Import from ACH File

Overview

ACH File Import lets you create a payment template by uploading an existing NACHA ACH file. Instead of building a template from scratch, FiSTWorks reads the file and automatically extracts your batch structure, payment amounts, and recipient details for you.

When to use this feature:

• You're switching from another system and want to recreate your recurring payment setups quickly.
• Your bank gave you a copy of an ACH file you want to reuse as a template.
• You want to start from a known-good file rather than entering everything by hand.

Getting Started

ACH File Import is available to users on a paid plan.

1. Navigate to ACH Drafter and click the Templates tab.
2. Click Import from ACH File in the upper-right corner of the Templates card.
3. The import drop zone opens inline — the rest of the Drafter stays visible.

Step 1: Upload the File

Drag and drop your ACH file onto the upload area, or click Choose File to browse.

File requirements:

• Format: .ach or .txt
• Maximum size: 1 MB
• Maximum batches: 50
• Maximum entries (recipients): 2,500
• Supported payment types: PPD, CCD, CTX, WEB, TEL

If the file doesn't meet these requirements, an error message will explain what needs to change.

Step 2: Review the Preview

FiSTWorks analyzes the file and shows a preview before saving anything. Review each section:

File Summary

Confirms the file was read successfully and shows the number of batches and entries found.

Business Details

Shows the business information detected in the file (the name and ID your business uses on ACH files).

• If your business details are already saved, this section shows "Using your existing business details." No action needed.
• If this is your first import, a form appears with the values from the file pre-filled. Review them and correct anything that doesn't match your actual business information before continuing.

Destination Bank

Your destination bank is the bank you submit ACH files to (typically your own bank or a payment processor).

• If FiSTWorks already knows your destination bank, this section confirms it.
• If FiSTWorks finds a bank in your list that matches the file's routing number but hasn't been marked as your destination bank yet, you'll be asked to confirm it.
• If no match is found, FiSTWorks will add the bank automatically when you confirm the import.

Banks

Lists the receiving banks from the file (your recipients' banks). New banks are marked with a green New badge. Banks already in your account are marked with a gray Existing badge.

Recipients

Lists the individuals or businesses being paid. New recipients are marked New; those already in your account are marked Existing and won't be duplicated.

Account numbers are always masked to the last 4 digits in the preview.

Batches (if the file has multiple batches)

Shows each batch in the file with its payment type, description, and entry count. If the file mixes test (prenote) and live entries, they appear as separate rows.

Errored Entries (if any)

If some entries in the file have problems — such as an invalid routing number — they are listed here and will not be imported. You can still import the valid entries; only the problematic ones are skipped.

If the error list is long, a Download full error report (CSV) button appears so you can review all issues offline.

Acknowledgements (if required)

Some files require you to confirm you've read certain notices before proceeding:

The Confirm Import button stays disabled until all acknowledgements are checked.

Template Name

At the bottom of the preview, you can review and edit the name that will be given to the new template. The name defaults to the filename without the extension.

Step 3: Confirm the Import

Once you've reviewed the preview:

1. Update the template name if needed.
2. Click Confirm Import.
3. FiSTWorks creates the template and redirects you to the Templates tab, where the new template appears immediately.

What Happens After Import

After a successful import:

• A new template is added to your Templates tab with the batch and entry structure from the file.
• New recipients from the file are added to your recipient list. Existing recipients that matched by routing number and account number are reused as-is — no duplicates are created.
• New banks from the file are added to your bank list.
• If business details were confirmed for the first time, they are saved to your account.

From here, use the new template to generate files: click Use Template, set the effective date, adjust amounts if needed, and generate.

Cancelling an Import

To cancel without saving:

• Click Back to templates (before uploading) to return to the Templates list.
• Click Cancel (after the preview appears) to discard the import. No template, recipients, or banks are saved.

If you've made edits to the originator form, FiSTWorks will ask you to confirm before discarding.

Tips

• Resuming after a cancel — If you upload the same file again after cancelling, FiSTWorks restores your previous template name and any originator-form edits automatically.
• Importing the same file more than once — That's fine. Each import creates a new template, and FiSTWorks recognizes and reuses your existing recipients and banks so there's no duplication.
• Large error lists — If more than 25 entries have problems, use the CSV download to review them all. You can fix the source file and re-import once the issues are resolved.
• Previews expire after 30 minutes — If you leave the preview open for a long time and then try to confirm, FiSTWorks will prompt you to re-upload the file. Your template name and business-detail edits will be restored automatically.