Reason Codes

A reason code explains why an outcome occurred. It is distinct from a status code, which tells you what happened. The two travel together in the same webhook payload:

{
  "data": {
    "event": {
      "status": "1114",
      "client_message": "Payment Returned by Issuer",
      "reason_code": "02",
      "reason_description": "R03-No Account"
    }
  }
}

Here 1114 is the status — the payment was returned. 02 is the reason — the receiving bank reported no account. Use the Status Codes reference for the first value and this page for the second.

Ingo reason codes are normalized. Where a return originates with the ACH network, a card network, or an issuer, Ingo maps that provider’s response into the single Ingo reason code set below before delivering it to you. Integrate against the Ingo code — the accompanying reason_description names the underlying network reason for operational triage, but the code is the stable contract.

Reading the value

Codes are two-character, zero-padded strings

In webhook payloads, reason_code is always a two-character string, zero-padded below 10. A no-account return arrives as "02" — never as 2 or "2".

// Correct
if (event.reason_code === '02') { /* ... */ }

// Wrong — will never match
if (Number(event.reason_code) === 2) { /* fragile */ }
if (event.reason_code === '2')       { /* never true */ }

Compare against the padded literal, and store the field as a string. Parsing to an integer discards the padding that makes the value canonical and will break any round-trip back onto the wire.

On the request side, POST /gateway/checkcancel and POST /gateway/checkstop accept reason_code as an integer (73, not "73"). Because every send-side code is already two digits, no padding question arises — but the type differs from the webhook representation, so do not share a single serializer across both directions.

reason_description is display text, not a matching key

Most events that carry reason_code also carry reason_description — up to 250 characters, emitted verbatim from the platform’s reason code table.Treat it as display and log text only. It is not normalized prose: some entries carry legacy spellings and internal formatting (for example Chargeback-RC30_ServicesNotProvided, or R20-non transaction account). Descriptions on this page have been cleaned for readability, so they will not always match the emitted string character-for-character.Branch your logic on reason_code. Never string-match reason_description.

Where reason codes appear

Surface	Event or endpoint	Codes in scope
Webhook	`gateway.transaction.recipient.payment.status.returned`	ACH, card, and biller return reasons
Webhook	`gateway.transaction.recipient.status.payment.check.returned`	Positive pay check returns (`79`–`87`)
Webhook	`gateway.transaction.recipient.payment.status.check.canceled`	Check cancel reasons (`73`–`76`)
Webhook	`gateway.transaction.recipient.payment.status.check.stopped`	Check stop reasons (`77`–`78`)
Request	`POST /gateway/checkcancel`	Check cancel reasons (`73`–`76`)
Request	`POST /gateway/checkstop`	Check stop reasons (`77`–`78`)

The check and return events above are delivered on the IngoPay, Embedded Account Capture, and Notify webhook channels. See Webhooks for delivery, retry, and payload envelope details.Codes 73–78 are the only reason codes you send. Every other code on this page is one you receive.

Unassigned and reserved values

10 is not assigned. Codes 11–15 are reserved for a legacy partner integration and are not emitted on any client-facing contract.Treat any unrecognized reason_code as an unclassified failure rather than rejecting the event — the set can grow, and new codes are added without a contract version change.

Reason code reference

ACH Return Reasons

Returned when an ACH credit or debit cannot be posted by the receiving depository financial institution. The NACHA column shows the network return code that maps to each Ingo reason code.

Code	NACHA	Description
`01`	R04	Invalid account number
`02`	R03	No account
`03`	R06	Return requested by sender
`05`	R02	Customer account closed
`38`	R01	Insufficient funds
`39`	R05	Unauthorized debit to consumer account using corporate SEC code
`40`	R07	Authorization revoked by customer
`41`	R08	Payment stopped
`42`	R09	Uncollected funds
`43`	R10	Customer advises not authorized, improper, or ineligible
`44`	R11	Customer advises entry not in accordance with the terms of the authorization
`45`	R12	Account sold to another DFI
`46`	R13	Invalid ACH routing number
`47`	R14	Representative payee deceased or unable to continue in that capacity
`48`	R15	Beneficiary or account holder (other than representative payee) deceased
`49`	R16	Account frozen / entry returned per OFAC
`50`	R17	File record edit criteria
`51`	R18	Improper effective entry date
`52`	R19	Amount field error
`53`	R20	Non-transaction account
`54`	R21	Invalid company identification
`55`	R22	Invalid individual ID number
`56`	R23	Credit entry refused by receiver
`57`	R24	Duplicate entry
`58`	R25	Addenda error
`59`	R26	Mandatory field error
`60`	R27	Trace number error
`61`	R28	Routing number check digit error
`62`	R29	Corporate customer advises not authorized
`63`	R30	RDFI not participant in check truncation program
`64`	R31	Permissible return entry (CCD and CTX only)
`65`	R32	RDFI non-settlement
`66`	R33	Return of XCK entry
`67`	R34	Limited participation DFI
`68`	R35	Return of improper debit entry
`69`	R36	Return of improper credit entry
`70`	R37	Source document presented for payment
`71`	R38	Stop payment on source document
`72`	R39	Improper source document / source document presented for payment

