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ACH return codes R01–R85 and NOC codes C01–C69
All 70 ACH return reason codes and 23 notification-of-change codes, what each one means, how long the RDFI has to return an entry, which codes count toward Nacha's unauthorized and administrative return-rate thresholds, and how returns look inside a NACHA file.
Got a return or NOC file from your bank? SafeACH decodes every R and C code in it, with the original trace numbers — locally, nothing is uploaded.
Open SafeACH — free, in your browser- The ten you will see most
- All return reason codes R01–R85
- Return time frames
- Return rate thresholds
- NOC change codes C01–C69
- How returns and NOCs look in the file
- FAQ
The ten you will see most
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| R01 | Insufficient funds |
| R02 | Account closed |
| R03 | No account / unable to locate account |
| R04 | Invalid account number structure |
| R07 | Authorization revoked by customer |
| R08 | Payment stopped |
| R10 | Customer advises originator is not known and/or not authorized to debit the account |
| R16 | Account frozen / entry returned per OFAC instruction |
| R20 | Non-transaction account |
| R29 | Corporate customer advises not authorized |
All ACH return reason codes (70 codes)
Gaps in the numbering are codes that are not in use. “Counts toward” shows which Nacha return-rate threshold a debit return with that code is measured against; every debit return also counts toward the overall rate.
| Code | Meaning | Type | Counts toward |
|---|---|---|---|
| R01 | Insufficient funds | Return by the RDFI | |
| R02 | Account closed | Return by the RDFI | Administrative (3%) |
| R03 | No account / unable to locate account | Return by the RDFI | Administrative (3%) |
| R04 | Invalid account number structure | Return by the RDFI | Administrative (3%) |
| R05 | Unauthorized debit to consumer account using corporate SEC code | Return by the RDFI | Unauthorized (0.5%) |
| R06 | Returned per ODFI's request | Return by the RDFI | |
| R07 | Authorization revoked by customer | Return by the RDFI | Unauthorized (0.5%) |
| R08 | Payment stopped | Return by the RDFI | |
| R09 | Uncollected funds | Return by the RDFI | |
| R10 | Customer advises originator is not known and/or not authorized to debit the account | Return by the RDFI | Unauthorized (0.5%) |
| R11 | Customer advises entry not in accordance with the terms of the authorization | Return by the RDFI | Unauthorized (0.5%) |
| R12 | Account sold to another DFI | Return by the RDFI | |
| R13 | Invalid ACH routing number | Return by the RDFI | |
| R14 | Representative payee deceased or unable to continue in that capacity | Return by the RDFI | |
| R15 | Beneficiary or account holder (other than a representative payee) deceased | Return by the RDFI | |
| R16 | Account frozen / entry returned per OFAC instruction | Return by the RDFI | |
| R17 | File record edit criteria / entry with invalid account number initiated under questionable circumstances | Return by the RDFI | |
| R18 | Improper effective entry date | Return by the RDFI | |
| R19 | Amount field error | Return by the RDFI | |
| R20 | Non-transaction account | Return by the RDFI | |
| R21 | Invalid company identification | Return by the RDFI | |
| R22 | Invalid individual ID number | Return by the RDFI | |
| R23 | Credit entry refused by receiver | Return by the RDFI | |
| R24 | Duplicate entry | Return by the RDFI | |
| R25 | Addenda error | Return by the RDFI | |
| R26 | Mandatory field error | Return by the RDFI | |
| R27 | Trace number error | Return by the RDFI | |
| R28 | Routing number check digit error | Return by the RDFI | |
| R29 | Corporate customer advises not authorized | Return by the RDFI | Unauthorized (0.5%) |
| R30 | RDFI not participant in check truncation program | Return by the RDFI | |
| R31 | Permissible return entry (CCD and CTX only) | Return by the RDFI | |
| R32 | RDFI non-settlement | Return by the RDFI | |
