Account Closed
Category: Account & routing Initiated by: RDFI
Read reinitiation conditions and source →Applies to (SEC scope)
ALL
camt.053 mapping
AC04 — Closed Account Number
Nacha's definition
A previously active account has been closed by action of the customer or the RDFI.
Verbatim from Nacha — ISO 20022 Guide to Mapping U.S. ACH Return Items and Notifications of Change, August 2023, Version 2.01 (Table 1, return reason codes) (return reason code table). Applies to: ALL.
Reinitiation conditions
Nacha's reinitiation rule page says the rule "will allow reinitiations to correct administrative errors", with fields other than Company Name, Company ID and Amount modified only to the extent necessary to correct an error — so Nacha's page treats a resubmission with corrected account details as a reinitiation — within the Rules' limits and carrying the RETRY PYMT description — unless the Originator obtains a new authorization after the return, in which case Nacha does not treat the debit as a reinitiation.
get the corrected details from the Receiver, and decide deliberately whether you are reinitiating or originating a freshly authorized entry.
How it appears in an ISO 20022 statement
Nacha's mapping guide maps R02 to camt.053 reason code AC04 (Closed Account Number) — ISO definition: Account number specified has been closed on the bank of account's books.
Return time frame
Nacha's public rule pages refer to the standard "two-day" return time frame for returns that are not extended (unauthorized) returns. The current Nacha Operating Rules and your ODFI determine the applicable deadline for this code; a general public two-day reference is not a substitute for that code-specific requirement.
What an operator does next
Stop entries using the closed-account details and contact the Receiver. Do not resubmit unchanged details. If the return resulted from an administrative error, ask your ODFI whether the correction qualifies for reinitiation under the current Rules; correcting details is not blanket permission to retry. Alternatively, obtain a new authorization after the return for the appropriate account. Cancel or amend scheduled entries against the old account.
PaymentBrief guidance, not Nacha text. Your ODFI's procedures and the current Nacha Operating Rules govern.
Closed, unlocated or malformed?
These codes identify different account problems. A valid format is not proof that an account exists or belongs to the Receiver.
- R02 — Account Closed: stop entries to the closed account; obtain and authorize a replacement through a trusted channel.
- R03 — No Account / Unable to Locate Account: validate the Receiver and account relationship; do not assume the format is wrong.
- R04 — Invalid Account Number Structure: correct verified source data; do not guess digits.
PaymentBrief comparison of the definitions above. Repair is not automatic retry permission: check the reinitiation conditions and your ODFI’s procedures before a new entry.
Where this comes up on PaymentBrief
Direct debit explained: ACH, SEPA, Bacs and eGIRO
Where ACH debit returns sit in the mandate and collection lifecycle, and how the return-rate thresholds bear on your ODFI relationship.
Payout and disbursement failure runbook
How a returned ACH credit is triaged — repair, reissue or escalate — and why repair and retry are different decisions.
Sources for this code
- Nacha — ISO 20022 Guide to Mapping U.S. ACH Return Items and Notifications of Change, August 2023, Version 2.01 (Table 1, return reason codes) — retrieved 2026-09-06
- Nacha — rule page 'ACH Network Risk and Enforcement Topics' (unauthorized return rate threshold; reinitiation of entries) — retrieved 2026-09-06
- US Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service — Green Book, Chapter 4: Returns (return reason codes for federal ACH credits; dishonored return codes) — retrieved 2026-09-06
- Federal Reserve Financial Services — FedGlobal ACH Payments Origination Manual, 3 August 2026 (return item code tables) — retrieved 2026-09-06