NACHA Rule Changes

Effective: 2021-09-17 Meaningful ModernizationEFFECTIVE DATESeptember 17, 2021RULE STATUSUpcoming RulesThe overarching purpose of these rules is to improve and simplify the ACH user-experience by Facilitating the adoption of new technologies and channels for the authorization and initiation of ACH payments Reducing barriers to use of the ACH Providing clarity and increasing consistency around certain ACH authorization processes; and Reducing certain administrative burdens related to ACH authorizations The rule will become effective on September 17, 2021. DetailsStanding... Read More

Effective: 2021-06-30 DetailsThis rule limits the length of time in which an RDFI will be permitted to make a claim against the ODFI’s authorization warranty For an entry to a non-consumer account, the time limit will be one year from the settlement date of the entry ( analogous to one-year rule in UCC §4-406 that applies to checks and items charged to bank accounts) For an entry to a consumer account, the limit will cover... Read More

Effective: 2021-06-30 DetailsReversals This Rule will explicitly address improper uses of reversals. It will expand the permissible reasons for a reversal to include a “wrong date” error – 1) the reversal of a debit Entry that was for a date earlier than intended by the Originator, or 2) a credit Entry that was for a date later than intended by the Originator The Rule will establish formatting requirements for reversals, beyond the current standardized use... Read More

Effective: 2021-06-30 DetailsThe existing ACH Security Framework including its data protection requirements will be supplemented to explicitly require 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 begins with the largest Originators and TPSPs (including TPSs) and initially applies to those with ACH volume of 6 million transactions or greater annually. A second phase applies to those with... Read More

Effective: 2021-03-19 DetailsCreates a third Same Day ACH processing window that expands Same Day ACH availability by 2 hours Currently, the latest that an ODFI can submit files of Same Day ACH transactions to an ACH Operator is 2:45 p.m. ET (11:45 a.m. PT)The new window will allow Same Day ACH files to be submitted until 4:45 p.m. ET (1:45 p.m. PT), providing greater access for all ODFIs and their customersThe timing of this new... Read More

Effective: 2021-03-19 DetailsCurrently, ACH Originators of WEB debit entries are required to use a “commercially reasonable fraudulent transaction detection system” to screen WEB debits for fraud. This existing screening requirement will be supplemented to make it explicit that “account validation” is part of a “commercially reasonable fraudulent transaction detection system.” The supplemental requirement applies to the first use of an account number, or changes to the account number. TechnicalThis Rule modifies the following areas of... Read More

Effective: 2020-04-01 This rule better differentiates among types of unauthorized return reasons for consumer debits. This differentiation will give ODFIs and their Originators clearer and better information when a customer claims that an error occurred with an authorized payment, as opposed to when a customer claims there was no authorization for a payment. ODFIs and their Originators should be able to react differently to claims of errors, and potentially could avoid taking more significant action... Read More

Effective: 2020-03-20 This new rule increases the Same Day ACH per-transaction dollar limit to $100,000 and will become effective on March 20, 2020. Details Increases the per-transaction dollar limit for Same Day ACH transactions to $100,000 Currently, Same Day ACH transactions are limited to $25,000 per transaction Technical The following changes to technical language represent modifications to the Nacha Operating Rules to adjust the per-transaction dollar limit to $100,000 for Same Day ACH entries: Article... Read More

Effective: 2019-09-20 This Rule increases the speed of funds availability for certain Same Day ACH and next-day ACH credits. Details Establishes additional funds availability standards for ACH credits Funds from Same Day ACH credits processed in the existing, first processing window will be made available by 1:30 p.m. in the RDFI's local time Funds from non-Same Day ACH credits will be available by 9:00 a.m. RDFI's local time on the Settlement Date, if the credits... Read More

Effective: 2019-06-21 This change to the Nacha Operating Rules will enhance quality and improve risk management within the ACH Network by allowing RDFIs to indicate within a return that the original transaction was questionable or part of anomalous activity. Details RDFIs may but are not required to use return reason code R17 to indicate that the RDFI believes the entry was initiated under questionable circumstances. RDFIs electing to use R17 for this purpose will use... Read More

