If a member’s debit fails (e.g. NSF, closed account), here’s how to review, reset, and reprocess EFT files through Business Banking and the addy system.
Overview
When using PAD to debit/credit funds for a member’s bank account via EFT, some transactions may fail or be returned. Common reasons include:
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NSF (Non-Sufficient Funds): The member didn’t have enough money in their account to complete the debit.
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Account Closed or Frozen
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Incorrect or Unverified Bank Details
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File Timing Errors: The EFT file was approved after the processing cut-off at your financial institution and expired.
These failures must be reviewed and processed to keep your card program and accounting accurate.
Step 1: Review Rejected EFT Files in Your Financial Institution’s Platform
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Log in to your Financial Institution’s online banking platform.
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Navigate to Electronic Funds Transfer or EFT Services.
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From the EFT menu, select Activity List or equivalent.
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In the Display or Filter options, select Payments Sent to Bank.
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Review all EFT files submitted in the last 30 days.
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If a file shows a status of Rejected or Accepted with Errors, click the status to view the reason.
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A common reason is that the file was approved after the bank’s daily processing cut-off, so it must be voided and re-submitted.
Step 2: Reset the Rejected EFT File in addy
If the file wasn’t processed due to timing or another issue, follow these steps to reset it:
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Log into the admin view of the addy platform.
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Under Finance, go to 80 Byte Summary.
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Click the orange “Void EFT File” button.
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When prompted, enter the EFT File # you want to void. This number matches the file creation ID in the 80 Byte Summary list.
⚠️ If you encounter an error when trying to void the file, contact support@addyinvest.com
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Once voided, the file will reappear under 80 Byte Downloads, and you can follow the standard steps to reprocess it as a debit file.
Step 3: Review Returned EFT Debits (NSF and Other Returns)
If the file was submitted and processed but individual member debits were returned, follow these steps:
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In your Financial Institution’s EFT platform, go to Activity List or Transaction History.
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Select Returned Payments from the dropdown or filter menu.
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Click the dollar amount of any listed return to view a summary (usually in PDF format).
Step 4: Upload the Return Report to addy
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On the Returned Payments page, click Generate Detailed Report in CSV or the equivalent export option.
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Log into addy Business → EFT Process → 80 Byte Summary .
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Click the “Submit Rejection” button.
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Upload the CSV return file from your FI. This will mark the failed debits as void in addy, using the reason code provided.
Step 5: Confirm the Transaction Status in addy
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Go to the Search tab in the admin dashboard.
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Select Transactions.
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Search using the Transaction Reference Number from the returned payment file.
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The Status should now read Failed.
If the status hasn’t updated, click into the Transaction Hash ID and manually update it by entering the appropriate failure data.
What You Need to Know
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⏳ It can take 3–7+ business days for failed EFTs to return. Some banks may take longer depending on their processing cycles.
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🔁 There may be multiple NSF returns from the same EFT file over several days.
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💸 Fees may be incurred by both the member and your organization for NSF transactions.