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R38

ACH Return Code R38: Stop Payment on Source Document

Stop Payment on Source Document

Account Type: Consumer or Non-Consumer

Time Frame for Return: 60 Calendar Days

SEC Codes: ARC, BOC

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 R38

Code R38 means a stop payment order was placed on the original source document (the paper check) associated with an ACH entry. This return may have occurred because:

  • The receiver placed a stop payment on the paper check. After the check was written, the account holder instructed their bank not to honor it.
  • The stop payment applied to the converted ACH entry. When a paper check is converted to an ACH entry, any stop payment on the original check also applies to the ACH transaction.

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.

How to resolve this return code

Follow these steps to address and prevent this ACH return.

1

Contact the receiver.

Understand why the stop payment was placed and determine whether payment is still expected.

2

Request new payment authorization if valid.

If the payment is valid, obtain new authorization or use an alternative payment method.

3

Do not retry without authorization.

Attempting another transaction without resolving the stop payment issue will result in another return.

Send ACH payments with confidence

Slash provides real-time account validation, intelligent retry logic, and comprehensive analytics to help you minimize ACH returns and optimize your payment operations.

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