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ACH Return Codes

Definition
Resources

ACH return codes identify the reason an ACH payment was returned by the recipient's bank. They make it easier for originating and receiving financial institutions to spot and communicate payment failures.

Each code begins with 'R' followed by a two digit number. For example, 'R04' indicates that an invalid account number was provided. In response, the ACH network returns a payment to the originating party if it fails to complete the request. Payments returned in this way are typically referred to as ACH Returns. ACH return codes are standardized and maintained by NACHA, the governing body for the ACH network.

How do ACH Return Codes work in practice?

NACHA prescribes separate rules for handling each return code since each one represents a unique scenario. ODFIs (Originating Depository Financial Institutions) and RDFIs (Receiving Depository Financial Institutions) are responsible for handling ACH return codes according to these rules. 

For example, let’s say a consumer's account is debited for a streaming service subscription without their authorization. In that scenario, the consumer's bank has up to 60 days after the payment has settled to return the payment to the company's bank with the ACH return code R05.

Now, let’s take a different example. Let's say the consumer has provided the streaming service with debit authorization but doesn't have enough funds in their account to cover the transaction. In this case, their bank has up to 2 days after settlement to return the payment to the streaming service with the code R02. Failure to do so within 2 days will make the consumer's bank liable for the funds.

ACH Return codes are constantly evolving, with NACHA clarifying and updating existing codes and adding new ones on a regular basis. At the time of writing, the most recent update involved repurposing the return code, R11. Now, R11 will be used when there's an error with a received payment. In this case, the error would be reported by someone who has received a payment for an incorrect amount of money or received a payment on the wrong date.

ACH Return Codes

There are currently 85 distinct ACH return codes. The most common of which are:

Code Title Account Type Time Frame
R01 Insufficient Funds Consumer or Non-Consumer 2 Banking Days
R02 Account Closed Consumer or Non-Consumer 2 Banking Days
R03 No Account / Unable to Locate Account Consumer or Non-Consumer 2 Banking Days
R04 Invalid Account Number Structure Consumer or Non-Consumer 2 Banking Days
R05 Unauthorized Consumer Debit using Corporate SEC Code Consumer 60 Calendar Days
R06 ODFI Requested Return Consumer or Non-Consumer Undefined
R07 Customer Revoked Authorization Consumer 60 Calendar Days
R08 Payment Stopped Consumer or Non-Consumer 2 Banking Days
R09 Uncollected Funds Consumer or Non-Consumer 2 Banking Days
R10 Originator not known and/or not authorized to Debit Receiver’s Account Consumer; Non-Consumer for ARC, BOC, IAT, or POP. 60 Calendar Days


The other return codes, which are less common, include:

