ACH Return Codes

Automated Clearing House (ACH) return reason codes indicate why a bank transfer failed. Understanding return codes helps you retry intelligently, detect fraud, communicate with customers, and stay compliant with NACHA rules.

Quick Reference: Most Common Returns

Code	Name	Retry?	Action
R01	Insufficient Funds	Yes (2-3 days)	Wait and retry
R02	Account Closed	No	Request new account
R03	No Account Found	No	Verify account info
R10	Customer Unauthorized	No	Stop immediately, investigate
R20	Non-Transaction Account	No	Request different account

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Administrative Returns (R01-R17)

These returns indicate account or routing issues. Most are fixable.

Code	Description	Retry?	Typical Cause	Action
R01	Insufficient Funds	Yes*	Balance too low	Retry in 3-5 days (payday timing)
R02	Account Closed	No	Account no longer exists	Request new account from customer
R03	No Account/Unable to Locate	No	Wrong account number	Verify and correct account info
R04	Invalid Account Number	No	Malformed account number	Correct account number format
R05	Unauthorized Debit (consumer)	No	Customer disputes authorization	Stop debits, investigate
R06	Returned per ODFI's Request	Maybe	Bank-initiated return	Contact your bank for details
R07	Authorization Revoked	No	Customer canceled permission	Stop debits, obtain new auth
R08	Payment Stopped	No	Customer issued stop payment	Contact customer directly
R09	Uncollected Funds	Yes*	Check deposited, not yet cleared	Retry in 5-7 days
R10	Customer Advises Not Authorized	No	Disputes authorization	Stop immediately, investigate
R11	Check Truncation Entry Return	No	Check conversion issue	Process/technical problem
R12	Branch Sold to Another DFI	No	Bank merger/sale	Update routing number
R13	Invalid ACH Routing Number	No	Routing number doesn't exist	Correct routing number
R14	Representative Payee Deceased	No	Account representative died	Update account
R15	Beneficiary/Account Holder Deceased	No	Account holder died	Account must be closed
R16	Account Frozen	No	Legal hold on account	Customer must resolve with bank
R17	File Record Edit Criteria	No	ACH file formatting error	Fix technical submission

*Retry with appropriate delay (3-5 business days minimum, after funds expected)

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Unauthorized Returns (R05, R07, R10, R29)

Critical: Unauthorized returns have serious implications. High rates can get you suspended from ACH.

Consumer ACH Authorization Disputes

Code	Description	Window	What Happened
R05	Unauthorized Debit Entry	60 calendar days	Customer says they never authorized
R07	Authorization Revoked	60 calendar days	Customer canceled recurring authorization
R10	Customer Advises Not Authorized	60 calendar days	Customer disputes authorization

Corporate ACH Authorization Disputes

Code	Description	Window	What Happened
R29	Corporate Customer Advises Not Authorized	2 banking days	Business customer disputes

Handling Unauthorized Returns

1. Stop all debits immediately. Do not retry. Ever.
2. Review your authorization records:
   • Do you have signed ACH authorization?
   • Did customer consent via web/phone?
   • Is the authorization date before the transaction?
3. Investigate the customer:
   • First transaction or established?
   • Other returns in history?
   • Fraud pattern indicators?
4. Document everything for potential disputes
5. Respond to ODFI if requested
6. Update fraud rules if pattern detected

Unauthorized Return Prevention

Prevention	Implementation
Prenotes	Send $0 verification before first debit
Micro-deposits	Verify account ownership with small deposits
Bank verification APIs	Instant account validation (Plaid, MX, etc.)
Clear authorization language	Explicit consent, saved and timestamped
Email confirmation	Send receipt immediately after authorization

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Extended Returns (R20-R39)

