ACH payments on ScotiaConnect cover the US NACHA rail for batch debits and credits, including Same Day ACH and next-day settlement windows. The ScotiaConnect ACH surface accepts NACHA-formatted files, validates structure at upload, routes batches through dual-control approval, and delivers return-code reporting once the Federal Reserve's ACH operator has completed settlement. This page collects the cut-off windows, SEC-code choices, file-layout essentials, return-code handling and origination-limit behaviour used inside ScotiaConnect.
NACHA publishes three Same Day ACH windows plus the standard next-day window. ScotiaConnect mirrors these windows at the client edge, with a short internal clock for approval routing before each deadline.
Next-day ACH is still the default for most payables and payroll runs on ScotiaConnect. Files released before the evening cut-off settle on the next ACH banking day, which is almost always the value date treasury and accounts payable teams plan around. Same Day ACH is the faster option for exception flows: urgent vendor payments, emergency payroll corrections, refunds, and government-style disbursements where same-day value creates real operational benefit.
The three Same Day ACH windows on ScotiaConnect track the published NACHA schedule: a morning window with a client cut-off near 10:30 ET, an early-afternoon window near 14:45 ET, and a late-afternoon window near 16:45 ET. Each window has its own settlement timestamp at the Federal Reserve, and each window also carries the per-entry cap NACHA sets for Same Day ACH. For the authoritative rule text, see the NACHA operating rules reference.
Operationally, ScotiaConnect treats each Same Day ACH window as a discrete release event. If a file misses the 10:30 ET cut-off, it rolls to the 14:45 window automatically; if the 14:45 window is also missed, it rolls again. A file that misses all three settles next-day. Treasury teams running time-sensitive batches should coordinate with the Federal Reserve published schedule for holiday closures that affect the ACH rail.
CCD (Corporate Credit or Debit) is the most common SEC code inside ScotiaConnect, because it covers commercial-to-commercial flows: vendor payables, inter-company funding, refund credits and similar business transactions. PPD (Prearranged Payment and Deposit) is the standard code for payroll direct deposit and consumer-authorised recurring flows. WEB and TEL apply to consumer debits authorised online or by phone and come with stricter authorisation evidence and a longer return window.
The ScotiaConnect ACH upload expects a standard NACHA flat-file layout: a file header record, one or more batch headers each followed by entry detail and addenda records, a batch control record, and a file control record. Structural validation at upload catches the most common layout errors before the file is queued for approval. Semantic errors, such as an invalid receiving-bank routing number or an unauthorised company ID, surface later during ACH operator processing and return as R-coded items.
Addenda records attach free-form remittance data to an entry detail. For CCD+ and CTX batches, addenda carry invoice numbers, purchase-order references or structured remittance in the ISO 20022 remittance-advice format. The ScotiaConnect ACH screen preserves addenda end-to-end so the receiving bank can deliver the remittance to the payee. See the payroll services page for PPD-specific fields and the access guide for dual-control behaviour on batch releases.
Return-code handling is where an ACH program either stays clean or drifts into a pile of stale items. ScotiaConnect ties every return to its origination entry so payables can close the loop quickly.
Return codes are the currency of ACH reconciliation. R01 signals insufficient funds. R02 means the receiving account is closed. R03 is no account or unable to locate. R04 is an invalid account number. Each code carries a NACHA-defined return window, typically two banking days for most codes, longer for unauthorised consumer debits on WEB and TEL entries. ScotiaConnect attaches the return to the original origination entry so the payable team can act without cross-referencing two reports.
Prenotes reduce rework on new payees. A zero-dollar prenote validates the receiving account before real funds flow. ScotiaConnect supports prenotes on CCD and PPD entries and recommends them on new payees with recurring high-value flows. The cost of a prenote is a three-business-day lead time before the first live entry, which is almost always worth paying on a supplier onboarded into a monthly payment cycle.
Addenda records deserve a note of their own. The structured remittance in a CCD+ or CTX entry can carry invoice-level detail in an ISO 20022 remittance format or in free-text. ScotiaConnect preserves the addenda through to delivery, so a supplier running structured invoice capture will receive the match key automatically. Where the supplier cannot consume structured remittance, addenda fall back to free-text and are still deliverable through their bank.
| SEC code | Typical use case | Consumer or business | Per-entry limit (Same Day ACH) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CCD | Commercial payables and inter-company | Business | NACHA Same Day cap applies |
| PPD | Payroll direct deposit and recurring consumer credits | Consumer | NACHA Same Day cap applies |
| WEB | Consumer debit authorised online | Consumer | NACHA Same Day cap applies |
| TEL | Consumer debit authorised by phone | Consumer | NACHA Same Day cap applies |
| CTX | Corporate trade exchange with structured addenda | Business | NACHA Same Day cap applies |
| IAT | International ACH with cross-border screening | Business or consumer | Screening may defer Same Day |
ScotiaConnect supports the three Same Day ACH windows published by NACHA: 10:30 ET, 14:45 ET and 16:45 ET. Files submitted before each cut-off settle the same day.
Files that miss all three windows roll to next-day ACH settlement on the standard evening cut-off.
CCD dominates commercial payables and inter-company flows. PPD is the standard consumer direct-deposit code for payroll. WEB and TEL appear on recurring consumer debits authorised online or by phone.
Each code carries its own authorisation and return-window rules, and the ScotiaConnect upload checks the SEC code for consistency with the batch header before accepting the file.
Returns arrive in ScotiaConnect as line items on a return-file report with a reason code such as R01, R02 or R03. The portal attaches the return to the original origination item.
Payables can identify the failed payee and decide whether to re-present, contact the payee for corrected account data, or cancel the workflow.
A prenote is a zero-dollar ACH entry used to validate the receiving account before real debits or credits flow. ScotiaConnect supports prenotes on CCD and PPD entries.
Prenotes are optional under NACHA rules but highly recommended on new payees with high-value recurring flows. The cost is a three-business-day lead time before live entries can begin.
Yes. Each company profile carries a total-file limit, a per-item ceiling and a daily throughput cap. Limits are set at onboarding and can be reviewed through the commercial service desk.
Same Day ACH also carries its own NACHA-level per-entry maximum, which is tracked separately inside the portal.
“We run biweekly payroll plus a weekly supplier ACH batch on ScotiaConnect. The Same Day ACH 14:45 window has rescued us twice in the last year when a file owner noticed a missing payee the morning of pay day.”
— Adaeze C. NwaforPayables Lead, Glenmora Contract Engineering