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 three main parts: the header (2 lines), transaction records (multiple lines), and the footer (2 lines)
The header contains information about your company, the receiving bank, and the file itself.
101 122244333 2222222232502282115A094101AMERICAN RIVIERA BANK SELLMORE GOODS 00000000
| Field | Example | Description |
| First Digit | 1 | A one indicates this row is the first line of the header. |
| Priority Code | 01 | A two-digit number showing the processing priority. |
| Routing Number | 122244333 | The routing number for American Riviera Bank. |
| Immediate Origin ID | 222222223 | This should be 22222223 for files processed through Digital Banking. |
| Date | 250228 | The date the file was batched on, YYMMDD. In this example, February 28, 2025. |
| Timestamp | 2115 | The time the file was batched, in 24-hour time. In this example, 9:15 p.m. |
| File Data | 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 os lines in the file will be a multiple of ten. If the number of transactions doesn't square off neatly, the file will round up with a bunch of 9s at the end. - Format Code (1): This number is always 1. |
| Bank Name | AMERICAN RIVIERA BANK | The routing number for American Riviera Bank. |
| Company Name | SELLMORE GOODS | The name of your company. |
| Reference Code | 00000000 | An optional field used for accounting purposes. |
5220SELLMORE GOODS 1123456789CCDPAYOFF250228250228123456789 00000000
| Field | Example | Description |
| First Digit | 5 | A five shows that this row is the second line of the header. |
| Service Class Code | 220 | Identifies the type of transactions in the file: - 220: credits only - 225: debits only - 200: credits and debits |
| Company Name | SELLMORE GOODS | The name of your company. |
| Company ID | 1123456789 | A ten-digit code indicating your company. Usually your EIN preceded by a 1. |
| Standard Entry Class Codes (SEC Codes) | CCD | Shows the type of transactions in the file, such as PPD, CCD, CTX, WEB, TEL, etc. |
| Entry Description | PAYOFF | A description of the transaction entered in the software you use to generate the file. |
| Descriptive Date | 250228 | The date the transactions took place, YYMMDD. In this example, February 28, 2025. |
| Effective Date | 250228 | The date the transactions will be posted, YYMMDD. In this example, February 28, 2025. |
| Routing Number | 12345678 | The routing number for American Riviera Bank without the Check Digit (last digit). |
| Batch Number | 0000000 | The number of the batch in this file. |
Transaction records represent each transaction and include customer names and transaction details.
62712345678912345678 000034568712345678 John Doe 01234567890123456
| Field | Example | Description |
| First Digit | 6 | A six indicates this row is a transaction. |
| Transaction Code | 27 | Indicates the account type: - 27: checking account - 37: savings account |
| Routing Number | 123456789 | The routing number associated with the transaction. |
| Account Number | 12345678 | The account number associated with the transaction. |
| Amount | 0000345687 | The amount of the transaction. The last two digits are cents. In this example, $3,456.87. |
| ID Number | 12345678 | Customer identification number assigned by the system generating the NACHA file. |
| Customer Name | John Doe | The name of the customer. |
| Addenda Record Indicator | 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 | 1234567890123456 | The system assigns this number so the transaction can be traced if questions arise. |
Some transaction records will contain an S between the customer name and the addenda record indicator. This is a Payment Type Code, which indicates whether the payment is recurring or single.
The footer totals the transactions and provides additional information.
820000000300246872120000006452180000005421981123456789 1234567890000000
| Field | Example | Description |
| First Digit | 8 | The eight indicates this row is the first line of the footer. |
| Service Class Code | 200 | Identifies the type of transactions in the file: - 220: credits only - 225: debits only - 200: credits and debits |
| Entry Addenda count | 000003 | The total number of addenda for the file. |
| Entry Hash | 0024687212 | The sum of the first eight digits of each routing number (does not include the Check Digit. |
| Total Debit | 000000645218 | The total of all debit transactions on the NACHA file. In this example, $6,452.18 |
| Total Credit | 000000542198 | The total of all credit transactions on the NACHA file. In this example, $5,421.98 |
| Company ID | 1123456789 | A ten-digit code indicating your company. Often your EIN preceded by a 1. |
| Routing Number | 123456789 | The bank's routing number. |
| Batch Number | 0000000 | The batch number for this file. |
9000001000001000000030024687212000000645218 000000542198
| First Digit | Example | Description |
| First Digit | 9 | The nine indicates this row is the second line of the footer. |
| Batch Count | 000001 | The total number of batches in the file. |
| Block Count | 000001 | The total number of records in the file, divided by 10. |
| Entry/Addenda Count | 0000003 | The total number of entry detail and addenda for the file. |
| Entry Hash | 0024687212 | The sum of the first eight digits of each routing number (does not include the Check Digit. |
| Total Debit | 000000645218 | The total of all debit transactions on the NACHA file. In this example, $6,452.18 |
| Total Credit | 000000542198 | The total of all credit transactions on the NACHA file. In this example, $5,421.98 |
NACHA files are in block 10, meaning that the total number of rows should be divisible by ten. If a file has fewer than ten blocks, the system adds additional lines of 9s as filler.
