NACHA (National Automated Clearing House Association) files are specialized .txt files used to facilitate Automated Clearing House (ACH) transactions in the United States. These files contain crucial information about financial transactions and are used to move funds between accounts.
A NACHA file consists of five main parts: File Header, Batch Header, Entry Detail, Batch Control, and the File Control.
The header contains information about your company, the receiving bank, and the file itself.
101 1222443332222222232502282115A094101 AMERICAN RIVIERA BANK SELLMORE GOODS00000000
| Field | Position | Example | Description |
| File Header Record | 1 | 1 | A one indicates this row is the file header. |
| Priority Code | 2-3 | 01 | A two-digit number showing the processing priority. |
| Routing Number | 4-13 | 122244333 | The routing number for American Riviera Bank. |
| Immediate Origin ID | 14-23 | 222222223 | This should be 22222223 for files processed through Digital Banking. |
| File Creation Date | 24-29 | 250228 | The date the file was created on, YYMMDD. In this example, February 28, 2025. |
| File Creation Time | 30-33 | 2115 | The time the file was batched, in 24-hour time. In this example, 9:15 p.m. |
| File Data | 34-40 | A094101 |
Information about the file itself: - File Modifier (A): If there are enough transactions that the system generates multiple NACHA files, it will use these numbers to distinguish them, starting with A and continuing in alphabetical order. - Record size (094): Number of characters in a line. - Blocking Factor (10): The NACHA file is "blocked" in groups of ten lines, so the total number of rows in the file will be a multiple of ten. If the number of rows doesn't equal ten, the system adds additional rows of 9s as filler to complete the block of ten. - Format Code (1): This number is always 1. |
| Immediate Destination Name | 41-63 | AMERICAN RIVIERA BANK |
This is an optional field used to indicate the name of the processor. Note: Some software will input the Originating Bank Name here. |
| Bank Name | 64-86 | SELLMORE GOODS |
The name of the bank: American Riviera Bank. Note: Some software will input the Company Name here. |
| Reference Code | 87-94 | 00000000 | An optional field used for accounting purposes. |
5220 SELLMORE GOODS 11234567891123456789CCD PAYOFF25022725022822503011122244330000001
| Field | Position | Example | Description |
| Record Type Code | 1 | 5 | A five indicates this row is a header. There could be multiple batch headers in a file. |
| Service Class Code | 2-4 | 220 |
Identifies the type of transactions in the file: - 200: credits and debits - 220: credits only - 225: debits only - 280: ACH automated accounting advices |
| Company Name | 5-20 | SELLMORE GOODS | The name of your company. |
| Company Discretionary Data | 21-40 | 1123456789 |
An identifier that helps differentiate this batch from other batches. |
| Company ID | 41-50 | 1123456789 | A ten-digit code indicating your company; usually your EIN preceded by a 1. |
| Standard Entry Class Codes (SEC Codes) | 51-53 | CCD |
Shows the type of transactions in the file, such as PPD or CCD. |
| Company Entry Description | 54-63 | PAYOFF | A description of the transaction entered in the software you use to generate the file (e.g. PAYROLL, DUES, FEES, PAYOFF). |
| Company Descriptive Date | 64-69 | 250227 | The date the transactions took place, YYMMDD. In this example, February 27, 2025. |
| Effective Entry Date | 70-75 | 250228 | The date the transactions will be posted, YYMMDD. In this example, February 28, 2025. |
| Settlement Date | 76-78 | 250301 | This date is automatically created during file processing. |
| Originator Status Code | 79 | 1 |
This code refers to the originating depository financial institution and is automatically generated during file processing. |
| The Originating Bank's Routing Number | 80-87 | 12224433 | The routing number for American Riviera Bank without the Check Digit (last digit). |
| Batch Number | 88-94 | 00000001 | The number of the batch in this file. |
Entry Detail Records represent each transaction and include recipient names and transaction details.
622123456789 123456780000345687 12345678 John Doe 0122244331234567
Some transaction records will contain an S between the recipient name and the addenda record indicator which indicates whether the payment is recurring or single.
| Field | Position | Example | Description |
| Record Type Code | 1 | 6 |
A six indicates this is the entry detail record for that recipient. Note: There could be multiple 6 records in the file depending on how many recipients are included in the file. |
| Transaction Code | 2-3 | 22 |
Indicates the account type: - 22: checking credit - 27: checking debit - 32: savings credit - 37: savings debit - 52: loan credit |
| The Receiving Depository Institution's Routing Number | 4-12 |
123456789 |
The routing number for the receiving depository institution. |
| The Receiving Depository Institution's Account Number | 13-29 | 12345678 | The recipient's account number at their depository institution. |
| Amount | 30-39 | 0000345687 | The amount of the transaction. The last two digits are cents. In this example, $3,456.87. |
| Individual Identification Number | 40-54 | 12345678 |
Identification number assigned to the recipient. |
| Recipient Name | 55-76 | John Doe | The name of the recipient. |
| Payment Type Code | 77-78 | An optional payment type code. | |
| Addenda Record Indicator | 79 | 0 |
If there is no addenda accompanying the transaction, this will be 0. If there are addenda accompanying the transaction, this will be 1. |
| Trace Number | 80-94 | 122443331234567 | The system assigns this number so the transaction can be traced if questions arise. |
The footer totals the transactions and provides additional information.
820000000300246872120000006452180000005421981123456789 122244330000001
| Field | Position | Example | Description |
| Record Type Code | 1 | 8 | The eight indicates this row is the end of a batch. There could be multiple batch controls in a file. |
| Service Class Code | 2-4 | 200 |
Identifies the type of transactions in the file: - 200: credits and debits - 220: credits only - 225: debits only - 280: ACH automated accounting advices |
| Entry/Addenda Count | 5-10 | 000003 | The total number of entry detail and addenda for the file. |
| Entry Hash | 11-20 | 0024687212 |
The sum of the first eight digits of each routing number (does not include the Check Digit). NOTE: If there are more than 10, the total is truncated from the left. |
| Total Debit Amount | 21-32 | 000000645218 | The total of all debit transactions in the batch. In this example, $6,452.18 |
| Total Credit Amount | 33-44 | 000000542198 | The total of all credit transactions in the batch. In this example, $5,421.98 |
| Company ID | 45-54 | 1123456789 | A ten-digit code indicating your company. Often your EIN preceded by a 1. |
| Message Authentication Code | 55-73 | This is an optional field that is autogenerated during file processing to verify the integrity and authenticity of the file. | |
| Reserved | 74-79 | These positions are not used. | |
| The Originating Bank's Routing Number | 80-87 | 12224433 | The routing number for American Riviera Bank without the Check Digit (last digit). |
| Batch Number | 88-94 | 0000001 | The number of the batch. |
9000010000001000000030024687212000000645218 000000542198
|
First Digit |
Position | Example | Description |
| Record Type Code | 1 | 9 | The nine indicates the file control record. |
| Batch Count | 2-7 | 000010 | The total number of batches in the file. |
| Block Count | 8-13 | 000001 | The total number of records in the file, divided by 10. |
| Entry/Addenda Count | 14-21 | 0000003 |
The total number of entry detail and addenda for the file. |
| Entry Hash | 22-31 | 0024687212 |
The sum of the first eight digits of each routing number in the batches (does not include the Check Digit). NOTE: If there are more than 10, the total is truncated from the left. |
| Total Debits | 32-43 | 000000645218 | The total of all debit transactions in the file. In this example, $6,452.18 |
| Total Credits | 44-55 | 000000542198 | The total of all credit transactions in the file. In this example, $5,421.98 |
| Reserved | 56-94 | These positions are not used. |
