Paying your bills just got cheaper: Standard ACH is now free in Xero

Every month, US small businesses pay fees just to move money from their account to a supplier’s. It’s a cost that adds up, and it’s one that shouldn’t have to exist.

That’s why we’re excited to share that standard ACH bill payments are now free for all US Xero business plan customers. Pay your bills directly in Xero with no ACH transaction fees, no extra subscriptions, and no need to log into your bank.

Why cash flow management matters more than ever

Cash flow is the common pain point for almost every small business owner I talk to. And the numbers back that up: nearly half of all invoices are paid later due to lack of funds, more than a third of small businesses struggle to make sure they have enough to cover what’s due, and over half spend more than four hours a month managing accounts payable.*

But the bigger issue is often fragmentation. Accounting in one place, payments in another, bank login in a third tab. You end up spending more time piecing things together than actually running your business.

One platform, from bill to paid

Online bill payments powered by Melio is designed to fix that. Once a bill arrives in Xero, you can approve, pay, and reconcile it without leaving the platform. No separate bank login. No manual matching. No re-entering the same details across different systems.

Small businesses using Xero for bill management save an average of five hours a week.** That’s time back to focus on the work that actually grows your business.

What free Standard ACH means for you

With Standard ACH now free on all Xero Early, Growing, and Established plans, that means:  

• Pay as many bills as you want via standard ACH with no extra cost, included in your existing Xero plan.  
• Schedule payments in advance so you can plan around your cash flow.  
• Bills are automatically matched and reconciled in Xero once payment goes through.  
• Suppliers get paid however works best for them: standard ACH, wire transfer, check, or virtual card. 

If you need same-day ACH, real-time payments, wire transfers, international payments, overnight checks, or want to pay by card, a payment fee applies. But for the everyday bill payments most businesses make, free standard ACH covers it.

For accountants and bookkeepers: free standard ACH also means cleaner books. Bills paid in Xero reconcile automatically, so there’s no manual matching and one less workflow to manage outside the platform.

Getting started 

Setup only takes a few minutes. Submit your business details, connect a bank account via Melio, and once you’re verified you’re ready to go. No Melio subscription required. It’s all included in your Xero plan.

If you’ve already set up online bill payments in Xero, you don’t need to do anything, and can start making ACH payments immediately at no extra cost. Otherwise, go to the Bills section in Xero and follow the prompts to get started.

*Source: Xero Global Payments Report ‘I want to pay that way’, 2024

** Source: Survey conducted by Xero of 485 small businesses globally using Xero, October 2025