What Causes ACH Return Code R29?

The R29 ACH return code means "Corporate Customer Advises Not Authorized" and indicates that a business account holder has explicitly told their bank that they did not authorize a specific ACH debit transaction. This return code is specific to corporate accounts and typically occurs with CCD (Corporate Credit or Debit) or CTX (Corporate Trade Exchange) transaction types.

R29 returns occur when businesses either never provided authorization for the debit, have revoked their previous authorization, or dispute the transaction due to billing disagreements or contract issues. Unlike consumer account disputes, corporate customers can act quickly to stop unauthorized transactions, making this return code time-sensitive and requiring immediate resolution.

Can You Retry R29 Payments?

You cannot retry R29 payments without first resolving the authorization issue with the corporate customer. Since the business has explicitly stated the transaction was unauthorized, any retry attempts without proper authorization could result in compliance violations and potential legal issues. You must obtain new written authorization or resolve the underlying dispute before reprocessing.

How to Respond to an R29 Code

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An R29 return indicates a corporate customer has explicitly disputed authorization, requiring immediate suspension of related transactions and direct communication to resolve the underlying issue.

When Your Customer's Payment Fails

• Stop All Recurring Payments Immediately
  Halt any scheduled or automatic debits from this account to prevent additional returns and potential compliance issues.
• Review Authorization Documentation
  Examine your records for signed ACH authorization agreements, contracts, or payment terms that support the transaction.
• Contact the Business Directly
  Reach out to understand why they disputed the authorization - was it unauthorized, cancelled, or disputed for other reasons?
• Resolve Before Retrying
  Do not attempt to reprocess until you have clear written authorization or have resolved the underlying dispute.

When Your Payment to Vendors Fails

An R29 return on vendor payments means the business you're paying has told their bank they didn't authorize the ACH debit. This is unusual for vendor payments since you're typically paying them, not debiting their account. This may indicate a processing error or confusion about the transaction type.

1. Immediately contact the vendor to clarify the payment method and authorization
2. Review whether the transaction was processed as a debit instead of a credit
3. Verify you have proper authorization for any ACH debits from vendor accounts
4. Consider switching to ACH credit (payment) instead of ACH debit if appropriate