ACH payments can be returned (i.e. fail to process or get reversed) during (or even after) settlement periods for one of 85 reasons. See below for a list of the more common return codes.
Important: Whenever an ACH Return occurs, One Church will automatically disable any recurring giving schedules or saved payment profiles linked with that payment to prevent additional returns from occurring. The system automatically emails both the donor and the church's financial contact email whenever these occur. Normally, there is a fee assessed by the bank when an ACH Return occurs.
ACH Return Codes
R01 – Insufficient funds
Meaning: The available and/or cash reserve balance is not sufficient to cover the dollar value of the debit Entry.
Response: Try the transaction again up to two times within 180 days of the original authorization date.
R02 – Account Closed
Meaning: A previously active account has been closed by action of the donor or the RDFI.
Response: Contact your donor for a different bank account. If you have not yet provided the goods or provided the services covered by the payment, you may want to wait to do so until you have confirmation of a settled payment.
R03 – No Account/Unable to Locate Account
Meaning: The account number structure is valid and it passes the check digit validation, but the account number does not correspond to the individual identified in the Entry, or the account number designated is not an open account.
Response: Contact the donor and confirm the routing and account numbers, as well as the exact name on the bank account. If this information is not an exact match to what was entered, update the details and submit a new payment.
R04 – Invalid Account Number
Meaning: The account number structure is NOT valid. The Entry may fail the check digit validation or may contain an incorrect number of digits.
Response: Contact your donor and obtain the correct bank account number. Submit a new payment using the corrected bank account number.
R05 – Unauthorized Debit to Consumer Account Using Corporate SEC Code
Meaning: A business debit Entry was transmitted to a member’s Consumer account, and the receiving member had not authorized the Entry.
Response: Contact your donor and resolve any issues that caused the transaction to be disputed.
R06 – Returned per ODFI’s Request
Meaning: The ODFI has requested that the RDFI return the ACH Entry as an Erroneous Entry, or a credit Entry originated without the authorization of the Originator. If the RDFI agrees to return the Entry, the ODFI must indemnify the RDFI in accordance with the guidelines.
Response: Contact One Church support
R07 – Authorization Revoked by Donor
Meaning: The Receiver who previously authorized an Entry has revoked authorization with the Originator for this debit Entry.
Response: Contact your donor and resolve any issues that caused the authorization to be revoked. You can ask the donor to debit a different bank account. If you need to debit the same bank account, instruct the donor to call the bank and remove the block on transactions.
R08 – Payment Stopped
Meaning: The Receiver has placed a stop payment order on this debit Entry, which may be placed on one or more debit Entries.
Response: Contact your donor and resolve any issues that caused the transaction to be stopped. You can re-enter the returned transaction again with proper authorization from your donor.
R09 – Uncollected Funds
Meaning: A sufficient ledger balance exists to satisfy the dollar value of the transaction (i.e., uncollected checks), but the available balance is below the dollar value of the debit Entry.
Response: Try the transaction again (it will need to be re-entered as a new transaction) up to two times within 30 days of the original authorization date.
R10 – Donor Advises Unauthorized, Improper, Ineligible, or Part of an Incomplete Transaction
Meaning: The RDFI has been notified by the Receiver that the Entry is unauthorized, improper, ineligible, or part of an incomplete transaction.
Response:
Note that the Receiver may request immediate credit from the RDFI for an unauthorized debit (this request must be made within 60 days after the RDFI sends or makes available to the Receiver information pertaining to that debit Entry). There needs to be a new authorization given to debit the account again.
OR
Contact your donor and resolve any issues that caused the authorization to be revoked. You can ask the donor to debit a different bank account. If you need to debit the same bank account, instruct the donor to call the bank and remove the block on transactions.
R11 – Check Truncation Entry Return
Meaning: To be used when returning a check truncation Entry. This reason for return should be used only if no other return code is applicable.
Response: Contact your donor and resolve any issues that caused the authorization to be revoked. You can ask the donor to debit a different bank account. If you need to debit the same bank account, instruct the donor to call the bank and remove the block on transactions.
R12 – Branch Sold to Another DFI
Meaning: A financial institution received an entry to an account that was sold to another financial institution.
Response: Obtain new routing number and account information, then enter a new transaction using the updated account numbers. If the transaction was part of a recurring payment schedule, make sure that the schedule is updated with the new account information.
R13 – Invalid ACH Routing Number
Meaning: Entry contains a receiving DRI identification or Gateway Identification that is not a valid ACH routing number.
