R21 - Invalid Company Identification
The identification number in the Company Identification field is not valid or is not recognised by the Receiver. Most commonly seen on CIE (Customer Initiated Entry) transactions where the consumer's bank cannot match the biller.
R21 - Invalid Company Identification
The identification number in the Company Identification field is not valid or is not recognised by the Receiver. Most commonly seen on CIE (Customer Initiated Entry) transactions where the consumer's bank cannot match the biller. This rejection is recoverable: correct the cause and the same payment can be resubmitted.
What this code means
The identification number in the Company Identification field is not valid or is not recognised by the Receiver. Most commonly seen on CIE (Customer Initiated Entry) transactions where the consumer's bank cannot match the biller.
Typical causes
- Wrong or stale Company ID configured in the originating system
- CIE bill payment where the consumer's bank cannot identify the biller
- Company ID does not match what was registered with the ODFI
What to do
Correct the Company Identification value and re-send. Not a reinitiation.
What it looks like in an ACH return
The return arrives as an Addenda Record (type 99), 94 characters wide. The return reason code sits in positions 4-6.
799R21091000010000001 09100001 091000019000001Tools for this code
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Related codes
Source: Nacha ISO 20022 mapping guide + Federal Reserve ACH Return Reason Report + US Treasury Green Book · Last verified: 2026-07-13
Checked against: nacha.org · frbservices.org