What the line means, word by word
This is our reading of the words. We found no Capital One page that explains the line. If you are not sure, ask the card issuer.
| Word | What it most likely means |
|---|---|
| Returned | The bank that holds your account sent the payment back. In the ACH rules this is called a return |
| Mobile | You made the payment in a mobile app |
| ACH | The payment was to come from a bank account through the ACH network, using a routing number and an account number |
| Payment | A payment toward your bill, for example a credit card bill |
| CONA | Capital One, National Association |
Put together: you paid a bill from your bank account in an app, the bank did not pay it, and the payment came back. The amount you tried to pay is still owed.
What CONA means
CONA is the short name Capital One uses for its bank. Capital One’s own disclosure page writes “Capital One, National Association” and then gives “CONA” as the short form.
Some websites say CONA is an ACH code or a kind of bank account. We found no official source for either. CONA is not in the list of ACH return codes. Those codes start with the letter R and two digits, such as R01.
Why the payment came back
An ACH payment comes back when the bank that holds the account cannot or should not pay it. That bank sends a return code to the company you were paying. These are the likely codes.
| Likely reason | Return code | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Not enough money | R01 | The account did not have enough available money to cover the payment |
| Account closed | R02 | The account was open before, but it is closed now |
| No account found | R03 | The account number does not match an open account at that bank |
| Wrong account number format | R04 | The account number has the wrong number of digits or fails the bank’s own check |
| Payment stopped | R08 | The account holder told the bank to stop this payment |
| Not authorized | R10 | The account holder told the bank they did not authorize the payment |
The statement line may not show the code. Ask the card issuer which code it received.
For most of these reasons, the bank must send the payment back within two banking days of the payment settling. A payment sent back as not authorized (R10) can come back up to 60 days later. So the line can appear a day or more after you made the payment.
What to do now
- Check the bank account you paid from. Was there enough money on the day of the payment? Is the account still open?
- Check the numbers saved in the app. Compare the routing number and account number with your bank’s website or app, or with a check. They are not the numbers on your debit card. You can test the routing number with the routing number checker.
- Pay again. The returned payment did not pay your bill. Pay from an account that has enough money.
- Ask about fees. Capital One’s guide to card fees says a card issuer could charge a returned payment fee when a payment is not honored by your bank. It also says that a payment made after the due date may lead to a late fee. It gives no amounts. Check your card agreement. Your own bank may charge a returned item fee as well.
- If you did not make the payment, tell the card issuer and your bank.
Do not count on the card issuer to try the payment again. The ACH rules allow a returned payment to be sent again only in a few cases. Ask the card issuer what it will do. The cases are listed under sending a returned payment again.
Other versions of the same line
People see the same message with small changes. We read them the same way, and the same steps apply.
- Returned online ACH payment. Most likely a payment made on the website and not in the app.
- Returned ACH card payment. Most likely a payment to a card account that was to come from a bank account by ACH.
- Returned mobile ACH payment with or without CONA. The same message. CONA only names the bank.
For other statement words, see ACH on a bank statement.
Common mistakes
- Reading CONA as an error code. It is the bank’s name, not the reason for the return.
- Thinking the bill was paid. A returned payment pays nothing. Pay again.
- Paying again from the same account without checking it. Find the cause first, or the second payment can come back too.
- Typing the debit card number. An ACH payment needs the account number, not the card number.
- Calling Nacha. Nacha writes the ACH rules but cannot see your payment. The card issuer and your bank can.