Response: Double-check that you entered the routing number correctly, and contact your donor to confirm it if necessary. Then, submit a new payment using the correct routing number.
R14 – Representative Payee Deceased or Unable to Continue in that Capacity
Meaning: The representative payee is a person either deceased or no longer able to continue in original capacity (ie. legally incapacitated adults or minors), while the beneficiary is not deceased.
R15 – Beneficiary or Account Holder Deceased
Meaning: (1) The beneficiary is deceased. The beneficiary may or may not be the account holder; (2) The account holder (acting in a non-representative payee capacity) is an owner of the account and is deceased.
R16 – Account Frozen/Entry Returned per OFAC Instruction
Meaning: 1) Access to account is restricted due to specific action taken by the RDFI or by legal action; 2) OFAC has instructed the RDFI or Gateway to return the Entry.
Response: Obtain a different form of payment. You will not be able to process transactions using this bank account until it is un-frozen.
R17 – File Record Edit Criteria
Meaning: Fields can’t be processed by RDFI.
R18 – Improper Effective Entry Date
Meaning: The effective Entry date for a credit Entry is more than two banking days after the banking day of processing as established by the originating ACH operator or the effective date is after window of processing.
R19 – Amount Field Error
Meaning: Amount field is non-numeric, zero, or exceeding $25,000.
R20 – Non-Transaction Account
Meaning: The ACH Entry destined for a non-transaction account, for example, an account against which transactions are prohibited or limited.
Response: Contact your donor to obtain authorization to charge a different bank account.
R21 – Invalid Company Identification
Meaning: The company identification information not valid.
R22 – Invalid Individual ID number
Meaning: In CIE and MET Entries, when the original ID number isn’t used, the receiver has indicated to the RDFI that the number with which the Originator was identified is not correct.
R23 – Credit Entry Refused by Receiver
Meaning: Receiver returned Entry because, for instance, minimum or exact amount not remitted. Any credit Entry that is refused by the Receiver may be returned by the RDFI.
Response: Contact your donor to work out the problem, or ask them to work the problem out with their bank. Have your donor confirm that the refund will be accepted, then attempt to refund the transaction again.
R24 – Duplicate Entry
Meaning: The RDFI has received what appears to be a duplicate Entry; i.e., the trace number, date, dollar amount and/or other data matches another transaction.
Response: Contact One Church support
R25 – Addenda Error
Meaning: Addenda record indicator value is incorrect due to one of the following reasons: Addenda type is invalid, out of sequence, or missing; Number of addenda records exceeds allowable maximum; Addenda sequence number is invalid.
R26 – Mandatory Field Error
Meaning: Erroneous data or missing data in a mandatory field.
R27 – Trace Number Error
Meaning: 1) Original Entry trace number is not present in the addenda record on a return or notification of change entry; 2) trace number of an addenda record is not the same as the trace number of the preceding Entry detail record.
R28 – Routing Number Check Digit Error
Meaning: The check digit for the routing number is not valid.
R29 – Corporate Donor Advises Not Authorized
Meaning: The RDFI has been notified by Receiver (non-Consumer) that a specific entry has not been authorized by the receiver.
Response: Contact your donor and resolve any issues that caused the authorization to be revoked. You can ask the donor to debit a different bank account. If you need to debit the same bank account, instruct the donor to call the bank and remove the block on transactions. There needs to be a new authorization given to debit the account again.
R30 – RDFI Not Participant in Check Truncation Program
Meaning: The RDFI does not participate in a check truncation program.
R31 – Permissible Return Entry (CCD and CTX only)
Meaning: The RDFI may return a CCD or CTX Entry that the ODFI agrees to accept.
Response: Contact your donor to obtain authorization to charge a different bank account.
R32 – RDFI Non-Settlement
Meaning: The RDFI is not able to settle the Entry.
R33 – Return of XCK Entry
Meaning: The Return Reason Code may only be used to return XCK entries and is at the RDFI’s sole discretion.
R34 – Limited Participation DFI
Meaning: The RDFI participation has been limited by a federal or state supervisor.
R35 – Return of Improper Debit Entry
Meaning: Debit Entries (with the exception of reversing Entries) are not permitted for CIE entries or to loan accounts.
R36 – Return of improper Credit Entry
Meaning: ACH credit Entries (with the exception of reversing entries) are not permitted for use with ARC, BOC, POP, RCK, TEL, and XCK.
R37 – Source Document Presented for Payment
Meaning: The source document to which an ARC, BOC, or POP entry relates has been presented for payment.
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