ACH Returns
ACH payments can sometimes fail due to various issues related to the sender's or recipient's bank account. The table below outlines common ACH return codes, their associated failure messages, and recommended resolutions to help merchants efficiently handle these returns.
| FAILURE CODE | FAILURE MESSAGE | NEXT STEPS |
|---|---|---|
R01 | The account has insufficient funds to complete the purchase. | Reach out to the account holder to address the issue, and resubmit the payment once funds are available. |
R02 | The account is closed. | Obtain new account information and resubmit the payment. |
R03 | The account number or routing information doesn’t match any accounts at the receiving bank. | Confirm the payment information and resubmit the payment. |
R04 | The account number provided is incorrect. | Correct the account number and resubmit the payment. |
R05 | A corporate Standard Entry Class (SEC) code was incorrectly used for a consumer account. | Contact Support for more information. |
R06 | The originating bank returned the payment. | Contact Support for more information. |
R07 | The customer revoked the authorization of the payment. | Confirm the payment's legitimacy with the customer and receive proper authorization. Because unauthorized transactions cannot be re-attempted within 60 days, advise the customer to provide a different payment method or wait to collect the payment after the 60-day period. |
R08 | The account holder placed a stop payment order on this specific payment. | Contact the account holder to resolve the issue. |
R09 | The account may have deposits that have not yet cleared, resulting in insufficient funds for the payment. | Resubmit the payment once the funds are collected. |
R10 | The customer stated that the payment was not authorized. | Confirm the payment's legitimacy with the customer and receive proper authorization. Because unauthorized transactions cannot be re-attempted within 60 days, advise the customer to provide a different payment method or wait to collect the payment after the 60-day period. |
R11 | A truncation (check-clearing) error occurred. | Confirm the payment information and resubmit the payment. If subsequent payments are declined, contact Support for more information. |
R12 | The customer changed banks and the account has been transferred to another receiving bank. | Confirm the payment information and resubmit the payment. |
R13 | The ACH routing number is incorrect. | Correct the routing number and resubmit the payment. |
R14 | The representative payee is deceased or cannot perform duties. | Obtain a new representative payee and update records. |
R15 | The beneficiary or account holder is deceased. | Obtain new account information and resubmit the payment. |
R16 | The account is frozen due to legal action or bank policy. | Obtain new account information and resubmit the payment. |
R17 | Entries contain invalid formatting or data. | Confirm the payment information and resubmit the payment. If subsequent payments are returned, contact Support for more information. |
R18 | Payment was initiated with an incorrect effective entry date. | Confirm the payment information and resubmit the payment. If subsequent payments are returned, contact Support for more information. |
R19 | Amount entered in the Amount field is invalid. | Confirm the payment information and resubmit the payment. If subsequent payments are returned, contact Support for more information. |
R20 | Policies or regulations prevent ACH payments on this account. | Use an alternative bank account or payment method. |
R21 | Company ID information is incorrect or outdated. | Confirm the payment information and resubmit the payment. If subsequent payments are returned, contact Support for more information. |
R22 | Individual ID information is incorrect or outdated. | Confirm the payment information and resubmit the payment. If subsequent payments are returned, contact Support for more information. |
R23 | The receiving bank refused the credit entry. | Contact Support for more information. |
R24 | The same payment was submitted more than once. | Confirm whether it’s a true duplicate and proceed accordingly. |
R25 | The addenda record is incorrect or out of sequence. | Confirm the payment information and resubmit the payment. If subsequent payments are returned, contact Support for more information. |
R26 | A required field is missing information. | Confirm the payment information and resubmit the payment. If subsequent payments are returned, contact Support for more information. |
R27 | Trace numbers submitted are not consistent with the trace numbers in the addenda record. | Confirm the payment information and resubmit the payment. If subsequent payments are returned, contact Support for more information. |
R28 | The check digit in the routing number is incorrect. | Confirm the payment information and resubmit the payment. If subsequent payments are returned, contact Support for more information. |
R29 | The corporate account holder notified the receiving bank that the payment is not authorized. | Confirm the payment's legitimacy with the customer and receive proper authorization. Because unauthorized transactions cannot be re-attempted within 60 days, advise the customer to provide a different payment method or wait to collect the payment after the 60-day period. |
R30 | The receiving bank does not participate in the check truncation program. | Use an alternative bank account or payment method. |
R31 | The receiving bank has asked the originating bank if it can return the corporate credit or debit card or Corporate Trade Exchange (CTX) payment format, and the originating bank has agreed. | Contact Support for more information. |
R32 | The receiving bank is not able to settle the entry for various reasons. | Advise the customer to contact their bank for more information. |
R33 | The receiving bank has returned the entry for a lost, destroyed, or damaged check (XCK entry). | Advise the customer to contact their bank for more information. |
R34 | A federal or state regulator has limited the receiving bank’s ability to process ACH payments. | Advise the customer to contact their bank for more information. |
R35 | A debit entry has been improperly submitted. | Advise the customer to contact their bank for more information. |
R36 | A credit entry has been improperly submitted. | Advise the customer to contact their bank for more information. |
