When CBP's ACH Refund Bounces: Decoding Return Codes and Triggering a Replacement Disbursement

You filed a CAPE Declaration. CBP accepted it. Weeks later, the refund still hasn’t shown up in your account. Don’t assume it’s “still processing” — pull the REV-613 report. Your refund may have already been issued, rejected by your bank, and is now sitting in CBP’s queue waiting for you to fix the banking information.

This guide walks you through detection, diagnosis, and the replacement-disbursement process — using the same ACH return codes the banking industry has used for decades.

Why this matters now: CBP transitioned to electronic-only refunds on February 6, 2026 (Executive Order 14247). Paper checks are no longer issued. If your ACH bounces, the refund stays with CBP until you fix it. Per the April 28 CIT order, CBP rejected an early IEEPA refund batch worth tens of millions due in part to invalid ACH data.

Step 1: Pull the REV-613 Report

This is the single source of truth for failed CBP ACH refunds. To run it:

1. Log into the ACE Portal (the Reports module — not the Account view).
2. Open Public Folders → ACE → Trade → Importer/Broker → Revenue → Refunds.
3. Select REV-613 — ACH Rejected Refunds.
4. Set parameters:
   • Importer of Record: your IOR number.
   • Date range: the last 90 days, or wider if you suspect older rejections.
5. Run the report. Each row represents one rejected ACH attempt.

Key columns to capture:

Column	Why it matters
Entry summary number	Tells you which CAPE-refunded entry bounced
Refund amount	The dollars stuck in CBP’s queue
ACH return code	The banking diagnosis (decoded below)
Rejection date	Starts your fix-and-resubmit clock
Account number used	Lets you spot the data-entry error

If REV-613 has zero rows, your refunds either haven’t been issued yet or have been successfully deposited. Run REV-612 (ACH Refunds) to see successful disbursements.

Step 2: Decode the ACH Return Code

ACH return codes come from the banking system (NACHA), not from CBP. The same codes you’d see on any failed bank transfer.

Code	Meaning	Most common IEEPA-refund cause	Fix
R01	Insufficient Funds	N/A — applies to debits, not refunds	(Should not appear on a CBP refund)
R02	Account Closed	The account on file was closed (M&A, bank consolidation, change of treasury)	Update ACH info in ACE with the new active account
R03	No Account / Unable to Locate Account	Wrong account number entered, transposed digits, or account never existed at the routing number	Verify both the account number AND the routing number; correct in ACE
R04	Invalid Account Number	Account number has wrong number of digits or fails the bank’s validation	Confirm exact account number with your bank, re-enter in ACE
R06	Returned per ODFI’s Request	The originating bank (CBP’s bank, Treasury) requested return — usually internal CBP issue	Contact CBP via your assigned port; this is rare
R07	Authorization Revoked	Receiving bank says the customer has revoked ACH authorization	Re-authorize ACH in the ACE Portal; may need fresh sign-off from a bank-side authorized signer
R08	Payment Stopped	Stop-payment at the receiving bank	Lift the stop-payment with your bank, then update ACE if needed
R10	Customer Advises Unauthorized	Receiving bank’s customer disputed the credit	Verify with your bank that the credit is expected; may need fraud-team coordination
R16	Account Frozen	Legal hold or bank-level freeze on the account	Resolve the freeze with your bank, then refresh ACE if account changed
R17	File Record Edit Criteria	Data integrity issue in the ACH file (rare for refunds)	CBP-side fix; contact your assigned port
R20	Non-Transaction Account	The account on file is not authorized for ACH credits (e.g., savings-only, money market)	Switch to a checking account in ACE
R29	Corporate Customer Advises Not Authorized	The corporate customer (you) disputed authorization	Re-authorize in ACE; usually triggered when a controller doesn’t recognize the deposit

The big three for IEEPA refunds: R03 (no account), R02 (account closed), R04 (invalid account number). These three account for the vast majority of CBP ACH rejections, all of them caused by stale or wrong banking data in ACE.

