ACH Forms

R17 ACH return code: File Record Edit Criteria or Questionable Entry

What R17 means

The receiving bank could not process some of the details in the payment, or it suspects the payment is fraudulent, or a reversal was sent improperly.

Checked against 6 sources. Last reviewed .

R17 key facts

Official title File Record Edit Criteria/Entry Initiated Under Questionable Circumstances/Return of Improperly-Initiated Reversal
Other names you may see File Record Edit Criteria. A shorter form of the title. A Federal Reserve manual uses it.
Returned by Receiving bank (RDFI)
Time frame 2 banking days
The receiving bank must send the return so that it reaches the sending bank by the opening of business on the second banking day after the payment settled.
Applies to Consumer and business accounts
Can you send it again? Only after you fix the reason for the return. Under the general Nacha rule, a returned payment may be sent again within 180 days if you have corrected the problem.
Type of return Standard return

Since October 1, 2024 a receiving bank may use R17 for any payment it believes is fraudulent, including one authorized under false pretenses. Many published lists still show an older, longer title.

Why R17 happens

  • Data in the payment that the receiving bank cannot process.
  • The receiving bank believes the payment is fraudulent. The return then carries the word QUESTIONABLE.
  • A reversal that was not allowed under the rules.

What to do next

If you sent the payment

  1. Ask your bank what the return says. The word QUESTIONABLE means the receiving bank suspects fraud.
  2. Check that the payment really came from your business and that your account or software has not been compromised.
  3. If it was a data error, correct it and send a new payment.

If you got the notice about your own account

  1. If you were expecting the payment, contact the sender.

Got a return file from your bank? Open it in the ACH file viewer to see the code next to each payment.

Sources

  1. Reversals and Enforcement, Nacha
  2. Risk Management Topics, effective October 1, 2024, Nacha
  3. Return for Questionable Transaction, Nacha
  4. Green Book: A Guide to Federal Government ACH Payments, US Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service
  5. 2024 ACH Quick Reference Guide, EPCOR
  6. FedGlobal ACH Payments Origination Manual, Federal Reserve Financial Services

Last reviewed . How we check our information. Report a mistake on this page.

General information, not legal or financial advice. Rules change and banks set their own requirements. Check with your bank before you act. ACH Forms is not affiliated with Nacha.