NACHA Rule Changes

Effective: 2028-03-17 This rule will create a new return reason code (R90) to support an RDFI’s decision to return an entry in compliance with sanctions obligations. This rule also expands Article Three, Section 3.8 (RDFI's Right to Transmit Return Entries) to adopt a unique return time frame for returns related to sanctions compliance obligations. DetailsCurrently, Return Reason Code R16 is defined for use as “Account Frozen/Entry Returned Per OFAC Instruction.” The meanings of these two reasons are... Read More

Effective: 2027-03-19 This set of Rules includes two amendments: Optional Date of Birth Field for IAT Entries and Non-Bank Foreign Financial Agencies in IAT Entries. These new Rules align with Nacha’s strategies and objectives for the ACH Network to improve the ACH user experience, increase awareness and understanding of ACH capabilities, and improve data flows for ACH payments. DetailsOptional Date of Birth Field for IAT Entries This rule will designate an optional field for the... Read More

Effective: 2027-01-01 This Rule will require a Participating DFI to register their IAT- handling contact with either: The name, title, email address, and phone number for at least one primary and one secondary contact person for the area of responsibility; orDepartment contact information that includes an email address and a working telephone number. DetailsThis Rule will require a Participating DFI to register their IAT- handling contact with either: The name, title, email address, and phone... Read More

Effective: 2026-09-18 Industry participants have indicated difficulty in understanding the existing definition of IAT. The intent of this rule is to provide more clarity for users when making IAT determinations. DetailsThis new language will replace the existing definition of IAT with the following: SECTION 8.55 “International ACH Transaction” or “IAT Entry” or “IAT” “an Entry that is the U.S. ACH network component of an international payment transaction. For purposes of this definition, an international payment transaction... Read More

Effective: 2026-09-18 This rule will eliminate the 5:00 pm local time receipt condition, so that funds availability would be required at 9:00 am (in the RDFI’s local time) on Settlement Date for all non-Same Day ACH credits. DetailsThis rule will eliminate the 5:00 pm local time receipt condition, so that funds availability would be required at 9:00 am (in the RDFI’s local time) on Settlement Date for all non-Same Day ACH credits. TechnicalEffective Date –... Read More

Effective: 2026-06-19 These Rule amendments related to monitoring for fraud become effective on June 19, 2026 and are part of a larger Risk Management package intended to reduce the incidence of successful fraud attempts and improve the recovery of funds after frauds have occurred. DetailsIncluded in this portion of the Risk Management Rule amendments are the Phase Two requirements related to: Fraud Monitoring by Originators, Third-Party Service Providers/Third Party Senders and ODFIs; andACH Credit Monitoring... Read More

Effective: 2026-03-20 These Rule amendments related to monitoring for fraud become effective on March 20, 2026 and are part of a larger Risk Management package intended to reduce the incidence of successful fraud attempts and improve the recovery of funds after frauds have occurred. DetailsIncluded in this portion of the Risk Management Rule amendments are the Phase One requirements related to: Fraud Monitoring by Originators, Third-Party Service Providers/Third Party Senders and ODFIs; andACH Credit Monitoring... Read More

Effective: 2026-03-20 These two Rule amendments on Company Entry Descriptions become effective on March 20, 2026 and are part of a larger Risk Management package intended to reduce the incidence of successful fraud attempts and improve the recovery of funds after frauds have occurred. DetailsStandardized uses of the Company Entry Description can help parties in the ACH Network identify, monitor and count the volume of payments for specific purposes; and can help manage risk. Included... Read More

Effective: 2026-01-01 Network Administration FeesThe Nacha Operating Rules require each Participating Depository Financial Institution that transmits or receivesACH entries (commercial and Federal Government) to pay an annual fee and a per-entry fee to cover costs associatedwith the administration of the ACH Network. These Network Administration Fees apply to all entries subject to therequirements of the Nacha Operating Rules, whether such entries are transmitted via an ACH Operator, sent directlyfrom one Participating DFI to another, or... Read More

Effective: 2025-08-14 SummaryFor decades, the business world has used unencrypted electronic mail and fax machines to resolve disputes and transmit images of documents. Related to ACH processing, such interactions and business documents often contain details necessary to resolve an exception that prevented straight-through processing of an ACH payment, or to process a request or claim regarding an ACH payment. For example, an Originating Depository Financial Institution (ODFI) might need to provide proof of a consumer’s... Read More

