R26

What Is ACH Return Code R26?

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

ACH Return Code R26, also known as "Mandatory Field Error," is a standard code used in Automated Clearing House (ACH) transactions. This code indicates that a mandatory field in the ACH entry is either missing or contains an error.

How To Address ACH Return Code R26

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.

Nacha officially defines R26 as, “Erroneous data or missing data in a mandatory field.” Essentially, this means that a required field was either incorrectly filled out or left blank when the transaction was submitted. R26 is generally caused by a typo or erroneous error. If you submit an ACH transaction that has missing or incomplete fields, the RDFI must return the transaction with code R26 within the next file delivery time following processing.

If you encounter R26, you should review the transaction details, identify the missing or erroneous information, and correct it before submitting the transaction again.

What Is An ACH Return Code?

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. ACH return codes are standardized and maintained by NACHA, the governing body for the ACH network.