How to Set Up Approval Rules for ACH Debits with Slash

Overview

ACH debit approval rules allow you to control which companies can withdraw funds from your Slash account and under what conditions. An ACH debit (also called an ACH pull) is a transaction where an external party withdraws money directly from your account with your authorization—common examples include subscription payments, utility bills, and vendor payments.

Slash's ACH authorization system allows you to define ACH debit approval policies based on the sender's identity and transaction amount to prevent unauthorized or unexpected withdrawals.

The system operates on two levels:

Default approval rules: Apply to all non-authorized vendors attempting to pull funds from your account
Vendor-specific authorizations: Whitelist trusted vendors with defined transaction limits for automatic approval

When an ACH debit request arrives at your account, Slash checks whether the requesting company is on your authorized vendor list. If the vendor is authorized and the amount is within their limit, the transaction processes automatically. If the vendor is not authorized or the amount exceeds their limit, the request follows your manual review policy, requiring designated team members to approve or reject the transaction before funds are released.

By default, Slash accounts require one review from an Admin or Owner for non-authorized vendors, and will auto-approve the request if no action is taken before the manual review window expires. You can customize these settings to match your organization's risk tolerance and operational needs.

How to Configure Approval Rules for Non-Authorized Vendors with Slash

These are the baseline rules that apply to any company attempting to debit your account that you haven't specifically whitelisted.

Step 1: Navigate to the Payment Policies Page

From your Slash dashboard homepage, locate the 'Payments' section in the left-hand sidebar and click on it. This section contains all payment-related settings and controls for your organization.

Step 2: Access Payment Policies Settings

Click on 'Payment Policies' to access the approval configuration area. This is where you'll manage all approval rules for both outgoing transfers and incoming ACH debits.

Step 3: Locate the ACH Authorization Approval Rule

Find the 'ACH Authorization Approval Rule' section within Payment Policies. Click the dropdown arrow to expand this section and view the current default policy.

By default, this policy requires one review from either an Admin or Owner, and will auto-approve the ACH debit request if no reviewer takes action before the manual review window expires. This default provides basic protection while preventing legitimate payments from being blocked indefinitely.

Step 4: Edit the Default Approval Rule

Click the pencil icon next to the rule to open the policy configuration interface. This allows you to customize how non-authorized vendor requests are handled.

Step 5: Configure Your Default Policy

You have two primary options for handling non-authorized vendors:

Auto-approve all ACH debit transactions: All incoming debit requests process automatically without review (not recommended for most organizations due to fraud risk)
Require manual approval: Designated reviewers must authorize each transaction before funds are released

If selecting manual approval, configure the following:

Number of reviews required: Specify how many approvals must be obtained before an ACH debit can process
Authorized reviewers: Assign who can review and approve ACH debit requests by selecting either:
Specific roles (Owner, Admin)
Individual users from your organization
Auto-approval timeout: Determine whether requests auto-approve if no action is taken within the review window, or whether they should be automatically rejected instead

Step 6: Save Your Default Policy

Once you've configured your baseline approval requirements, click 'Save' to activate the policy. This will take effect immediately for all future ACH debit requests from non-authorized vendors.

How to Authorize Specific Vendors with Transaction Limits

For vendors you trust and pay regularly, you can create vendor-specific authorizations that allow their ACH debits to process automatically up to a defined limit.

Step 1: Navigate to Payment Policies

From your Slash dashboard homepage, navigate to 'Payments' using the left-hand sidebar, then click on 'Payment Policies'.

Step 2: Access the Vendor Authorization Section

Under the 'ACH Authorization Approval Rule' section, click '+ Authorize New Vendor'. This opens the vendor authorization configuration interface.

Step 3: Enter Vendor Name

Enter the vendor's legal or business name in the 'Vendor Name' field (required). You can search from existing vendors in your transaction history or enter a custom name for new vendors.

Step 4: Add the Vendor's ACH Company ID

Enter the vendor's ACH Company ID in the 'ACH Company ID(s)' field (required). The ACH Company ID is a unique identifier assigned to each company that initiates ACH transactions. This ensures you're authorizing the correct entity.

See the "How to Find ACH ID for Popular Vendors" section below for instructions on locating this identifier.

Step 5: Set the Transaction Limit

Enter the maximum amount this vendor can withdraw in a single transaction in the 'Single Transaction Limit' field (required). ACH debit pulls up to this amount will be auto-approved. Any transaction above the limit will follow your manual review policy, requiring designated reviewers to approve before processing.

