Using Dual Approvals for ACH Payments

  • 3 minute(s) read
Prev Next

With Dual Approvals, when an Org user with proper permissions submits an ACH payment, it is submitted for approval to all Org users with permissions to approve payments on the web app and mobile app.

The user who initiates the payment receives an on-screen confirmation that the payment was submitted for approval.

Payment submitted for approval to Bob Smith for $20 with delivery speed of 1-3 days.

All users with permissions to approve ACH payments receive an email notification when a payment is submitted for approval, as well as an on-screen message once they log in to the web app or mobile app.

Narmi Banking dashboard showing a pending approval notification.

The following conditions apply to Dual Approvals for ACH payments:

  • If a scheduled single ACH payment is not approved or rejected by the time the scheduled payment processor runs on the morning of the scheduled date, the payment is canceled and assigned “Expired” status. Expired approvals appear in Approval History.

  • A scheduled recurring ACH payment that is not approved or rejected by the scheduled date is skipped; however, the recurring schedule will remain in place, and future payments will occur if approved by the time the scheduled payment processor runs on the morning of the scheduled date. The skipped payment still counts towards the total number of recurring payments. For example, if you scheduled 10 recurring payments and one was skipped, only 9 payments would remain scheduled.

  • Refer to "Dual Approval Email Notifications" below for details on the email communications sent for Dual Approvals.

In this article:

Approve or Reject ACH Payments on the Web App

To review ACH payments and approve or reject them via Dual Approvals on the web app:

  1. Select Review now from the on-screen message (shown above) in the web app, or select the approval link in the email received.
    Alternatively, users can access approvals from the web app via Tools > Dual approvals.

    Aqua Bank dashboard showing tools and dual approvals option for account management.


  2. The Pending Approvals tab is shown by default, indicating the number of pending approvals. Hover over the row of the payment you’d like to review and select View to see details.

    Pending approvals list showing details for Bob Smith's $100.00 transaction.

    Pending approvals within 24 hours of the scheduled payment date display an infotip indicating that the payment must be approved soon.

    Pending payment approval for Bob Smith, submitted by Lucas Styles, amounting to $50.00.

    A side panel opens with payment details. Select Approve or Reject.

    Review payment details for a transaction to Bob Smith from Luke's Diner.

    You can also check the box next to the payment you’d like to approve or reject.

    Pending approval for a payment of $100 to Bob Smith by Jane Reynolds.

    If there are multiple payments in the list, you can check the top box to select all payments and approve or reject in bulk.

    Pending approvals list showing scheduled dates, amounts, and submitters for transactions.

  3. On the confirmation dialog, select Yes, approve or Yes, reject.

    Confirmation prompt asking to approve a payment with options to cancel or proceed.

Approve or Reject ACH Payments on the Mobile App

To review ACH payments and approve or reject them via Dual Approvals on the mobile app:

  1. Select Review now from the onscreen message in the mobile app, or select the approval link in the email received.

    Notification of nine pending approvals with account balances displayed below.


    Alternatively, users can access approvals from the mobile app via More > Login & Security > Dual approvals.

    Settings menu showing options for Face ID and dual approvals for security.

  2. On the page that appears, the Pending approvals tab is shown by default, indicating the number of pending approvals. Select Approve or Reject or select the payment to open payment details.

    Pending approval for a $2.55 payment to Late Bloomers Landscaping by Collab Roofing.


    You can also approve or reject from the details screen that opens.

    Transaction details for a payment of $2.55 to Late Bloomers Landscaping.

    A confirmation message appears to let you know that the submitter has been notified.

    Payment approval notification indicating the submitter has been informed successfully.

Dual Approval Email Notifications

We send the following email notifications for Dual Approvals:

  • When an ACH payment is approved or rejected, the user who initiated the payment receives an email notification.

  • When an ACH payment is pending approval, all users with permission to approve ACH payments receive email notifications.

  • When a payment expires without approval, the user who initiated the payment and all users who are permitted to approve ACH payments receive email notifications.

Your institution can customize these email notifications. For details, go to End-User Communications - Business Banking.

View Approval History

To view past approvals on the web app and their statuses, go to Tools > Dual approvals, and select the Approval history tab. Possible statuses include “Approved,” “Rejected,” and “Expired.” Expired status is assigned when a single scheduled ACH payment is not approved or rejected by the time the scheduled payment processor runs on the morning of the scheduled date.

Table displaying approval history for transactions, including dates, amounts, and statuses.

On the mobile app, go to More > Login & Security > Dual approvals > History.

List of approvals showing pending and approved items with details and amounts.

Related articles