Change a Vendor's Preferred Payment Method in Payment Assistant

If a vendor wants to update how they receive payments — such as switching from check to ACH — you can guide them through the process. Who changes the payment method depends on whether your organization processes Payment Assistant payments through REPAY or BILL.

Change a Vendor's Preferred Payment Method with REPAY

These steps apply to organizations that process Payment Assistant payments through REPAY.

Initial Setup

When a vendor is first paid through Payment Assistant, they’re contacted by our partner, REPAY, to confirm their preferred payment method.

Tip: If you share EFT details, Payment Assistant enrolls individual vendors in ACH payments automatically. A business vendor is enrolled in ACH after it confirms ACH as its payment method.

Note: When paying individuals using Payment Assistant, those payments follow a unique process that differs from the standard process for organizations and businesses. To learn more, see Paying Individuals with Payment Assistant.

  • Options: Virtual payment card, ACH, or check

  • Contact methods:

    • Phone: 801-679-6044 or 801-762-8772

    • Email: payableshelp@repay.com

REPAY acts as an agent of your organization during this outreach.

After the vendor confirms their preference, Payment Assistant automates future communications and disbursements. Learn more about the vendor onboarding experience.

Tip: Preview how vendors are contacted when payments are issued using Payment Assistant.

If EFT details are incorrect

If ACH information doesn't pass REPAY validation (for example, the account or routing number doesn't match the vendor's account), REPAY sends a check instead of holding the payment. REPAY then continues working to enroll the vendor in their preferred payment method.

How to Change a Vendor’s Payment Method

If a vendor wants to change their payment method (for example, from check to ACH):

Vendor needs to contact REPAY directly:

Optional: Ask the vendor to notify your organization after updating their preference with REPAY. This allows you to update your vendor records and confirm the change before the next payment run.

Change a Vendor's Preferred Payment Method with BILL

Note: Don’t see this yet? The ability to use BILL with Payment Assistant is currently in an Early Adopter Program (EAP) for some of our customers. Look for full support and general availability in a future release.

With BILL, the way to change a vendor's payment method depends on whether the vendor is private or connected. A private vendor isn't on the BILL Network, and a connected vendor is.

How BILL Decides How to Pay a Vendor

For a private vendor, the information on the vendor record in Financial Edge NXT decides the payment method. If the vendor has bank information that is shared with BILL, BILL pays by ACH. If the vendor has only an address, BILL pays by check. BILL can also pay vendors it identifies as card acceptors by virtual card.

For a connected vendor, the vendor's own bank information and payment preference in BILL decide the payment method. If a vendor never responds to an invitation, nothing changes, and BILL pays the vendor by the information on file.

Payment Method Overrides for One Payment with BILL

No. You can't use a different payment method for a single payment or override the payment method for a connected vendor. A private vendor is paid by the information on the vendor record. To change how a connected vendor is paid, the vendor changes the preference in BILL, or you disconnect the vendor.

Change a Private Vendor's Payment Method with BILL

Update the vendor record in Financial Edge NXT. To pay a private vendor by ACH, add the vendor's bank information and make sure the vendor's EFT sharing status is Ready. Check the requirements for EFT sharing if the status is Not ready. A vendor with only an address on the vendor record is paid by check.

Change a Connected Vendor's Payment Method with BILL

The vendor changes the payment method in BILL. Connected vendors can sign in to a free BILL account to manage their bank information and payment preference. The vendor can use the link in an email from BILL to sign in. Changes you make to the bank information in Financial Edge NXT don't change how BILL pays a connected vendor, because BILL sends bank information only for vendors that aren't connected.

Scheduled Payments After a Payment Method or Bank Account Change with BILL

A change to a vendor's payment method affects only the next payments for that vendor.

When a vendor has a new bank account, BILL verifies it again before the next ACH payment uses it. Verification takes one to two business days. Payments in progress are sent to the previous bank account unless they are voided.

Disconnect a Vendor from the BILL Network

If BILL connected a vendor by mistake, or you want to manage how the vendor is paid yourself, disconnect the vendor. After the disconnection, BILL treats the vendor as a private vendor, and the information on the vendor record in Financial Edge NXT decides the payment method again.