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When a Payment Hits a Wall Before It Even Starts
With ACH payments, most transactions follow a predictable, well-paved road: payment created, payment submitted, payment received.
But when you’re dealing with international payments or special routing situations, an additional player—the gateway—steps in. And sometimes, the gateway decides not to process the transaction at all.
When that happens, you’ll see ACH Return Code R84 pop up.
Here’s what you need to know about why it happens, and what you can do about it.
What Does R84 Mean?
ACH Return Code R84 stands for:
“Not Processed by Gateway.”
According to NACHA:
R84 – Not Processed by Gateway: The gateway (responsible for handling certain ACH entries, usually for international transactions) did not process the payment, causing the transaction to be returned.
Translation:
Your payment didn’t even get into the system because the gateway operator stopped it before it could go anywhere.
Why Would a Gateway Not Process a Transaction?
There are a few common reasons for an R84 return:
Missing or incorrect international payment details
Non-compliance with gateway standards for formatting or documentation
Regulatory or sanctions-related concerns that cause the gateway to block the transaction
Unsupported transaction types or destinations by the gateway
Technical or system errors that prevent the payment from being accepted
The important thing to know is: the rejection isn’t random. The gateway saw something that made it impossible (or illegal) to process the payment.
What Should You Do If You Receive an R84 Return?
Step 1: Review the Payment Details
Look at the entry fields carefully. Were all the necessary fields (especially for international transactions) filled out correctly? Is the destination country or bank supported by your ACH provider and gateway?
Step 2: Contact Your ACH Processor
Reach out to your ACH provider or bank. They may have more information from the gateway about why the payment wasn’t processed—and what’s needed to fix it.
Step 3: Correct Any Issues or Choose an Alternative Method
Depending on the reason for the return, you may need to update the transaction details and resubmit, or in some cases, use a different payment method (such as an international wire transfer).
Step 4: Communicate With the Payment Recipient
If the transaction involved a customer, vendor, or employee, let them know about the delay and the steps you’re taking to resolve it.
How to Avoid R84 Problems in the Future
While not every R84 is avoidable, you can reduce the chances by:
Making sure your ACH software supports IAT (International ACH Transactions) and other gateway standards
Filling out all international transaction fields completely and correctly
Keeping current on sanctions lists and regulatory restrictions for the countries you’re sending payments to
Working with an experienced ACH processor that handles cross-border payments regularly
Building in a pre-validation step before submitting large or important international transactions
A little extra caution upfront can save you time—and prevent customer frustration—later.
R84 Is a Gateway Roadblock, Not a System Failure
ACH Return Code R84—“Not Processed by Gateway”—means the payment was stopped before it could even enter the processing stream.
While it can feel frustrating, it’s often a helpful safeguard, protecting you from regulatory violations, errors, or compliance risks.
At Durango Merchant Services, we help businesses manage both domestic and international ACH payments, troubleshoot tricky returns like R84, and build smarter, more reliable payment systems.