Effective: 2025-06-03 SummaryA Nacha Request for Information in 2024 asked, “As an RDFI, do you currently return any entries using the same-day windows?” Only 59% of respondents said they use Same Day ACH processing windows to send any returns. Of those that do, 45% use same-day processing for less than half of their returns. The responses suggest that many RDFIs are foregoing the benefits of sending returns in a same-day window. Nacha recommends faster returns... Read More

Effective: 2024-10-01 These Rule amendments become effective on Oct 1, 2024 and are part of a larger Risk Management package intended to reduce the incidence of successful fraud attempts and improve the recovery of funds after frauds have occurred. DetailsIncluded in this portion of the Risk Management Rule amendments are: Codifying Expanded Use of Return Reason Code R17,Expanded Use of ODFI Request for Return/R06,Additional Funds Availability Exceptions,Timing of Written Statement of Unauthorized Debit, andRDFI Must... Read More

Effective: 2024-06-21 These changes will amend the Rules to address a variety of minor topics. Minor changes to the Rules are expected to have little-to-no impact on ACH participants and no significant processing or financial impact. Minor topics included within these Rules: General Rule for WEB EntriesDefinitions of OriginatorOriginator Action on Notification of ChangeData Security RequirementsUse of Prenotification EntriesClarification of Terminology – Subsequent EntriesThese minor changes will become effective June 21, 2024. TechnicalThese minor changes... Read More

Effective: 2024-01-01 The Nacha Operating Rules require each Participating Depository Financial Institution that transmits or receives ACH entries (commercial and Federal Government) to pay an annual fee and a per-entry fee to cover costs associated with the administration of the ACH Network. These Network Administration Fees apply to all entries subject to the requirements of the Nacha Operating Rules, whether such entries are transmitted via an ACH Operator, sent directly from one Participating DFI to... Read More

Effective: 2023-09-20 Supplement #1-2023 to the Nacha Operating Rules Supplement #1-2023 contains the 2024 ACH Network Administration Fees as approved by Nacha’s Board of Directors. The new fee schedule is effective January 1, 2024. To ensure compliance with the most current rules, use this Supplement in conjunction with the 2023 edition of the Nacha Operating Rules.

Effective: 2023-03-17 The Micro-Entry Rule defines and standardizes practice and formatting of Micro-Entries, which are used by some ACH Originators as a method of account validation. Phase 2 of this Rule will be effective March 17, 2023 Originators of Micro-Entries will be required to use commercially reasonable fraud detection, including the monitoring of Micro-Entry forward and return volumes.

Effective: 2022-09-30 The overarching purpose of these Rules is to further clarify the roles and responsibilities of Third-Party Senders (TPS) in the ACH Network by Addressing the existing practice of Nested Third-Party Sender relationships, and Making explicit and clarifying the requirement that a TPS conduct a Risk Assessment. The two Rules will become effective September 30, 2022, with a 6-month grace period for certain aspects of each rule. DetailsNested Third-Party Senders Defines a Nested Third-Party... Read More

Effective: 2022-09-16 DetailsThis Rule will define and standardize practices and formatting of Micro-Entries, which are used by some ACH Originators as a method of account validation This Rule will: Define “Micro-Entries” as ACH credits of less than $1 and any offsetting ACH debits, used for the purpose of verifying a Receiver’s account Standardize the Company Entry Description and Company Name requirements for Micro-Entries Establish other Micro-Entry origination practices Apply risk management requirements to the origination... Read More

Effective: 2022-06-30 This rule supplements previous ACH Security Framework data protection requirements by explicitly requiring large, non-FI Originators, Third-Party Service Providers (TPSPs) and Third-Party Senders (TPSs) to protect deposit account information by rendering it unreadable when it is stored electronically. Implementation began with Phase 1 which applies to those with ACH volume of 6 million transactions or greater annually. Phase 2 applies to those with ACH volume of 2 million transactions or greater annually. DetailsIn... Read More

Effective: 2022-03-18 This rule will continue to expand the capabilities of Same Day ACH. Increasing the Same Day ACH dollar limit to $1 million per payment is expected to improve Same Day ACH use cases, and contribute to additional adoption. DetailsIncreasing the dollar limit has been a frequently asked for change by ACH end-users. Most recently, a summer 2020 survey of corporate ACH end-users resulted in recommendations for Same Day ACH: Increase or remove dollar... Read More