portal. I receive a discount if I have an online account that
allows the payment directly debited from my bank account.

4

Hi, @bbittle

Thanks for that additional information! I was previously provided incorrect information. However, after speaking to our team there’s good news! We now provide ACH transfers. This means you will be able to receive the discount through your vendor.

5

No. Shopify Balance isn’t a full traditional bank account. While it gives you routing and account numbers for receiving deposits, it doesn’t allow third parties to initiate ACH debits (pulling money) like a normal checking account would. It’s intended for inbound transfers, payouts from Shopify, and payments you initiate yourself.

If your goal is to accept ACH payments from customers (or bank transfers), you’d need to use your own Stripe account that supports ACH debits or bank transfers. In that case, you can connect Stripe to your Shopify store using a third-party Shopify Stripe Checkout integration like Easy⋮ ⋮ Pie Checkout.

1 Like