ACH
Frequently Asked Questions

ACHO - Consumer

• Q: Does CEFCU offer ACH Origination (ACHO) for Consumers?

  Yes. Consumers can use ACH Origination to credit funds to their CEFCU account from another account at a different financial institution.

• Q: How can I start, change, or stop an ACHO?

  You can start, change, or stop an ACHO through CEFCU On-Line® Banking, by visiting a CEFCU Member Center, or calling the Member Contact Center at 1.800.633.7077.

• Q: What is the minimum amount required for an ACHO?

  The minimum is $5 per transaction.

• Q: How can I set up an electronic ACHO payment from an account at another financial institution to pay my loan at CEFCU?

  You can log in to CEFCU On-Line Banking to set up an External Transfer. You can also visit a Member Center or call the Member Contact Center at 1.800.633.7077 to set up an ACHO payment on your loan.

• Q: Do I have to be an authorized signer on the account at the other financial institution in order to set up the ACHO?

  Yes. In order to set up an ACHO, you must be an authorized signer on the account at the other financial institution and the account at CEFCU that the funds are credited to.

• Q: What type of accounts can an ACHO credit be posted to?

  Funds can be directed to any primary or joint Savings, Checking, Insured Money Market, Holiday Saver, or closed-end loans at CEFCU.

• Q: What type of accounts do not accept an ACHO?

  ACH transactions will not post to a CEFCU Credit Mastercard®, Certificates, IRAs, or Mortgages.

• Q: Will my ACHO that was set up at Simmons Bank transfer to my CEFCU account?

  If you had an ACHO set up at Simmons Bank prior to the conversion, that transaction will still be in place at CEFCU. You will receive a letter confirming the first transfer date once it has been transferred to CEFCU.

ACHO - Business

• Q: Does CEFCU offer ACHO for Business Accounts?

  Yes, business members can use ACHO to debit or credit funds to another business or an individual’s account at CEFCU or another financial institution. Examples of ACHO transfers done by business members include –

  • Direct Deposit of Payroll
  • Pass Thru Payroll
  • Employer HSA contributions
  • Vendor payments and invoicing
  • Tax payments
  • Collections
  • Same Day ACH Origination
  • Child Support payments
  • ACH Origination through Subsidiaries
• Q: How would using ACHO benefit my business?

  ACH transactions are fast, reliable, and more convenient than traditional paper check methods and can save your business time and money.

• Q: When can ACH files be transmitted?

  ACH files can be transmitted on any day, at any time for future effective dates. The daily cut-off time for future effective dates is 1:00 p.m. (CT) on regular business days (not on weekends and Federal Reserve Holidays). The daily cut-off time for same-day ACH files is 12:00 p.m. (CT)*, on the day of the effective date.

  *As of March 19, this cut-off time will change to 2:45 p.m. in order to accommodate the new Same-Day window being implemented by the National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA).

• Q: Do I need special equipment or software to send my business ACH files?

  No. You are able to do this with one convenient login through CEFCU On-Line or Mobile Banking.

• Q: Is there a fee for my business to use ACH Origination services?

  Please refer to the Business Rate and Fee Schedule for related fees.

• Q: Who do I contact if I have questions about an ACHO for my Business account?

  If you are a business that needs to set up ACHO services, please contact a CEFCU Business Services Relationship Specialist at 1.800.542.3328, ext. 37065.

  If you are already use ACHO, please contact CEFCU at 1.800.542.3328, ext. 33490.

ACH Receiving

• Q: What is the routing number for ACH transactions?

  CEFCU’s routing number is 271183701. This routing number is used for all transactions that require a routing number, including ACH transactions.

• Q: What is the account format for ACH transactions?

  CEFCU requires a 10-digit account number format for an ACH to post correctly and to avoid a manual hand-posting fee. You can find more information about the proper format on CEFCU’s website:
  https://www.cefcu.com/personal/learn/account-number-format.html

• Q: What happens if the account number format is incorrect?

  When an ACH (credit or debit) is received and does not process automatically due to a problem with the account number given, CEFCU will research and manually post the transaction to the correct account as long as enough account identifying information is available. CEFCU charges a $10 ACH Manual Posting Fee for this service. If the correct account is not able to be located, the item will be returned.

• Q: Will my electronic payments (such as gym memberships, PayPal transactions, etc.) and direct deposits continue to work after the close of business on March 12th?

  Direct deposits and electronic payments that were set up electronically (as an ACH) with your Simmons Bank routing number and account number will continue to process for a period of time after the close of business on March 12th. CEFCU will attempt to notify companies to update your account information; however, it is important for you to ensure those companies have your new account information. Your prompt attention to this will ensure there are no delays in your direct deposit or other electronic transactions.

• Q: What will happen to my ACH items if they come through CEFCU before March 12th?

  ACH transactions received at CEFCU before the end of business on March 12th will be returned.

• Q: What is your processing schedule? When are credits and debits posted to my account?

  ACH credits are posted to accounts based on the effective date that is included with the file. If the credit is received before the effective date, credits will post to accounts by 9 a.m. (CT) on the morning of the effective date. Debits are posted to accounts the evening of the effective date.

• Q: Who do I contact if I have additional questions related to an ACH or an ACH dispute?

  For ACH related questions or disputes for items received after March 12th, contact CEFCU at 1.800.542.3328, ext. 33404. For questions related to transactions prior to March 12th, please contact Simmons Bank.

• Q: How do I place a stop payment on an ACH transaction?

  Please visit a CEFCU Member Center, contact the Member Contact Center at 1.800.633.7077, or request a stop payment through CEFCU On-Line Banking.

• Q: What happens to a stop payment that I placed on my Simmons Account prior to the conversion? Does that carry over to the CEFCU system?
  • One-time stop pays for ACH payments and check payments will carry over until whichever comes first:
    • a) the intended item is stopped or
    • b) 90 days after closing.
  • Stop pays for recurring ACH payments will carry over to CEFCU and remain in place indefinitely or until it is requested to be removed by the member.
• Q: When do the funds have to be transmitted?
  • Funds can be transmitted on any day, at any time for future effective days.
  • Daily cutoff time for future effective dates is 1:00 p.m. (CT)
  • Daily cutoff time for Same Day effective dates is 12:00 p.m. (CT), the day of.
• Q: What makes a Same Day ACH payment different than a regular ACH payment?

  A Same Day ACH payment is a debit or credit entry that is submitted the day the business wishes it to post to the receiver’s account. The funds will also settle between the two financial institutions that same day. A regular, future dated, ACH payment is a debit or credit entry that is submitted prior to the date the business wishes to post to the receiver’s account. Based on the date the business chooses as the effective date, the Federal Reserve will give the entry a correlating settlement date for the funds to settle between the two financial institutions.

• Q: One Social Security deposit posted for me and my spouse. How do I know the amount of each Social Security payment? Can these be posted separately?

  If an account receives multiple Social Security payments to one account on the same day, the payments are deposited together. To get a breakdown of the individual payment amounts, contact CEFCU at 1.800.542.3328, ext. 33417 for more information.