New local payment option in more than 50 countries gives finance teams an alternative to international wires and paper checks, with guidance on choosing the right route for every payment
TORONTO, October 26, 2026 — AscendantFX Capital Inc. (“Ascendant”), a provider of cross-border payment and foreign exchange solutions for businesses and financial institutions, today launched Global ACH, a new way for organizations to send international payments through local payment networks in the recipient's country. Global ACH is available in more than 50 countries and 20 currencies through Ascendant's aPay platform and API connectors.
With Global ACH, finance teams no longer have to choose between a paper check and an international wire for every cross-border payment. Ascendant works with clients to match each payment to the right route based on its destination, currency, value, frequency and urgency.
Moving beyond the check-or-wire default
For many accounts payable and treasury teams, an international payment has meant one of two things: mail a check or send a wire. Checks bring printing, mailing, slow delivery and extra reconciliation, yet they remain deeply embedded; PYMNTS research found that US small and midsize businesses operating for more than 20 years still make about 54% of their payments by check. Wires remain the right choice for urgent, high-value or one-time payments, but higher fees and correspondent bank deductions add up quickly for recurring, high-volume or lower-value payments.
What is Global ACH?
Global ACH is an industry term for delivering an international payment through the local clearing network in the recipient's country, such as SEPA in Europe, EFT in Canada or BACS in the United Kingdom, rather than as a wire over the SWIFT network. Recipients are paid in local currency, the way they would be paid domestically, with no intermediary bank deductions, and payments typically settle in one to four business days, depending on the destination country. Clients get a local payment experience without opening a local account.
"Today's businesses operate globally, but they expect payments to move as easily as they do within their home market," said Shemina Jiwani, CEO of Ascendant. "By enabling in-country payments, we're giving our customers access to a faster, more efficient, and more cost-effective way to move money across borders while maintaining a local payment experience."
Guidance on choosing the right route
Ascendant's payment specialists look at where clients pay, which currencies they send, how often, typical payment values, urgency and recipient requirements, then help identify the right method for each payment flow. Global ACH often suits recurring, lower-value or cost-sensitive payments such as payroll and supplier invoices, while wires remain the better fit for urgent, high-value or USD payments, or destinations where local rails are not yet supported. Clients can set their own preferences or let Ascendant select the most cost-effective method for each payment. The goal is not to replace every wire, but to send each payment based on what it needs rather than by habit.
Because each method, country and currency requires different banking details, the payment-data validation clients already rely on for wires, powered by Ascendant's Payee Intelligence™ technology, now covers Global ACH. It checks that the required details are complete and correctly formatted before a payment is sent.
Availability
Global ACH is available now in more than 50 countries and 20 currencies, including Canada, the United Kingdom, the eurozone, Australia, Mexico, India and Singapore. This is in addition to Ascendant's international wire coverage in 148 currencies across 239 countries and territories.
Existing clients will see Global ACH as an additional payment method where it is enabled for their account, and financial institutions can offer local-rail payments to their own clients without building that infrastructure themselves. To review your international payment flows, contact an Ascendant payment specialist at 1-877-452-7185 or info@ascendant.world, or visit our Global ACH page.
About Ascendant
Ascendant is a leading global payments provider, making international payments effortless for businesses and financial institutions. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Toronto with offices across North America, Ascendant enables payments in 148 currencies to 239 countries and territories, supported by consultative experts and modern APIs. In 2025, Ascendant acquired Financial Transmission Network, Inc. (FTNI), adding accounts receivable automation to its payments platform.