ACH return R16

Account Frozen / Entry Returned Per OFAC Instruction

Category: RDFI, regulatory & deceased Initiated by: RDFI

Read reinitiation conditions and source →

Applies to (SEC scope)

ALL

camt.053 mapping

AC06 — Blocked Account

Nacha's definition

(1) Access to the account is restricted due to specific action taken by the RDFI or by legal action; or (2) OFAC has instructed the RDFI or Gateway to return the Entry.

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

If this was a returned debit, Nacha's general reinitiation restrictions apply; this code alone does not establish permission to reinitiate. Confirm the current Rules and the return reason with your ODFI before any further entry.

Source: Nacha — rule page 'ACH Network Risk and Enforcement Topics' (unauthorized return rate threshold; reinitiation of entries)

How it appears in an ISO 20022 statement

Nacha's mapping guide maps R16 to camt.053 reason code AC06 (Blocked Account) — ISO definition: Account specified is blocked, prohibiting posting of transactions against it.

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 governing time limit for this code is set in the Nacha Operating Rules, which Nacha sells and which were not used here, so it is not restated.

Source: Nacha — rule page 'ACH Network Risk and Enforcement Topics' (unauthorized return rate threshold; reinitiation of entries)

What an operator does next

Either the account is frozen by the RDFI or legal action, or OFAC instructed the return. Until R90 takes effect on 17 March 2028 an R16 carries both meanings, so do not assume a sanctions determination — and do not assume there is not one. Escalate to compliance before any further entry.

PaymentBrief guidance, not Nacha text. Your ODFI's procedures and the current Nacha Operating Rules govern.

Where this comes up on PaymentBrief

Nacha's credit-push fraud rules: an operator reference

Covers R06 (ODFI Request for Return), the R16/R90 sanctions framing, and the 2026–2028 rule timetable.

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.

Confidence: high. Status: verified. The Nacha Operating Rules govern. Nacha sells them and they were not used here; every statement above is taken from a public Nacha document or a public US Treasury or Federal Reserve document, named per statement. Where those documents are silent, this card says so of those documents — it is not a claim about everything Nacha has published.

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
Nacha — rule page 'New Return Reason Code for Sanctions Compliance Obligations' (R90; effective 17 March 2028) — retrieved 2026-09-06

Related codes

R06

Returned per ODFI's Request

R14

Representative Payee Deceased or Unable to Continue in That Capacity

R15

Beneficiary or Account Holder (Other Than a Representative Payee) Deceased

R17

File Record Edit Criteria / Entry with Invalid Account Number Initiated Under Questionable Circumstances / Return of Improperly Initiated Reversal

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