What Causes ACH Return Code R43?

The R43 ACH return code means "Invalid DFI Account Number" and indicates that the account number associated with an Automated Enrollment Entry (ENR) for federal benefits is invalid or improperly formatted. This return code exclusively applies to government benefit payments distributed through direct deposit, such as Social Security, Veterans Affairs, or other federal agency payments.

ENR transactions require properly formatted account numbers that include at least one alphanumeric character to meet federal processing standards. When account numbers are incorrectly entered, contain only numeric characters without proper formatting, or fail to match the required structure for government benefit processing, the receiving financial institution returns the payment with an R43 code. This serves as a quality control measure to ensure federal benefit payments reach properly verified accounts.

Can You Retry R43 Payments?

You cannot retry R43 payments as a merchant or business owner. This return code can only be resolved by the originating federal government agency that issued the benefit payment. The agency must verify and correct the account number information in their ENR system, ensuring it meets the proper formatting requirements before resubmitting the payment.

How to Respond to an R43 Code

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An R43 return requires coordination with the federal government agency that processes the benefit payment, as only they have access to correct account number formatting issues in ENR systems.

When Your Customer's Payment Fails

• Confirm ENR Transaction Type
  Verify this relates to a federal benefit payment (Social Security, VA, etc.) rather than a regular business transaction.
• Direct Customer to Government Agency
  Instruct the customer to contact the specific federal agency that processes their benefits to report the account number error.
• Provide Return Documentation
  Give the customer the R43 return code information and explain that the account number formatting needs agency attention.
• Avoid Reprocessing
  Do not attempt to retry or correct the payment, as only the government agency can fix account number formatting in ENR entries.

When Your Payment to Vendors Fails

An R43 return on vendor payments is extremely unlikely unless you're processing payments related to federal benefit administration or working directly with government agencies on ENR transactions. If you encounter this return, it indicates account number formatting errors in federal payment processing.

1. Contact the government agency or federal office handling the ENR transaction
2. Provide them with the R43 return code and transaction details
3. Allow the agency to verify and correct their account number formatting
4. Wait for the agency to reprocess the payment with properly formatted account information