44 carries an obsolete reason_description. An R11 return is delivered as reason_code 44 with reason_description set to Check truncation entry return — R11’s pre-2015 NACHA meaning. R11’s current meaning is the one shown in the table above. Match on the code 44; do not rely on the description to tell you what the return was.

Reinitiation eligibility. Not every ACH return reason permits a reinitiation attempt. Status codes 1315 and 1317 on the Status Codes page are returned when a reinitiation is rejected because of the return reason on the original — or on a prior reinitiation — transaction.

Card Decline & Account Reasons

Returned when a card disbursement is declined or reversed for a reason other than a formal chargeback.

Code	Description
`00`	Declined
`06`	Invalid expiration date
`07`	Declined
`08`	Reported lost or stolen
`09`	Chargeback

Do not retry 08 (reported lost or stolen) automatically. Prompt the recipient to supply a different destination account.

00 and 07 are both Declined and are not distinguishable from the payload alone. Treat them identically.

Card Chargeback Reasons

Returned when a card disbursement is reversed through the network chargeback process. The RC column shows the network chargeback reason code that maps to each Ingo reason code.

Code	RC	Description
`16`	RC30	Services not provided
`17`	RC41	Canceled recurring transaction
`18`	RC53	Not as described
`19`	RC57	Fraudulent multiple transactions
`20`	RC62	Counterfeit transaction
`21`	RC70	Card recovery bulletin or exception file
`22`	RC71	Declined authorization
`23`	RC72	No authorization
`24`	RC73	Expired card
`25`	RC74	Late presentment
`26`	RC75	Transaction not recognized
`27`	RC76	Incorrect currency, transaction code, or domestic transaction processing violation
`28`	RC77	Non-matching account number
`29`	RC78	Service code violation
`30`	RC80	Incorrect transaction amount or account number
`31`	RC81	Fraudulent transaction — card present
`32`	RC82	Duplicate processing
`33`	RC83	Fraudulent transaction — card not present
`34`	RC85	Credit not processed
`35`	RC86	Paid by other means
`36`	RC90	Non-receipt of cash or load transaction value
`37`	RC93	Merchant fraud performance

Chargebacks are terminal for the original transaction. Reconcile the reversal against your ledger; do not resubmit the same disbursement.

Biller Reasons

Code	Description
`04`	Payment refused by biller

Check Cancel (73–76) — sent on request

Submitted in the reason_code field of POST /gateway/checkcancel as an integer. The code must match the check’s current transaction status, or the request is rejected with status 722.

Code	Description	Eligible Status
`73`	Check not printed	Routed only
`74`	Undelivered check	Issued only
`75`	Client request	Issued only
`76`	Internal request	Issued only

These codes are echoed back as strings on the payment.status.check.canceled webhook event.

Check Stop (77–78) — sent on request

Submitted in the reason_code field of POST /gateway/checkstop as an integer. The check must be in an issued status.

Code	Description
`77`	Client request
`78`	Internal request

A successful stop response confirms only that the request was submitted. Confirmation that the check was actually stopped arrives on the payment.status.check.stopped webhook event, which echoes the reason code as a string.

Positive Pay Check Returns (79–87)

Returned on the status.payment.check.returned webhook event when a presented check fails a positive pay exception check.

Code	Description
`79`	Duplicate presentment
`80`	Amount not equal
`81`	Maximum amount exceeded
`82`	Stale date
`83`	Payment canceled
`84`	Payee name conflict
`85`	Payee format conflict
`86`	Extra payee listed
`87`	Paid, no issue

Status Codes

Response and event status codes across all Ingo Payments products.

Webhooks

Delivery, retry behavior, and payload envelope structure.

Retry Logic

Which outcomes warrant a retry, and how to retry safely.

Reporting

Reason codes as they appear in transaction and status files.

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