This record also specifies the date the transactions are supposed to post in the Receiver’s account.
This record identifies your company as the originator, as well as provides a description (e.g., “gas bill” or “salary”) for all of the transactions in the batch. Each batch starts with a single 'Batch Header Record,' which begins with '5,' and describes the type (debits and/or credits) and purpose of all transaction entries within the batch. ODFIs will then process the ACH files to create larger ACH files to be sent to the ACH Network that contain many originators’ batches.Ī file can contain multiple batches.
These differences often are generated in the File Header record, which helps the ODFI recognize which client sent the particular file. Your bank (or ODFI) may have specific formatting requirements and data elements to process your ACH files. The ACH File format is designed to allow various levels of ACH processing (the difference between you sending a file to your bank, and the bank sending a file to the ACH Network). It also includes a date time stamp, as well as the name of the originating bank and company name.
An ACH file always begins with a single 'File Header Record,' which will always begin with “101” followed by the routing number of the originating (sending) bank.