Code Title Account Type Time Frame
R11 Customer advises not within Authorization Terms Consumer; Non-Consumer for ARC, BOC, POP, and IAT 60 Calendar Days
R12 Account Sold to Another DFI Consumer or Non-Consumer 2 Banking Days
R13 Invalid ACH Routing No. Consumer or Non-Consumer Next File Delivery Time Following Processing
R14 Representative Payee Deceased Consumer or Non-Consumer 2 Banking Days
R15 Beneficiary / Account Holder Deceased Consumer 2 Banking Days
R16 Account Frozen / Returned per OFAC Consumer or Non-Consumer 2 Banking Days
R17 File Record Edit Criteria / Suspicious Entry with Invalid Account No. / Return of Improperly-Initiated Reversal Consumer or Non-Consumer 2 Banking Days
R18 Improper Effective Date Consumer or Non-Consumer Next File Delivery Time Following Processing
R19 Amount Field Error Consumer or Non-Consumer Next File Delivery Time Following Processing
R20 Non-Transaction Account Consumer or Non-Consumer 2 Banking Days
R21 Invalid Company ID Non-Consumer 2 Banking Days
R22 Invalid Individual ID Consumer or Non-Consumer 2 Banking Days
R23 Receiver Refused Credit Consumer or Non-Consumer RDFI must transmit Return upon receipt of Refusal
R24 Duplicate Entry Consumer or Non-Consumer 2 Banking Days
R25 Addenda Error Consumer or Non-Consumer Next File Delivery Time Following Processing
R26 Mandatory Field Error Consumer or Non-Consumer Next File Delivery Time Following Processing
R27 Trace Number Error Consumer or Non-Consumer Next File Delivery Time Following Processing
R28 Routing No. Check Digit Error Consumer or Non-Consumer Next File Deliver Time Following Processing
R29 Not Authorized by Corporate Customer Non-Consumer 2 Banking Days
R30 RDFI not in Check Truncation Program Consumer or Non-Consumer Next File Delivery Time Following Processing
R31 Permissible Return (CCD and CTX only) Non-Consumer Undefined
R32 RDFI Non-Settlement Consumer or Non-Consumer Next File Delivery Time Following Processing
R33 Return of XCK Consumer or Non-Consumer 60 Calendar Days
R34 Limited Participation DFI Consumer or Non-Consumer Next File Delivery Time Following Processing
R35 Improper Debit Consumer or Non-Consumer Next File Delivery Time Following Processing
R36 Improper Credit Consumer or Non-Consumer Next File Delivery Time Following Processing
R37 Source Document Presented Consumer or Non-Consumer 60 Calendar Days
R38 Stop Payment on Source Document Consumer or Non-Consumer 60 Calendar Days
R39 Improper Source Document Consumer or Non-Consumer 2 Banking Days
R40 Return of ENR
R41 Invalid Transaction Code N/A N/A
R42 Routing No. / Check Digit Error N/A N/A
R43 Invalid DFI Account No. N/A N/A
R44 Invalid Individual ID No. N/A N/A
R45 Invalid Individual / Company Name N/A N/A
R46 Invalid Representative Payee Indicator N/A N/A
R47 Duplicate Enrollment N/A N/A
R50 State Law Affecting RCK Acceptance N/A N/A
R51 Ineligible / Improper Item Related to RCK
R52 Stop Payment on Item Related to RCK Consumer 2 Banking Days
R53 Item and RCK Presented for Payment Consumer 60 Calendar Days
R61 Misrouted Return Consumer 60 Calendar Days
R62 Erroneous / Reversing Debit Consumer 60 Calendar Days
R67 Duplicate Return
R68 Untimely Return Consumer or Non-Consumer ODFI must transmit Return within 5 Bnkg. Days
R69 Field Error Consumer or Non-Consumer ODFI must transmit Return within 5 Bnkg. Days
R70 Permissible Return Not Accepted / Not Requested by ODFI Consumer or Non-Consumer ODFI must transmit Return within 5 Bnkg. Days
R71 Misrouted Dishonored Return Consumer or Non-Consumer ODFI must transmit Return within 5 Bnkg. Days
R72 Untimely Dishonored Return Consumer or Non-Consumer ODFI must transmit Return within 5 Bnkg. Days
R73 Timely Original Return Consumer or Non-Consumer ODFI must transmit Return within 5 Bnkg. Days
R74 Corrected Return
R75 Return Not Duplicate Consumer or Non-Consumer ODFI must transmit Return within 5 Bnkg. Days
R76 No Errors Found Consumer or Non-Consumer Contested Return must be transmitted within 2 Bnkg. Days
R77 Non-Acceptance of R62 Consumer or Non-Consumer Contested Return must be transmitted within 2 Bnkg. Days
R80 IAT Coding Error Consumer or Non-Consumer Contested Return must be transmitted within 2 Bnkg. Days
R81 Non-Participant in IAT Program Consumer or Non-Consumer Contested Return must be transmitted within 2 Bnkg. Days
R82 Invalid Foreign RDFI Identification Consumer or Non-Consumer Contested Return must be transmitted within 2 Bnkg. Days
R83 Foreign RDFI Unable to Settle Consumer or Non-Consumer Contested Return must be transmitted within 2 Bnkg. Days
R84 Not Processed by Gateway
R85 Incorrectly Coded Outbound Int’l Payment Consumer or Non-Consumer 2 Banking Days


This list will be continually updated as NACHA updates their operating rules.

Modern Treasury makes it really easy to initiate a return with the appropriate return code and automates linking the return to the original payment. Learn how to return a payment using our API with this guide.


Modern Treasury is a fast and flexible way to manage your ACH payments

Modern Treasury is a payment operations platform built for the entire cycle of money movement. Our APIs and software applications directly integrate with your bank accounts, allowing you to process payments using ACH, RTP, Wires, and multiple other payment methods 2x faster than your existing solution. Modern Treasury automates payment reconciliation and accounting, giving you back time and control over your payment operations.

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Pranav Deshpande
Written by:
Pranav Deshpande
Last updated:
Mar 14, 2022
Last updated:
Mar 14, 2022

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