Effective: 2019-01-01 This rule changes the structure of the audit requirement within the Rules, but does not change the requirement to conduct a Rules compliance audit annually. This rule change modifies the Rules to provide financial institutions and third-party service providers with greater flexibility in conducting annual Rules compliance audits. The rule does not change the requirement to conduct a Rules compliance audit annually, but rather changes the structure of the audit requirement within the... Read More

Effective: 2019-01-01 These ballots amend the Rules to address a variety of minor topics. Minor changes to the Rules have little-to-no impact on ACH participants and no significant processing or financial impact. Details ACH Operator EditsThis change aligns the Rules with current ACH Operator file editing practices. Clarification on TEL Authorization RequirementThis change makes clear that the general rules governing the form of authorization for all consumer entries apply to TEL entries. This rule also... Read More

Effective: 2018-03-16 Same Day ACH: Moving Payments Faster (Phase 3) New capabilities of Same Day ACH become effective over three phases to allow financial institutions and businesses to acclimate to a faster processing environment, as well as to ease the implementation effort. Beginning March 16, 2018, RDFIs will be mandated to make funds available from same day ACH credits (such as payroll Direct Deposits) to their depositors by 5:00 PM at the RDFI’s local time.... Read More

Effective: 2017-10-03 This Rule is intended to improve ACH Network quality by reducing the incidence of ACH debits that are returned as unauthorized. Under this Rule, an ODFI will pay a fee to the RDFI for each ACH debit that is returned as unauthorized (return reason codes R05, R07, R10, R29 and R51). ODFIs will have an economic incentive to improve the quality of the ACH transactions they originate. RDFIs will be compensated for a... Read More

Effective: 2017-09-29 DEADLINE for initial registration is March 1, 2018.This rule requires Originating Depository Financial Institutions (ODFIs) to identify and register their Third-Party Sender customers. The registration process promotes consistent customer due diligence among all ODFIs, and serves as a tool to support NACHA’s continuing efforts to maintain ACH Network quality. Register your Third-Party Sender customers here. Initial Registration For ODFIs with no Third-Party Sender customers, the Rule will require the ODFI to acknowledge this... Read More

Effective: 2017-09-15 New capabilities of Same Day ACH become effective over phases to allow financial institutions and businesses to acclimate to a faster processing environment, as well as to ease the implementation effort. Beginning September 15, 2017, Same Day ACH is available for debit entries, enabling the same-day processing of virtually any ACH payment. The Rule enables the option for same-day ACH payments through additional ACH Network functionality, without affecting previously available ACH schedules and... Read More

Effective: 2017-01-23 NACHA has adopted a Rule to provide a new, ubiquitous capability for moving ACH payments faster. The Rule will enable the same-day processing of virtually any ACH payment. Currently, most ACH payments are settled on the next business day. There are many uses of ACH payments, however, for which businesses and consumers could benefit from same-day processing. This NACHA rule change will enable ACH Originators that desire same-day processing the option to send... Read More

Effective: 2016-08-18 Clarification of Reinitiation – Standard Entry Description; RCK; and Returns for R03/R04 These amendments revise the recently-adopted rules governing the reinitiation of returned entries to make clarifications on formatting requirements and scope of coverage:(1) The recently effective changes to the reinitiation rules require the use of a specific company entry description (“RETRY PYMT”). In any case where an entry is returned and subsequently reinitiated, the rule intended the description “RETRY PYMT” to supersede... Read More

Effective: 2016-03-18 This Rule establishes an Originator/Third-Party Service Provider obligation to provide consumer Receivers with certain disclosures when providing those consumers with cards used to initiate ACH Point of Sale (POS) Entries. NACHA continues to receive feedback from some financial institutions that they experience customer service calls and contacts regarding so-called ACH cards (i.e., cards issued by third-parties – generally non-financial institutions – that initiated debits to a consumer’s account via the ACH). These financial... Read More

Effective: 2015-09-18 This Rule establishes a guideline for an Originator's administrative return rate of 3 percent or below of the total Entries originated. The guideline applies to debit Entries returned due to administrative or account data errors (Return Reason Codes R02, R03 and R04). Additionally, this Rule also establishes an acceptable guideline for an Originator's overall debit Entry return rate of 15 percent or below of the total Entries originated (excluding RCK entries). Return rates... Read More