| R33 | Return of XCK entry | Return by the RDFI | |
| R34 | Limited participation DFI | Return by the RDFI | |
| R35 | Return of improper debit entry | Return by the RDFI | |
| R36 | Return of improper credit entry | Return by the RDFI | |
| R37 | Source document presented for payment | Return by the RDFI | |
| R38 | Stop payment on source document | Return by the RDFI | |
| R39 | Improper source document / source document presented for payment | Return by the RDFI | |
| R40 | Return of ENR entry by federal government agency | ENR (federal enrollment) | |
| R41 | Invalid transaction code (ENR) | ENR (federal enrollment) | |
| R42 | Routing number / check digit error (ENR) | ENR (federal enrollment) | |
| R43 | Invalid DFI account number (ENR) | ENR (federal enrollment) | |
| R44 | Invalid individual ID number / identification number (ENR) | ENR (federal enrollment) | |
| R45 | Invalid individual name / company name (ENR) | ENR (federal enrollment) | |
| R46 | Invalid representative payee indicator (ENR) | ENR (federal enrollment) | |
| R47 | Duplicate enrollment (ENR) | ENR (federal enrollment) | |
| R50 | State law affecting RCK acceptance | RCK (re-presented check) | |
| R51 | Item related to RCK entry is ineligible or RCK entry is improper | RCK (re-presented check) | Unauthorized (0.5%) |
| R52 | Stop payment on item related to RCK entry | RCK (re-presented check) | |
| R53 | Item and RCK entry presented for payment | RCK (re-presented check) | |
| R61 | Misrouted return | Dishonored return (ODFI) | |
| R62 | Return of erroneous or reversing debit | Dishonored return (ODFI) | |
| R67 | Duplicate return | Dishonored return (ODFI) | |
| R68 | Untimely return | Dishonored return (ODFI) | |
| R69 | Field error(s) | Dishonored return (ODFI) | |
| R70 | Permissible return entry not accepted / return not requested by ODFI | Dishonored return (ODFI) | |
| R71 | Misrouted dishonored return | Contested dishonored return (RDFI) | |
| R72 | Untimely dishonored return | Contested dishonored return (RDFI) | |
| R73 | Timely original return | Contested dishonored return (RDFI) | |
| R74 | Corrected return | Contested dishonored return (RDFI) | |
| R75 | Return not a duplicate | Contested dishonored return (RDFI) | |
| R76 | No errors found | Contested dishonored return (RDFI) | |
| R77 | Non-acceptance of R62 dishonored return | Contested dishonored return (RDFI) | |
| R80 | IAT entry coding error | IAT (international) | |
| R81 | Non-participant in IAT program | IAT (international) | |
| R82 | Invalid foreign receiving DFI identification | IAT (international) | |
| R83 | Foreign receiving DFI unable to settle | IAT (international) | |
| R84 | Entry not processed by gateway | IAT (international) | |
| R85 | Incorrectly coded outbound international payment | IAT (international) |
Return time frames
- Most returns must be made available to the ODFI by opening of business on the second banking day after the settlement date of the original entry.
- Unauthorized consumer debits — including R05, R07, R10, R11, R37, R51 and R53 — have an extended window of 60 calendar days after settlement, based on the receiver's written statement. R29 (corporate customer advises not authorized) uses the two-banking-day window.
- Dishonored returns (R61–R70) are sent by the ODFI within five banking days after the return settles; contested dishonored returns (R71–R77) by the RDFI within two banking days after the dishonored return settles.
R01 (insufficient funds) and R09 (uncollected funds) entries may be reinitiated — at most twice, within 180 days of the original settlement date. Reinitiating after R08 requires a new authorization from the receiver.
Return rate thresholds
| Rate | Threshold | Return codes measured |
|---|---|---|
| Unauthorized | 0.5% | R05, R07, R10, R11, R29, R51 |
| Administrative | 3.0% | R02, R03, R04 |
| Overall | 15.0% | All debit returns (excluding RCK) |
Originators that exceed a threshold can be asked by Nacha to explain and reduce their returns, and ultimately be suspended.