Step 3: Update Banking Information in ACE

Once you know the rejection cause, fix it in the right place. CBP guidance (Publication No. 5292-1225) is clear that the actual ACH data is stored in CBP’s financial system, but the entry point is the ACE Portal.

To update:

1. Log into ACE Portal → switch to the Importer Account view.
2. Open the ACH Refund Authorization tab.
3. Click Get Info / Refresh to see what CBP currently has on file.
4. Click Edit to change an existing record, or Add ACH Info to enroll a new account.
5. Enter the corrected routing number (9 digits) and account number. Use a checking account; savings accounts trigger R20.
6. Save. CBP’s financial system pulls the update in the next batch (typically within 24–48 hours).

Access requirements: Your Trade Account Owner (TAO) has Full Access by default. Other users (Proxy TAO, Trade Account User) need Full Access to edit; Read-Only access is view-only. If your treasury/AP person can’t see the edit button, your TAO needs to upgrade their permission.

Step 4: Wait for the Replacement Disbursement

CBP does not automatically retry the same failed ACH against the same data. Once you’ve updated the banking info, CBP runs a separate replacement-refund process. Per CBP guidance, this typically takes 2–4 weeks from the date of correction. Track via:

• REV-612 (ACH Refunds) — should show the replacement disbursement when it lands.
• Bank statement — confirm the deposit hits the corrected account.

If 4 weeks pass with no replacement and REV-613 still shows the original rejection, contact your assigned CBP port in writing with: the entry summary number, original refund amount, original rejection date, and the date you updated banking in ACE.

Common Patterns We’ve Seen

Based on early CAPE rollout discussions in trade circles:

“We never enrolled in ACH”

Pre-Feb 6, 2026 you may have been receiving paper checks. CBP no longer issues those. Your refund will sit until you enroll. See 80% of Importers Not Ready for IEEPA Refunds: ACH Enrollment Required.

”We’re a foreign IOR with no US bank account”

You can either (a) open a US bank account, (b) designate a 4811 Notify Party (typically your customs broker) to receive the refund into their US account on your behalf, or (c) work with a bank that offers correspondent banking. See Foreign Importers of Record: CAPE refund checklist.

”Our bank consolidated last year and we forgot to update ACE”

Classic R02. Update the new account info, wait 2–4 weeks for replacement.

”The 4811 Notify Party’s banking is wrong”

If refunds are being sent to your broker on a Form 4811, the broker is responsible for keeping their ACH info current. You cannot fix it through your IOR account. Contact the broker; if they’re slow, you can update Form 4811 to point refunds back to your own IOR account.

Action Checklist

• Run REV-613 in ACE Reports for the last 90 days, filtered to your IOR.
• If rows exist, capture entry numbers, amounts, return codes, and rejection dates.
• Decode the ACH return code using the table above.
• Update banking in the ACE Portal’s ACH Refund Authorization tab (use checking, not savings).
• Confirm the TAO/PTAO has Full Access if the edit button is greyed out.
• Wait 2–4 weeks for the replacement disbursement; verify in REV-612.
• If no replacement after 4 weeks, contact your assigned CBP port in writing.
• Add REV-613 to your monthly close-of-books checklist going forward.

Related Reading

• 80% of Importers Not Ready for IEEPA Refunds: ACH Enrollment Required — initial enrollment
• How to track CAPE refund status with ACE Reports ES-022 and ES-701 — companion ACE reports
• Why your CAPE refund may take longer than 90 days — timing expectations
• Foreign Importers of Record: CAPE refund checklist — non-US importer banking

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Disclaimer: CAPE Portal Guide is not a law firm or banking advisor. ACH return-code definitions come from NACHA’s standard rules; CBP-specific procedures come from the CBP Electronic Refund Payment Fact Sheet and CSMS messaging. For binding advice on disputing a missing refund, dealing with a frozen bank account, or restructuring 4811 designations, consult a licensed customs attorney. Request a free assessment for an introduction to a vetted trade-law professional.