R70 ACH return code: Permissible Return Entry Not Accepted
What R70 means
The originating bank is refusing a return that the receiving bank marked as agreed or requested (R06 or R31), because the originating bank did not agree to it or ask for it.
R70 key facts
| Official title | Permissible Return Entry Not Accepted/Return Not Requested by ODFI |
|---|---|
| Returned by | Originating bank (ODFI) |
| Time frame | 5 banking days The originating bank must send the dishonored return within five banking days after the return settled. |
| Applies to | Consumer and business accounts |
| Can you send it again? | Not applicable. This code is exchanged between the banks about a return, not about your original payment. |
| Type of return | Dishonored return |
Why R70 happens
- A return coded R06 or R31 was sent without the agreement of the originating bank.
What to do next
If your payment is involved
- Nothing in most cases. A dishonored return is your bank's reply to the receiving bank about a return it sent.
- Ask your bank what happens to the original payment while the two banks decide about the return.
Got a return file from your bank? Open it in the ACH file viewer to see the code next to each payment.
Which code answers which
The originating bank (the bank that sent the original payment) refuses a return with a dishonored return code. The receiving bank can answer with a contested dishonored return code.
| Dishonored return | The receiving bank's answer |
|---|---|
| R62 Return of Erroneous or Reversing Debit | R77 Non-Acceptance of R62 Dishonored Return |
| R67 Duplicate Return | R75 Return Not a Duplicate |
| R68 Untimely Return | R73 Timely Original Return |
| R69 Field Error(s) | R74 (corrected return) or R76 (no errors found) |
R71 and R72 contest a dishonored return that was misrouted or sent late.
Sources
- Green Book: A Guide to Federal Government ACH Payments, US Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service
- 2024 ACH Quick Reference Guide, EPCOR
- 2024 ACH Quick Reference Guide for Corporate Users, EPCOR
- ACH Return, NOC and Transaction Codes, Commerce Bank
- ACH Return Reason Codes and Time Frames, CBS Bank
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.