For example, if you set a $5,000 limit for a software subscription vendor, their monthly $500 charge will auto-approve, but if they attempt to charge $6,000 for an annual upgrade, that transaction will require manual approval.

Step 6: Save the Vendor Authorization

Click 'Save Changes' to activate the vendor authorization. The vendor will now be able to automatically withdraw funds from your account up to the specified limit.

You can create multiple vendor authorizations, each with their own transaction limits. Review and update these authorizations periodically to ensure they remain appropriate for your business relationship with each vendor.

How to Find an ACH ID

The ACH Company ID is used to create accurate vendor authorizations. If you've previously received ACH debits from a vendor, Slash makes it easy to locate their ID.

Step 1: Navigate to the Payments Page

From your Slash dashboard homepage, locate the 'Payments' section in the left-hand sidebar and click on it.

Step 2: Locate the Vendor Transaction

Find the vendor under your recent 'Inbound ACH Debit' transactions. You can filter your transaction list to show only inbound ACH debits to make this easier.

Step 3: Open Transaction Details

Click on the relevant transaction from the vendor to open the transaction detail view.

Step 4: Expand Advanced Transaction Details

In the transaction detail view, locate and expand the 'Advanced Transaction Details' tab. This section contains technical information about the ACH transaction.

Step 5: Copy the Company ID

Under the expanded section, you'll see a field labeled 'Company ID'—this is the vendor's ACH Company ID. Copy this identifier and use it when creating your vendor authorization following the steps outlined above.

For Vendors Without Prior Transactions

If you're authorizing a vendor for the first time and haven't received an ACH debit from them yet, you can obtain their ACH Company ID by:

Searching online for "[Company Name] ACH Company ID"
Contacting the vendor directly and requesting their ACH Company ID
Checking the vendor's payment setup documentation or account settings

Additional Features and Considerations

Manual Review Windows

When an ACH debit requires manual approval, reviewers have a limited time window to take action before the default behavior (auto-approve or auto-reject) occurs. This window is typically 24-48 hours but may vary based on when the ACH request is received and processing schedules. Ensure your team monitors pending approvals regularly to avoid unintended outcomes.

ACH Company ID Variations

Some vendors may appear under slightly different names in your transaction history even though they use the same ACH Company ID. For example, Slash Financial uses ACH Company ID 1852827077 but may appear as "SLASH FINANCIAL PAYMENT," "SLASH - SLASH FI," or "Slash Financial" in transaction descriptions. The Company ID is the definitive identifier, not the display name.

Modifying Existing Vendor Authorizations

You can edit or remove vendor authorizations at any time by navigating to 'Payment Policies' > 'ACH Authorization Approval Rule' and clicking on the vendor you wish to modify. You can:

Increase or decrease their transaction limit
Add additional ACH Company IDs if the vendor uses multiple
Delete the authorization entirely to revert them to the default approval policy

Role-Based vs User-Based Approvals

When configuring reviewers for manual approvals, consider whether role-based or user-based assignments work better for your organization:

Role-based approvals: Any user with the designated role (Owner, Admin) can approve. This provides operational flexibility when specific individuals are unavailable.
User-based approvals: Only designated individuals can approve. This provides tighter control but may create bottlenecks.

Verify the vendor is on your authorized vendor list
Check that the transaction amount was within their authorized limit
Confirm the ACH Company ID in the transaction matches the ID in your authorization
Identify the ACH return code presented after the debit failed; visit our ACH return code glossary to learn what the code means and how to resolve it

The Slash Global USD account does not support ACH debit pulls initiated by external accounts.

Approval Window Expired

If an ACH debit auto-approved or auto-rejected because the review window expired:

Check your notification settings to ensure reviewers receive timely alerts
Consider adjusting your default policy's timeout behavior
Designate additional reviewers to provide coverage during absences
Review the manual review window duration with Slash support

Need More Help?

If you have questions about configuring ACH debit approval rules or need assistance with vendor authorizations:

Contact Slash customer support through your dashboard
Visit our blog for additional articles and FAQs
Reach out to your account manager for guidance on approval workflows that fit your organization's needs
For urgent issues with pending ACH debits, contact Slash support immediately to prevent payment disruptions

Setting Up Approval Rules for ACH Debits