ACH Return Code R21: Invalid Company Identification

Account Type: Non-Consumer

Time Frame for Return: 2 Banking Days

SEC Codes: CIE

ISO Code: N/A

What is an ACH Return Code?

An ACH return code is a standardized code used to explain why an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction was returned by the receiving bank.

Codes are issued by the Receiving Depository Financial Institution (RDFI) and maintained by Nacha, the organization that governs the ACH Network. Certain codes may apply to consumer accounts, non-consumer (business) accounts, or both. These codes help banks, payment processors, and originators understand what went wrong during an ACH transaction so they can determine the appropriate next steps, such as retrying the payment, correcting information, or contacting the customer.

Why you're seeing ACH Return Code R21

Code R21 means the company identification included in the ACH entry is not valid. A company identification is used to identify the originator of a transaction and is typically assigned by the originator's bank. This return may have occurred because:

• The company identification number was incorrect or improperly formatted. The value may have contained invalid characters, missing digits, or did not meet ACH formatting requirements.
• The company identification does not match the originator's records. The RDFI could not validate the identifier against the originator or the originating bank.
• An outdated or unauthorized company identification was used. The identifier may no longer be active or was not approved for use with the submitting account.

Sending ACH Payments with Slash

You can send domestic or international ACH payments using Slash by following these steps:

1. Navigate to the Payments dashboard and click Transfer Funds in the top-right corner.
2. Select a recipient using saved contact and banking information, or add a new recipient by entering their contact and bank details.
3. Choose the Slash account you want to use as the payment source, select ACH Transfer as the payment method, choose the destination bank account, and enter the payment amount (in USD).
4. Optionally, send the recipient an email confirmation with a payment description. You can also add a memo with internal notes that are visible only to you and other Slash account administrators.
5. Review the recipient's bank name, account number, and ACH routing number to ensure the payment details are correct.
6. Once all information is confirmed, click Send Payment.

Slash offers 24/7 support by phone and email to help resolve any issues with sending payments. You can also improve how you manage ACH transfers by scheduling recurring ACH payments, receiving low-balance notifications, and tracking returned payments alongside other transactions. With Slash, you can view all account balances, ACH activity, and transfers in one centralized dashboard.