What Causes ACH Return Code R57?

The R57 ACH return code means "Incorrect Transaction Code" and indicates that the two-digit transaction code used in the ACH entry doesn't match the intended transaction type. Transaction codes are critical components of ACH processing that tell the receiving bank whether money should be debited or credited and what type of account is involved.

For example, using transaction code 22 (credit to checking) when you meant to use code 27 (debit from checking) would trigger an R57 return. Similarly, using a checking account code when the target account is actually a savings account would cause this error. This return typically occurs due to programming errors in payment software, incorrect file formatting, or manual data entry mistakes when creating ACH files.

Can You Retry R57 Payments?

You can retry R57 payments after correcting the transaction code in your ACH file. Before reprocessing, verify that you're using the correct two-digit code that matches both the transaction direction (debit vs. credit) and the account type (checking, savings, etc.). The corrected transaction should process successfully once the proper transaction code is applied.

How to Respond to an R57 Code

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An R57 return requires immediate correction of the transaction code in your ACH processing system, followed by verification that your code mappings are accurate for future transactions.

When Your Customer's Payment Fails

• Review Transaction Code Immediately
  Check your ACH file to identify the incorrect transaction code that was used and determine what the correct code should be.
• Verify Account Type
  Confirm whether the target account is checking, savings, or another account type to ensure you select the appropriate transaction code.
• Correct Code Direction
  Ensure you're using a debit code (like 27 for checking) when pulling funds or a credit code (like 22 for checking) when depositing funds.
• Update System Mappings
  If this was caused by incorrect system configuration, update your payment software to prevent future R57 returns.

When Your Payment to Vendors Fails

An R57 return on vendor payments indicates your ACH system used an incorrect transaction code when formatting the payment file. This is typically a technical configuration issue that needs to be resolved in your payment processing system.

1. Review your ACH file to identify the specific transaction code that was used incorrectly
2. Verify the vendor's account type (checking vs. savings) and transaction direction (debit vs. credit)
3. Correct the transaction code and update your system configuration to prevent recurrence
4. Reprocess the vendor payment with the correct transaction code to ensure successful delivery