Code	Description	Retry?	Notes
R20	Non-Transaction Account	No	Savings account with transaction limits
R21	Invalid Company Identification	No	Fix your company ID in file
R22	Invalid Individual ID Number	No	Fix customer ID in record
R23	Credit Entry Refused by Receiver	No	Customer refused incoming payment
R24	Duplicate Entry	No	Already processed this transaction
R25	Addenda Error	No	Fix addenda record format
R26	Mandatory Field Error	No	Required field missing/invalid
R27	Trace Number Error	No	Fix trace number
R28	Routing Number Check Digit Error	No	Last digit of routing number wrong
R29	Corporate Customer Advises Not Authorized	No	Corporate unauthorized (2-day window)
R30	RDFI Not Participant in Check Truncation	No	Bank doesn't support this
R31	Permissible Return Entry	Maybe	CCD/CTX specific return
R32	RDFI Non-Settlement	No	Bank settlement issue
R33	Return of XCK Entry	No	Check conversion return
R34	Limited Participation DFI	No	Bank has restrictions
R35	Return of Improper Debit Entry	No	Wrong SEC code for debit
R36	Return of Improper Credit Entry	No	Wrong SEC code for credit

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Return Timeframes

Standard ACH

Return Category	Window	From When
Administrative (R01-R04, etc.)	2 banking days	Settlement date
Unauthorized Consumer (R05, R07, R10)	60 calendar days	Settlement date
Unauthorized Corporate (R29)	2 banking days	Settlement date
Extended (most R20-R39)	2 banking days	Settlement date

Same-Day ACH Returns

Same-Day ACH has compressed timelines:

Settlement Window	Return Deadline
10:30 AM ET	End of day
2:45 PM ET	End of day
4:45 PM ET	Next banking day

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Retry Strategies

When to Retry

Return Code	Retry Recommended?	Optimal Wait Time
R01 (NSF)	Yes (limited times)	3-5 business days, align with payday
R09 (Uncollected)	Yes	5-7 business days
R02-R04	No	Correct info first
R05, R07, R10	Never	Do not retry
R16 (Frozen)	Maybe	After customer confirms resolved

NACHA Retry Rules

Rule	Requirement
Max retries for NSF	2 retries per debit (3 total attempts)
Same amount	Retry must be for original amount
Timing	At least 2 business days between attempts
Consumer notification	Required if retry fee charged

Smart Retry Timing

Strategy	When to Use
Payday alignment	Retry on 1st, 15th of month
End of week	Friday afternoon (deposits cleared)
Customer confirmation	Ask customer to confirm funds available
Staggered retry	Day 3, then Day 7 if still failing

Retry Decision Tree

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Fraud Indicators

High-Risk Return Patterns

Pattern	Risk Level	What It Suggests
Multiple R10s from same account	Critical	Authorization fraud or dispute abuse
R02/R03 after prior success	High	Account takeover or closed in panic
R05 after legitimate pattern	Medium	Friendly fraud or buyer's remorse
Velocity of R01s	Medium	Financial stress or testing accounts
New account + immediate return	High	Fraudulent account linkage

Red Flags

• First transaction returns R10 (never authorized)
• Same bank info used across multiple accounts
• Returns after long dormancy
• Pattern of small tests then large returns
• Customer provides incorrect info multiple times

Fraud Response

Indicator	Action
First R10 ever	Investigate, may be one-off
Second R10 same customer	Block customer
R10 + other fraud signals	Block immediately, investigate
Pattern across customers	Check for common vector

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ACH Return Fee Liability

When an ACH transaction returns, multiple parties may incur fees.

Fee Structure by Return Type

Return Type	Your Fee	Customer Impact	Who Typically Pays
R01 (NSF)	$2-15 ODFI fee	May incur bank fee	Usually passed to customer
R02/R03 (Account issues)	$2-15 ODFI fee	None	Merchant absorbs
R10 (Unauthorized)	$5-25 + potential penalties	Refund issued	Merchant absorbs
R29 (Corp unauthorized)	$5-25 ODFI fee	Refund issued	Merchant absorbs

Fee Sources

Fee Type	Who Charges	Range
ODFI return fee	Your bank	$2-15 per return
Processor return fee	Your processor	$0-10 per return
NACHA violation penalty	NACHA (via ODFI)	$5-100+ for rule violations
Excessive return fee	ODFI/NACHA	Triggered above thresholds

NACHA Return Rate Thresholds

Return Category	Threshold	Consequence
Overall unauthorized (R05/R07/R10/R29)	> 0.5%	ODFI notification, potential action
Administrative	> 3.0%	ODFI notification
Overall return rate	> 15%	Potential origination suspension

Critical: Exceeding the 0.5% unauthorized threshold can result in ACH origination suspension.

