R55 ACH Return Code: Incorrect Routing Number

What Causes ACH Return Code R55?

The R55 ACH return code means "Incorrect Routing Number" and indicates that the 9-digit routing number provided in the ACH transaction does not correspond to the correct financial institution intended for the payment. This differs from invalid routing numbers that fail format validation - R55 routing numbers may be properly structured but simply point to the wrong bank or credit union.

Routing numbers are unique identifiers assigned to each financial institution by the American Bankers Association (ABA). When a customer provides an incorrect routing number, the ACH transaction gets directed to the wrong financial institution, which cannot locate the associated account and returns the payment. This commonly occurs when customers confuse different routing numbers for the same bank (such as wire transfer vs. ACH routing numbers), provide outdated routing numbers from bank mergers, or simply make transcription errors when providing their banking information.

Can You Retry R55 Payments?

You can retry R55 payments once you obtain the correct routing number from the customer. Contact the customer to verify their banking information and ensure they provide the accurate routing number for their specific financial institution and account type. Some banks have different routing numbers for different services (ACH vs. wire transfers), so confirm the routing number is specifically for ACH transactions.

How to respond

An R55 return requires obtaining the correct routing number from the customer and verifying their banking information to ensure successful reprocessing.

When receiving payments

Contact Customer for Verification
Reach out to confirm their correct routing number and verify all banking information.
Clarify ACH vs. Wire Routing Numbers
Ensure the customer provides the routing number specifically for ACH transactions, not wire transfers.
Verify with Bank Documentation
Ask the customer to check their bank statement, checks, or contact their bank directly for the correct ACH routing number.
Retry with Correct Information
Once verified, resubmit the payment with the accurate routing number and confirmed account details.

When sending payments

An R55 return on vendor payments indicates you have an incorrect routing number for the vendor's bank account. This requires verifying the vendor's banking information and obtaining the correct routing number for successful payment processing.

Contact the vendor to verify their correct ACH routing number
Confirm the routing number is specifically for ACH transactions
Double-check all banking information including account number
Resubmit the payment with verified and corrected banking details

Email template

From: [Your Company Name] <[your-email]>
To: [Customer Name] <[customer-email]>
Subject: Payment Issue - Banking Information Verification Needed

Hi [Customer Name],

We attempted to process your payment but received an R55 return code, indicating the routing number provided doesn't match your bank. This is a common issue that's easily resolved.

To complete your payment, please verify your banking information:

Double-check your 9-digit routing number
Ensure it's the ACH routing number (not wire transfer)
Confirm this matches your current bank and account

You can find the correct routing number on your bank statements, checks, or by contacting your bank directly. Some banks use different routing numbers for different services, so please specify you need the ACH routing number.

Once you provide the corrected information, we'll reprocess your payment immediately.

Best regards,

[Your Company Name]