R37 | A duplicate payment was attempted by presenting the source document related to an existing ACH payment for processing. | Validate whether the payment is a duplicate and proceed accordingly. |
R38 | The receiving account holder requests to stop payment on a check that’s been converted into an electronic payment. | Contact the account holder to resolve the issue. |
R39 | The source document related to the ACH payment is incorrect or inadequate. | Confirm the payment information and resubmit the payment. If subsequent payments are returned, contact Support for more information. |
R40 | A federal government agency has returned an automated enrollment entry (ENR entry). | Contact Support for more information. |
R41 | Transaction code is incorrect. | Confirm the payment information and resubmit the payment. If subsequent payments are returned, contact Support for more information. |
R42 | The check digit at the end of the routing number is incorrect. | Confirm the payment information and resubmit the payment. If subsequent payments are returned, contact Support for more information. |
R43 | Receiving bank account number is incorrect. | Correct the account number and resubmit the payment. |
R44 | Individual identification number provided doesn’t match the ID number on record. | Confirm the payment information and resubmit the payment. If subsequent payments are returned, contact Support for more information. |
R45 | Account holder’s name is incorrect or misspelled. | Correct the account holder's name and resubmit the payment. |
R46 | Representative payee indicator code is incorrect. | Confirm the payment information and resubmit the payment. If subsequent payments are returned, contact Support for more information. |
R47 | The same ENR has been submitted more than once. | Validate whether the payment is a duplicate and proceed accordingly. |
R50 | The receiving bank is either in a state that doesn’t allow digital payments or requires canceled checks to be returned. | Contact Support for more information. |
R51 | Item related to RCK entry is ineligible or RCK entry is improper. | Contact Support for more information. |
R52 | The account holder places a stop order on a bounced check that’s being reprocessed electronically. | Contact the account holder to resolve the issue. |
R53 | Both the original payment and its corresponding RCK entry have been submitted, resulting in a duplicate payment. | Validate whether the payment is a duplicate and proceed accordingly. |
R61 | A reversed payment has been sent to the incorrect institution. | Correct the routing number and resubmit the payment. |
R62 | A debit entry was sent in error or needs to be reversed. | No action needed. |
R63 | The dollar amount specified in the payment is wrong. | Correct the amount and resubmit the payment. |
R64 | The individual ID number in the return payment doesn’t match the one in the original entry. | Confirm the payment information and resubmit the payment. If subsequent payments are returned, contact Support for more information. |
R65 | The transaction code is not correct for the type of payment. | Confirm the payment information and resubmit the payment. If subsequent payments are returned, contact Support for more information. |
R66 | The company ID in the payment doesn’t match the ID number in the batch header record. | Confirm the payment information and resubmit the payment. If subsequent payments are returned, contact Support for more information. |
R67 | The return entry was already processed, resulting in a duplicate. | No action needed. |
R68 | The return was not processed within the required time frame. | No action needed. |
R69 | One or more fields contain incorrect information as entered by the originating bank. | Confirm the payment information and resubmit the payment. If subsequent payments are returned, contact Support for more information. |
R70 | A valid return entry was not processed as it should have been, or a return was not requested by the originating bank. | Contact Support for more information. |
R71 | A dishonored return entry has not been sent to the correct institution. | Contact Support for more information. |
R72 | A dishonored return was not processed within the required time frame. | Contact Support for more information. |
R73 | The receiving bank is confirming that the original return was processed within the required time frame. | No action needed. |
R74 | A previously improperly processed return has since been corrected. | No action needed. |
R75 | This is a response to rejection code R67. The receiving bank is contesting an improper dishonor of a return entry by the originating bank. | No action needed. |
R76 | This is a response to rejection code R69, in which the originating bank indicated field errors. | No action needed. |
R77 | This is a response to rejection code R62, indicating that the receiving bank has either already returned the incorrect payment and the reversal, or it cannot recover the funds from the recipient as specified by R62. | Contact Support for more information. |
R80 | Coding errors exist in the IAT entry. | Confirm the payment information and resubmit the payment. If subsequent payments are returned, contact Support for more information. |
R81 | The receiving bank doesn’t participate in the IAT program. | Use an alternative bank account or payment method. |
R82 | The foreign receiving bank’s identification is incorrect. | Confirm the payment information and resubmit the payment. If subsequent payments are returned, contact Support for more information. |
R83 | The foreign receiving bank cannot complete the payment. | Contact Support for more information. |
R84 | The entry hasn’t been processed by the designated gateway. | Contact Support for more information. |
R85 | An outbound international payment has been incorrectly coded. | Contact Support for more information. |
Prevent ACH Returns
- Verify account information: Ensure that all account details, including routing and account numbers, are accurate and current before initiating payments.
- Use verification tools: Implement tools, such as Plaid, to confirm the validity of account details. This helps avoid payments to closed or invalid accounts.
- Monitor funding: Regularly check account balances to confirm sufficient funds are available prior to initiating ACH payments.
- Strengthen authorization protocols: Secure explicit customer approvals for recurring payments and periodically update these authorizations as needed.