Notification of change (NOC) codes
A NOC is a zero-dollar COR entry the RDFI sends when a payment went through but some detail in it was wrong. The originator should apply the correction within six banking days or before the next entry, whichever is later. Codes C61–C69 are used when an ODFI refuses a NOC that was itself wrong.
| Code | Meaning | Type |
|---|---|---|
| C01 | Incorrect DFI account number | Change requested by the RDFI |
| C02 | Incorrect routing number | Change requested by the RDFI |
| C03 | Incorrect routing number and incorrect DFI account number | Change requested by the RDFI |
| C04 | Incorrect individual name / receiving company name | Change requested by the RDFI |
| C05 | Incorrect transaction code | Change requested by the RDFI |
| C06 | Incorrect DFI account number and incorrect transaction code | Change requested by the RDFI |
| C07 | Incorrect routing number, DFI account number and transaction code | Change requested by the RDFI |
| C08 | Incorrect receiving DFI identification (IAT only) | Change requested by the RDFI |
| C09 | Incorrect individual identification number | Change requested by the RDFI |
| C10 | Incorrect company name | Change requested by the RDFI |
| C11 | Incorrect company identification | Change requested by the RDFI |
| C12 | Incorrect company name and company identification | Change requested by the RDFI |
| C13 | Addenda format error | Change requested by the RDFI |
| C14 | Incorrect SEC code for outbound international payment | Change requested by the RDFI |
| C61 | Misrouted notification of change | Refused NOC (sent back by the ODFI) |
| C62 | Incorrect trace number | Refused NOC (sent back by the ODFI) |
| C63 | Incorrect company identification number | Refused NOC (sent back by the ODFI) |
| C64 | Incorrect individual identification number / identification number | Refused NOC (sent back by the ODFI) |
| C65 | Incorrectly formatted corrected data | Refused NOC (sent back by the ODFI) |
| C66 | Incorrect discretionary data | Refused NOC (sent back by the ODFI) |
| C67 | Routing number not from original entry detail record | Refused NOC (sent back by the ODFI) |
| C68 | DFI account number not from original entry detail record | Refused NOC (sent back by the ODFI) |
| C69 | Incorrect transaction code | Refused NOC (sent back by the ODFI) |
How returns and NOCs look in the file
A return is an entry detail record whose transaction code ends in 1 (returned credit) or 6 (returned debit), for example 21/26 for checking and 31/36 for savings, followed by an addenda record of type 99. A NOC uses the same transaction codes in a COR batch with an addenda of type 98 carrying the corrected data. Full layouts are on the NACHA file format page; the return addenda is:
| Position | Length | Field | Contents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Record Type Code | Numeric |
| 2–3 | 2 | Addenda Type Code | Numeric |
| 4–6 | 3 | Return Reason Code | Alphanumeric |
| 7–21 | 15 | Original Entry Trace Number | Numeric |
| 22–27 | 6 | Date of Death | Alphanumeric |
| 28–35 | 8 | Original Receiving DFI Identification | Numeric |
| 36–79 | 44 | Addenda Information | Alphanumeric |
| 80–94 | 15 | Trace Number | Numeric |
FAQ
What is the difference between an ACH return and a NOC?
A return (R code) sends the money back because the entry could not or should not be posted. A notification of change (C code) means the payment posted, but the RDFI asks the originator to correct account, routing or name details for future entries.
Can I resend a payment returned with R01?
Yes. An entry returned for insufficient or uncollected funds (R01, R09) may be reinitiated up to two times within 180 days of the original settlement date, for a maximum of three presentments.
What does R10 mean?
R10 — customer advises originator is not known and/or not authorized to debit the account. It is an unauthorized return with a 60-day window and counts toward the 0.5% unauthorized return rate threshold.
Which return codes count toward the unauthorized return rate?
R05, R07, R10, R11, R29, R51. The threshold is 0.5% of debit entries.
How can I decode the returns in my ACH file?
Open the return file in SafeACH. It lists every returned entry with its R or C code, meaning, original trace number and corrected data, entirely in your browser.
Last updated 2026-11-10. Something wrong or missing? Email support@biteapps.cc.