Excavation companies face payment challenges that many general business tools do not address well. When a single equipment invoice can exceed $200,000 and project payments stretch across multiple milestones, the wrong payment platform can add fees, delays, and reconciliation work to high-value transactions. The global B2B digital payment market was valued at $4.6 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $57.6 billion by 2030, while many contractors still rely on checks, bank portals, and disconnected tools that add manual work and avoidable fees.
Finding the right platform means balancing high-value transaction support, free ACH payments, and integration with accounting tools like QuickBooks. This guide compares leading B2B payment platforms based on construction fit, transaction limits, fees, and accounting workflows. Here are leading options for excavation companies in 2026.
*Disclaimer: Pricing and feature details are subject to change. Always check directly with each provider for the most up-to-date information.*
Key Takeaways
- Free ACH saves significant money: Excavation invoices often exceed $100,000, making percentage-based ACH fees costly. Platforms offering unlimited free ACH can provide major savings.
- Transaction limits matter: Some platforms and plan tiers limit larger payments or require additional review. Excavation companies should confirm transaction limits before choosing a provider.
- QuickBooks integration is essential: Many contractors use QuickBooks for accounting, so native integration can reduce manual reconciliation by syncing payment and invoice data.
- Construction-specific workflows can help: Progress billing, job costing, approval workflows, and vendor payment tracking may matter depending on how each excavation company manages projects.
Why Excavation Companies Need Specialized B2B Payment Software
Platforms built around low-ticket or retail-style transactions are not always a fit for excavation companies. A typical project can involve equipment purchases, material suppliers, subcontractor payments, and milestone billing that each reach five or six figures. When 44% of B2B invoices are overdue, cash flow management becomes critical.
Traditional payment methods create friction at every step. Manual check processing ties up staff time, percentage-based fees eat into margins on large invoices, and disconnected systems require hours of reconciliation work each week. Modern B2B payment software can reduce these problems through automation, direct bank transfers, and accounting integration.
The right platform handles high-value transactions without excessive fees, integrates with your existing QuickBooks setup, and provides the approval workflows needed when multiple people manage payments. For excavation companies, this can mean faster collections, lower costs, and better visibility into cash position.
1) Nickel
Best For: Small to mid-sized excavation contractors processing high-value invoices
Starting Price: $0/month Core plan
Free Consultation: Talk to a real person available; self-service signup also available
Nickel is built for America’s core businesses, including industrial companies that need to pay and get paid through ACH, card, wire, and check payments. The platform is trusted by 20,000+ industrial small businesses and brings accounts receivable, bill pay, QuickBooks integration, reconciliation, and payment workflows into one system.
Key Features
- Unlimited free ACH transfers with no monthly ACH caps
- Plan-based transaction limits, with Core supporting up to $25,000 per payment and Plus and Pro listing up to $1,000,000 per transaction
- Native QuickBooks Online and Desktop integration
- One-for-one settlement for simplified reconciliation
- Bill pay for vendors, subcontractors, and suppliers
- 2.9% flat rate on credit card transactions
- Pro plan support for API access and custom integrations with ERP or accounting software
Why It Made the List
Nickel stands out for excavation companies because it combines unlimited free ACH with plan-based transaction limits designed for high-value B2B payments. Some alternatives charge percentage-based ACH fees or cap free monthly ACH volume, while Nickel offers unlimited free ACH with no monthly ACH caps.
Nickel’s site highlights a 4.9/5 rating on G2 and recognition as "#1 Easiest to Use Payment Solution." For excavation companies that already use QuickBooks, Nickel’s native integration helps sync invoices, payments, and reconciliation data without forcing teams to rebuild their accounting workflow.
On Nickel’s free ACH page, an O’Brien Harris controller mentions handling transactions north of $250K, which reflects the high-value payment context excavation companies often face. Nickel is designed for large B2B payments, with workflows that help reduce unnecessary payment friction and make reconciliation easier for finance teams.
2) Paystand
Best For: Excavation companies comparing construction payment workflows and AR automation
Starting Price: Custom pricing
Paystand offers payment and receivables tools for construction businesses, including bank payment processing through its blockchain-based network. Its construction page emphasizes digital payments, ERP connectivity, payment portals, and payment visibility for contractors.
Key Features
- Bank payments through Paystand’s payment network
- 1.99% credit card rate according to Paystand
- Construction-focused receivables and payment workflows
- ERP integrations with systems such as NetSuite, Sage, Dynamics 365, and Acumatica
Why It Was Included
Paystand is relevant for excavation companies that want to compare construction-focused receivables automation and ERP-connected payment workflows. Its construction positioning is clear, but excavation companies should review pricing, implementation requirements, and accounting fit directly with Paystand before comparing it against Nickel’s free ACH and QuickBooks-focused payment workflows.
