ACH Payment Failure Reasons
ACH (bank transfer) payments may fail for different reasons depending on the patient’s bank, the payment processor, or the bank account configuration. Here are the most common ACH error messages you may see in SigmaMD and the recommended next steps for each one.
Authentication failed: please reauthorize ACH
What This Means
The secure connection between your ACH payment processor and the linked bank account has expired or was revoked. This can happen after:
- A bank password change
- Updated bank security settings
- Revoked account permissions
- Expired authentication tokens
What To Do
The patient or account holder should reconnect their bank account authorization with the ACH provider. If the connection cannot be reauthorized successfully, the account holder should contact the payment processor or financial institution for additional assistance.
ACH Type WEB Is Not Allowed
What This Means
The bank or ACH processor rejected the transaction because WEB-originated ACH transactions are not enabled or permitted for the connected account configuration.
What To Do
This is typically related to the ACH account or processor configuration and usually requires review by the payment provider or financial institution. Verify that:
- The bank account supports online ACH debits
- ACH permissions are enabled for internet-originated transactions
- The account is authorized for WEB ACH transactions
If needed, contact your payment processor for assistance.
Authorization Platform or Issuer System Inoperative
What This Means
The patient's bank or the ACH processing network was temporarily unavailable when the transaction was attempted.
This is usually caused by:
- Temporary banking outages
- Network interruptions
- Scheduled maintenance on the bank or processor side
What To Do
Wait a few minutes and try the payment again.
If the issue continues:
- Confirm the patient’s bank is operational
- Verify there are no known outages with the ACH provider
- Retry the transaction later
Original Transaction Not Found
What This Means
The ACH processor could not locate the original transaction being referenced. This may happen when attempting to:
- Void a payment
- Issue a refund
- Reference a previous ACH transaction
What To Do
Verify that the original transaction:
- Exists in the patient’s billing history
- Was successfully processed
- Was processed through the same payment processor
If the original transaction cannot be located, additional review may be required by the payment processor.
Additional Troubleshooting Tips
If an ACH payment continues to fail:
- Confirm the routing and account numbers are correct
- Verify the bank account is active
- Ensure sufficient funds are available
- Ask the patient to contact their bank for more information about the rejection
Some ACH rejections originate directly from the patient’s financial institution and may require action from the account holder before the payment can be processed successfully.