The Nickel Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Nickel in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Nickel
The Insider’s Guide
Free ACH invoicing and bill pay for US businesses
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among spend and bill pay tools, read from Nickel’s own pages.
Made by Nickel Technology Inc. · checked Oct 18, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Nickel’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Nickel’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 18, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.8
GPA, above 5 of the 13 other spend and bill pay tools we grade
Nickel handles both sides of business payments: it sends invoices and payment links that customers pay by ACH or card, and pays vendors and contractors by ACH, card, wire or check. ACH payments carry no fee on any plan, and money can sit in a Nickel Balance that earns interest. Paid plans add recurring invoices, autopay, an AI assistant called Penny and higher payment limits.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Nickel, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Paying and getting paid by ACH is simple, but there's QuickBooks to connect and vendors to onboard first.
- 1
Best for free ACH bill pay and invoicing
Nickel sends invoices your customers pay by ACH or card, and pays your own vendors the same way, with ACH free on every plan.
- 2
Paid plans start at $35 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $35 per month, billed annually ($45 billed monthly).
- 3
There is a free plan
Nickel Core: 3 users, unlimited invoices and bills, free ACH, payment links and one payment page, QuickBooks sync and 2% APY on Nickel Balance, with a $25,000 limit per payment.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Free ACH both ways
Sending and receiving standard ACH costs nothing on any plan; payments clear in two to three business days, a day faster on paid plans.
- 6
Invoices and payment pages
Branded payment links, hosted payment pages, QR codes and reminders. Plus adds recurring invoices, saved cards and banks, and autopay.
- 7
Bill pay
Unlimited bills a month, scheduled ahead or paid in batches, with approval workflows and a secure link that collects vendors' bank and tax details.
- 8
A 2.8 GPA, above 5 of 13
That is against the other spend and bill pay tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Nickel you would be making money moved between bank accounts, which takes a licensed payments partner. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Nickel at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $35 per month, billed annually ($45 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial of Nickel Plus
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Nickel Technology Inc.
- Category
- Spend & Bill Pay
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
The report card
Best for free ACH bill pay and invoicing
Nickel sends invoices your customers pay by ACH or card, and pays your own vendors the same way, with ACH free on every plan. The free Core plan does all that for 3 users, with QuickBooks sync. It's web only, though, QuickBooks is the only native sync, and each payment tops out at $25,000 until you pay $35 a month.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Graded against its bill pay alternatives. A ten-person company paying 20 supplier bills a month by ACH pays $0 on the free Core plan, since ACH carries no fee on any plan. Checks are $2 and wires $25 if you need them, and Plus is $35 a month billed yearly. |
| Free plan and trial | B | Core is free with 3 users, unlimited invoices and bills, free ACH, payment links and QuickBooks sync. A small business could live on it. The walls are 3 users and $25,000 a payment, and Plus has a 14-day trial. |
| Features | C | Bill pay and getting paid are done fully, with batch payments, approvals and vendor onboarding. But it's a smaller job than the category's: no expense reports or receipt tools are listed, and Xero or NetSuite need custom work on Pro. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. Paying and getting paid by ACH is simple, but there's QuickBooks to connect and vendors to onboard first. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web only, with native sync to QuickBooks Online and Desktop on every plan. Xero, NetSuite and Salesforce need the custom integration that comes with Pro at $300 a month, and so does the API. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Nickel is for
- Great if your customers pay big invoices and you'd like them on ACH instead of card
- Handy when you run QuickBooks and want free bill pay that syncs both ways
- Good for teams of up to 3 who pay and get paid mostly by ACH
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you use Xero or NetSuite, as only QuickBooks syncs without Pro
- Tight if single payments go over $25,000 on the free plan
- Not for you if you want expense reports or receipt capture for staff
Good to know
Good for
- US businesses that collect large invoices by ACH
- Teams that want to stop paying card fees by moving customers to bank payments
- QuickBooks users who want free bill pay and receivables
Worth knowing
- Card payments cost 2.9% (another 1% for international cards), and you choose whether you or the customer pays; mailed checks cost $2 and wires $25.
- The free plan stops at 3 users and $25,000 per payment; Plus lifts that to unlimited users and $1 million.
- Native sync is QuickBooks Online and Desktop only; Xero, NetSuite or Salesforce need custom integration, included on Pro.
- Nickel says it is not a bank: banking services and its Visa commercial card are provided by Grasshopper Bank, N.A.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$35
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Nickel has a free plan. Paid plans start at $35 per month, billed annually ($45 billed monthly).
Graded against its bill pay alternatives.
Nickel Core
$0
3 users, $25,000 per-payment limit, invoices, bill pay, vendor onboarding, free ACH and QuickBooks Online and Desktop sync.
Nickel Plus
$35
per month, billed annually ($45 billed monthly)
Unlimited users, $1M per-payment limit, faster payouts, recurring invoices, autopay, 1099 filing and the Penny AI assistant.
Nickel Pro
$300
per month, billed annually ($375 billed monthly)
Adds API access, vendor verification, single sign-on, the option to turn off card payments and a dedicated account manager.
Enterprise
Custom
Multi-entity support, custom ERP and data warehouse integrations, custom per-payment pricing and a dedicated support line.