3) BILL
Best For: Growing excavation companies evaluating broader AP and AR automation
Starting Price: $49/user/month for AP or AR Essentials; Enterprise pricing is custom
BILL combines accounts payable, accounts receivable, spend, and expense management tools. The company reports 500,000+ businesses, 8.3 million network members, and large payment volume across its platform.
Key Features
- AP automation from bill capture to approvals
- Two-way sync with QuickBooks, NetSuite, and Xero
- Large payment network for vendor connectivity
- AP, AR, spend, and expense management options
Why It Was Included
BILL may fit excavation companies that want a broader financial operations platform across AP, AR, spend, and expenses. However, teams should compare plan costs, transaction fees, ACH options, and implementation needs closely. For excavation companies focused on high-value B2B payments, free ACH, and straightforward QuickBooks-connected workflows, Nickel remains the stronger fit.
4) AvidXchange
Best For: Mid-sized excavation companies with more complex vendor invoice workflows
Starting Price: Custom pricing
AvidXchange offers AvidSuite for Construction, an accounts payable automation solution for construction finance teams. The platform includes TimberScan for invoice automation and AvidPay for payment processing.
Key Features
- TimberScan construction invoice automation
- AvidPay for bill payment automation
- Supplier network for electronic payments
- Centralized purchase-to-pay processes
Why It Was Included
AvidXchange focuses on "accounts payable automation for construction" and is most relevant for companies with dedicated AP teams, higher invoice volume, and more formal purchase-to-pay processes. Excavation companies should compare AvidXchange against Nickel if they need AP automation, but Nickel is the stronger fit for teams prioritizing unlimited free ACH, high-value B2B payments, and practical QuickBooks-connected payment workflows.
5) Procore Invoice Management
Best For: Excavation companies already using Procore for project management
Pricing: Part of Procore platform, custom pricing
Procore Invoice Management connects billing to project data, creating workflows from field operations to finance. The invoice dashboard tracks status, percent complete, and payments across projects.
Key Features
- Invoice dashboard tracking status and percent complete
- Automated billing periods aligned with accounting
- Collaborative invoice review and approval workflows
- Automatic documentation assembly for upstream invoices
Why It Made the List
For excavation companies already using Procore's project management platform, the invoice management module can reduce duplicate data entry between project and billing workflows. One customer, TruEdge Builds, reduced invoice creation from two weeks to 10 minutes using the system. Procore is most relevant for contractors that already manage projects inside its platform and want invoice workflows tied to project data.
6) Knowify
Best For: Trade contractors needing job costing with payment integration
Pricing: Starts at $99/month
Knowify targets trade contractors, including excavation, electrical, and HVAC businesses, with a focus on job costing and QuickBooks integration. The platform describes itself as "The #1 QuickBooks integration in construction".
Key Features
- Native QuickBooks Online and Desktop integration
- Streamlined AIA pay apps and progress billing
- Payment integrations with Square, Intuit, and PaySimple
- Job costing tied to project budgets
Why It Made the List
Knowify addresses the gap between project management and payment processing that many trade contractors experience. One business owner reports that the platform "easily saves me 20-40 hours a week" by connecting job costing to billing workflows. The $99/month starting price makes it accessible for smaller excavation operations that need more than basic invoicing but do not need an enterprise construction platform.
7) QuickBooks Payments
Best For: Excavation companies already standardized on QuickBooks Online
Pricing: Transaction-based pricing
QuickBooks Payments keeps payment acceptance and bookkeeping inside the QuickBooks Online workflow. Payment data can flow directly into QuickBooks, which can reduce manual entry for businesses already using QuickBooks as their accounting system.
Key Features
- Native integration with QuickBooks Online
- Automatic bookkeeping sync for payments
- Volume discounts for qualifying higher-processing businesses
- Transaction-based pricing with no setup fees, hidden fees, or monthly minimums listed by QuickBooks
Why It Made the List
For excavation companies already committed to QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Payments can reduce setup complexity by keeping payment acceptance inside the accounting workflow. However, ACH bank payments are listed at 1%, which can add up quickly on large excavation invoices compared to Nickel's unlimited free ACH with no monthly ACH caps.
8) Melio
Best For: Small excavation contractors prioritizing simplicity
Pricing: $0/month, transaction fees apply
Melio is a bill pay platform for small businesses. The company says it serves 100,000+ business owners and has processed $100B+ securely, based on company records.
Key Features
- No monthly subscription listed for core bill pay workflows
- Pay vendors by card even when vendors do not accept cards
- QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, and Xero integration
- AI-powered bill capture and Agent Mel payment assistant
Why It Made the List
Melio's platform is designed for small businesses that want a simple bill pay workflow. Melio also displays 2025 G2 badges for Easiest Setup and Easiest to Use in the small-business category. The company reports that customers save 15+ hours monthly on bill pay and says it has processed 40M+ bills. For excavation companies with high ACH volume, Nickel remains the stronger fit because Nickel offers unlimited free ACH with no monthly ACH caps and supports high-value B2B payment workflows.