Passing Fees to Customers

Consideration	Guidance
R01 (NSF) fees	Often passed to customer; check state law
R10 (Unauthorized) fees	Never pass to customer; you're at fault
Disclosed in terms	Fee passing must be disclosed upfront
State law limits	Some states cap NSF fee pass-through
Customer relationship	First-time courtesy waiver builds goodwill

Fee Mitigation Strategies

Strategy	Impact
Pre-validation	Reduce R01-R04 with account verification
Clear authorization	Reduce R10/R29 with strong consent
Smart retry timing	Retry R01 at strategic times (paydays)
Customer notification	Contact before retry to confirm funds
Account update prompts	Proactive requests when issues appear

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Same-Day ACH Considerations

Same-Day ACH has specific return characteristics:

Same-Day ACH Return Codes

Scenario	Return Code
RDFI doesn't support same-day	R31 (Permissible Return Entry)
Same-day rejected	Original code + same-day indicator

Same-Day ACH Limits

Limit	Amount
Per-transaction limit	$1,000,000
Return window	Same day or next banking day

When Same-Day ACH Returns Faster

Same-day ACH can return the same business day for:

• Insufficient funds
• Account issues
• Format errors

Operational impact: You may know about failure same day instead of waiting 2+ days.

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Account Validation Best Practices

Prevent returns before they happen:

Pre-Transaction Validation

Method	What It Checks	R Codes Prevented
Prenote	Account exists, accepts debits	R02, R03, R04, R13
Micro-deposits	Account active, customer has access	R02, R03, ownership
Bank verification API	Account status, ownership	R02, R03, R20
Balance check	Available balance	R01 (not guaranteed)

Validation Trade-offs

Method	Cost	Speed	Coverage
Prenote	Free	3-4 days	Limited
Micro-deposits	~$0.05	2-3 days	Good
Instant verification	$0.10-0.50	Instant	Best

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SEC Codes and Returns

Different SEC (Standard Entry Class) codes have different return rules:

SEC Code	Use Case	Unauthorized Window
PPD	Personal (recurring)	60 days
WEB	Web-initiated	60 days
TEL	Telephone-initiated	60 days
CCD	Corporate	2 days (R29)
CTX	Corporate trade exchange	2 days

Using wrong SEC code: Can result in R35 (Improper Debit) or R36 (Improper Credit).

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Reporting and Monitoring

Key Metrics to Track

Metric	Target	Action If Exceeded
Overall return rate	< 3%	Investigate patterns
Unauthorized return rate	< 0.5%	Critical—immediate action
R01 rate	< 2%	Review customer quality
R10 rate	< 0.25%	Review authorization process

Monthly ACH Health Report

Track monthly:

• Total return count and rate
• Return breakdown by code
• Unauthorized return rate
• Top returning accounts
• Return trend (improving/worsening)

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Scale Callout

ACH Volume	Focus
Under $50k/mo	Use basic validation. Watch unauthorized rate.
$50k-$250k/mo	Implement instant verification. Track metrics monthly.
$250k-$1M/mo	Optimize retry logic. Automate monitoring.
Over $1M/mo	Advanced fraud rules. Dedicated ACH operations review.

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Related Pages

• Bank Transfers - ACH fundamentals and fraud
• FX and Settlement - Cross-border considerations
• Fraud Detection - Fraud monitoring
• Operations - Payment operations
• Real-Time Payments - RTP/FedNow alternatives
• Payments Metrics - Success rate tracking
• Identity Verification - Account validation
• Velocity Rules - Pattern detection
• First-Party Fraud - Authorization fraud patterns
• Decline Codes - Card decline comparison
• AML Basics - Compliance requirements
• Processor Management - Bank relationships