The free plan
Nickel Core: 3 users, unlimited invoices and bills, free ACH, payment links and one payment page, QuickBooks sync and 2% APY on Nickel Balance, with a $25,000 limit per payment.
Trying it first
14-day free trial of Nickel Plus
Read from nickel.com on Oct 18, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Save 20% with yearly billing
Nickel Plus costs $35 a month billed yearly instead of $45 monthly, and Nickel Pro $300 instead of $375.
Stated on nickel.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Free ACH invoicing and bill pay for US businesses. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, invoicing, bill pay.
Bill pay and getting paid are done fully, with batch payments, approvals and vendor onboarding.
- Free ACH both ways
- Sending and receiving standard ACH costs nothing on any plan; payments clear in two to three business days, a day faster on paid plans.
- Invoices and payment pages
- Branded payment links, hosted payment pages, QR codes and reminders. Plus adds recurring invoices, saved cards and banks, and autopay.
- Bill pay
- Unlimited bills a month, scheduled ahead or paid in batches, with approval workflows and a secure link that collects vendors' bank and tax details.
- Nickel Balance
- Money received can be held in a Nickel Balance earning 2% APY, where incoming ACH and card payments arrive instantly and expedited ACH is free.
- Penny AI
- From Plus, an AI assistant works from your email inbox, follows up on unpaid invoices and keeps the books reconciled.
- QuickBooks sync
- Native two-way sync with QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop on every plan, including the free one.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- QuickBooks Online
- QuickBooks Desktop
Nickel is made by Nickel Technology Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
5/13
Other spend and bill pay tools it is graded above
Nickel's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 5 of the 13 other spend and bill pay tools we grade, and level with 3.
It stands best on value for money (A, above 9 of 13) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $35 a month, against a middle price of $12 for the category: 10 of the 11 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 8 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 14 spend and bill pay tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Nickel’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 9 of 13
- BFree plan and trialAbove 6 of 13
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 13
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 13
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 13
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 13 spend and bill pay tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Nickel is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Nickel you would be making money moved between bank accounts, which takes a licensed payments partner. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $420 a year.
What you could make
- Invoicing: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- Money moved between bank accounts, which takes a licensed payments partner.
- It plugs into other products, QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. Nickel’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Melio, BILL, Plooto and Ramp
The 4 tools Nickel is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
Melio
Free plan · from $20/mo
Bill pay and invoicing for small US businesses, with a free plan.
- Only Melio lists iOS and Android apps.
- Melio also covers expense tracking.
- 2.6GPA
BILL
Free plan · from $49/mo
Bill pay, invoicing and free company cards for small businesses.
- Only BILL lists iOS and Android apps.
- BILL also covers expense tracking and company cards.
- 2.2GPA
Plooto
Free trial · from $9/mo
Bill pay and receivables for businesses in Canada and the US.
- Nickel has a free plan. Plooto does not, though it has a free trial.
- 3.6GPA
Ramp
Free plan · from $15/mo
Corporate cards, expenses, travel and bill pay, with a free plan.
- Only Ramp lists iOS and Android apps.
- Ramp also covers reports, expense tracking and company cards.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
15
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Nickel free?
Nickel has a free plan. Nickel Core: 3 users, unlimited invoices and bills, free ACH, payment links and one payment page, QuickBooks sync and 2% APY on Nickel Balance, with a $25,000 limit per payment.
How much does Nickel cost?
Nickel lists 4 plans. Nickel Core: $0.
What platforms does Nickel work on?
Nickel is available on Web.
Does Nickel offer any discounts?
Nickel publicly lists the following: Save 20% with yearly billing.
Does Nickel have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Nickel is listed for Web.
Does Nickel have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Nickel is listed for Web.
Is Nickel open source?
Nickel is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
Does Nickel have an API?
Yes. Nickel offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Nickel integrate with?
Nickel's listing names QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Does Nickel have a free trial?
Yes. 14-day free trial of Nickel Plus.
Who makes Nickel?
Nickel is made by Nickel Technology Inc.
What are the alternatives to Nickel?
The closest alternatives to Nickel in our directory are Melio, BILL, Plooto and Ramp.
How does Nickel compare with other spend and bill pay tools?
Nickel's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 5 of the 13 other spend and bill pay tools we grade, and level with 3.
Is Nickel good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Nickel A for value for money. Its paid plans start at $35 a month, against a middle price of $12 for the category: 10 of the 11 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Nickel?
To replace Nickel you would be making money moved between bank accounts, which takes a licensed payments partner.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Nickel’s own pages on Oct 18, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 18, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Nickel's own pages on 18 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Nickel Technology Inc. Prices change, so check nickel.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
2,068
Tools graded, in 57 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
2,068
tools graded
57
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Nickel, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/nickel
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Nickel: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 18, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/nickel
Know someone choosing between spend and bill pay tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/nickel/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded spend and bill pay tools after Nickel, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Spend & Bill Pay Insider's GuideEvery one of the 14 spend and bill pay tools we grade, compared
- Brex Insider's GuideCorporate cards, expenses, bill pay and travel for growing companies3.6 GPA
- Ramp Insider's GuideCorporate cards, expenses, travel and bill pay, with a free plan3.6 GPA
- Airwallex Insider's GuideMulti-currency business accounts, cards, bill pay and expenses3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Nickel’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Nickel is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Nickel Technology Inc. Prices and plans change: check nickel.com before you buy.