9) Resolve Pay
Best For: Suppliers evaluating net terms financing
Pricing: Custom pricing
Resolve Pay focuses on net terms financing and accounts receivable workflows for B2B suppliers. Resolve says approved invoices can receive non-recourse coverage, meaning the merchant is protected from nonpayment risk on eligible approved transactions.
Key Features
- Non-recourse coverage for approved invoices
- Funding options for approved invoices
- AI-supported credit decisioning
- Accounts receivable automation tools
Why It Made the List
Resolve Pay is most relevant for suppliers that offer payment terms and want financing support around receivables. Resolve states that customers may see about a 90% reduction in manual AR work and 30-60% faster payment cycles, based on its own materials. This makes Resolve more relevant for supplier financing workflows than for excavation service companies that primarily need to collect and send high-value project payments.
10) Stripe
Best For: Excavation companies with technical resources or international payment needs
Pricing: Transaction-based, typically 2.9% + 30¢ for online card payments
Stripe is a developer-focused payments platform used by businesses that need customizable payment infrastructure. Stripe reported $1.9 trillion in payment volume in 2025. The platform supports 135+ currencies and reports 99.999% average historical uptime.
Key Features
- Extensive API for custom payment experiences
- Global payment support with 135+ currencies
- AI-powered fraud detection through Stripe Radar
- Developer documentation and infrastructure tools
Why It Made the List
Stripe offers flexibility for excavation companies with technical resources to build custom payment workflows. The global payment capabilities may help companies working with international customers or suppliers. However, Stripe typically requires more technical implementation and is not built specifically around excavation payment workflows, high-value ACH cost savings, or construction-specific payment operations.
How Nickel Delivers the Strongest Fit for Excavation Companies
When evaluating B2B payment software for excavation operations, Nickel stands out on the criteria that matter most for high-value work: unlimited free ACH, large-transaction support, QuickBooks sync, and live support.
The unlimited free ACH alone can create meaningful savings. Consider a $200,000 equipment purchase: a platform charging a 1% ACH fee would cost $2,000 on that single transaction. Nickel charges $0 for ACH payments. Multiply that across large invoices, vendor payments, deposits, and progress payments, and the savings can become substantial.
Nickel supports large payments up to $1M each on eligible plans, with plan-based transaction limits where relevant. That matters for excavation companies handling equipment purchases, subcontractor payments, deposits, and high-value project invoices. The Get Paid functionality lets you accept credit cards, ACH, and checks through branded payment links, while Bill Pay helps manage vendor and subcontractor payments in one platform.
Nickel is trusted by 20,000+ businesses across America's core industries. Combined with QuickBooks sync, one-for-one settlement, a 4.9/5 G2 rating, and real human support, Nickel gives excavation companies a practical payment platform built around high-value B2B workflows.
Ready to reduce ACH fees and simplify payment workflows? Learn more about Nickel to see how it fits your excavation business.
Frequently Asked Questions
What payment challenges do excavation companies face that B2B software addresses?
Excavation companies deal with high-value invoices, project milestones, vendor payments, and subcontractor relationships. B2B payment software can reduce manual reconciliation, centralize payment workflows, and lower avoidable fees on large transactions. Nickel is especially strong for excavation companies because it supports high-value B2B payments and offers unlimited free ACH with no monthly ACH caps.
How much can unlimited free ACH save an excavation company?
Savings depend on payment volume and invoice size. An excavation company processing $500,000 annually in ACH payments could pay $5,000 to $15,000 in fees on platforms charging 1% to 3%. Nickel's unlimited free ACH eliminates those ACH transaction fees for eligible payments, making it especially valuable for high-value excavation invoices and vendor payments.
What QuickBooks integration features matter most for excavation contractors?
Look for native integration that syncs invoices, payments, and reconciliation data automatically. One-for-one settlement, where each transaction settles individually rather than in batches, simplifies matching payments to specific invoices. Nickel provides both features, making it the stronger choice for excavation companies that want QuickBooks-connected payments without adding avoidable ACH fees.
Can B2B payment software handle progress billing and retainage?
Construction-specific platforms like Procore Invoice Management and Knowify include features for progress billing, retainage tracking, and milestone payments. Many general-purpose payment platforms do not focus on construction-specific workflows like retainage, AIA billing, or progress billing, so contractors may need construction software or manual workarounds. For payment collection, vendor payments, and ACH cost savings, Nickel remains the superior fit for excavation companies processing high-value B2B transactions.
What security standards should excavation companies look for?
Look for SOC 2 controls, PCI-related card-payment safeguards, encryption, tokenization, and clear banking relationships. Nickel states that it maintains SOC 2 compliance with quarterly audits, and banking services are provided by Grasshopper Bank, N.A., Member FDIC. For excavation companies moving large payments, Nickel combines security standards with high-value payment workflows, free ACH, and real human support.
