Open only to associate and affiliate members of the International Cricket Council (ICC), it was contested biennially between 1996 and 2012, but was replaced by the three-division ACC Premier League in 2014 as the primary limited-overs competition for non-Test-playing ACC members.

The finalists of the 2000 and 2006 tournaments qualified for the Asia Cup, where matches had One Day International (ODI) status.

The inaugural edition of the tournament was played in Malaysia in 1996, and featured 12 teams in a single division.

Only six teams – Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Maldives, Nepal, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates – competed in all nine editions of the ACC Trophy, although the Maldives and Singapore were relegated to the "Challenge" tournament at various stages after the introduction of two divisions.

Notes: Bangladesh gained full Test status in 2000 and are no longer eligible to participate in the ACC Trophy.