Starting in March 2026, a major compliance shift is coming for U.S. financial institutions receiving ACH payments. Under Nacha’s new Risk Management Rule, Receiving Depository Financial Institutions (RDFIs) will be required to proactively monitor incoming ACH credits for signs of fraud, even in the absence of a customer complaint.
This marks a significant evolution in how fraud risk is managed. Historically, most compliance programs have focused on outbound debits. But with the rise in authorized push payment (APP) fraud, money mule activity, and business email compromise (BEC), Nacha is shifting expectations toward inbound credit risk monitoring as well.
What’s Changing? Key Takeaways from the New Nacha Rule
The Nacha Risk Management Rule rolls out in two phases:
- Phase 1: March 20, 2026: Applies to RDFIs that received 10 million or more ACH entries in 2023, as well as Originators, Third-Party Service Providers (TPSPs), and ODFIs with 6 million or more originated entries. These institutions must implement a risk-based process to identify unauthorized or fraudulent incoming ACH credits. Originators must also use new standard descriptors (“PAYROLL” and “PURCHASE”) to improve transparency in incoming payments.
- Phase 2: June 22, 2026: All remaining RDFIs, non-consumer originators, and TPSPs must comply.
Additional rule highlights include:
- RDFIs may return suspicious credits using Return Reason Code R17, even without a customer complaint. This option became available in October 2024.
- Annual reviews of monitoring processes and controls are required.
- Monitoring expectations include analysis of transaction velocity, abnormal account behavior, SEC code mismatches, and seasonal anomalies (e.g., tax refund spikes).
- Originators must use Company Entry Descriptions (“PAYROLL” and “PURCHASE”) to help flag higher-risk transactions.
How Quantifind Helps Financial Institutions Stay Compliant
Quantifind’s Transaction Intelligence solution is purpose-built to help institutions comply with Nacha’s evolving expectations, while also reducing fraud losses and investigative burden.
Comprehensive Inbound ACH Monitoring
Our platform continuously evaluates incoming credits using real-time analytics and machine learning to screen payment parties against regulatory lists, triage alerts based on risk-priority, and enroll high-risk parties into KYC processes.
Risk-Based Thresholds, Without the Overhead
Compliance teams can configure and adjust risk thresholds using a no-code interface. That means less reliance on developers and no bloated rule libraries to manage. Quantifind’s AI models are dynamically trained on over 30 risk typologies, covering everything from money laundering and fraud to terrorist financing, child exploitation, and wildlife trafficking, so teams can detect real risks faster and continuously adapt to emerging threats.
Intelligence Beyond Your Walls
Quantifind leverages consortium-wide data across institutions to detect behaviors linked to fraud rings and mule accounts, surfacing threats you might miss if relying solely on internal data.
Faster Triage, Stronger Oversight
Alerts are enriched with counterparty profiles, behavioral history, and peer comparisons to support quicker decision-making. Built-in audit trails and dashboards help meet Nacha’s documentation and annual review requirements with ease.
Why Quantifind Is a Strong Fit for Nacha 2026 Compliance
| Challenge Institutions Face | How Quantifind Helps |
|---|---|
| Monitoring inbound ACH credits consistently | Always-on monitoring and real-time alerting across all incoming credits |
| Adapting thresholds without constant SME support | No-code, self-service rule configuration for agility without IT bottlenecks |
| Legacy systems focused on outbound flows | Holistic view across both credits and debits for a full-risk picture |
| Rigid infrastructure limits fraud response | Streamlined deployment without rule bloat or third-party dependency |
| Documenting reviews for compliance audits | Built-in audit logging, change tracking, and dashboard reporting |
Future-Proofing ACH Risk Management
As payment fraud grows more complex, so too do regulatory expectations. Nacha’s new rules underscore the urgency for institutions to modernize fraud detection and demonstrate clear oversight.
Quantifind’s Transaction Intelligence solution provides the capabilities you need to stay ahead of the curve: real-time monitoring, actionable alerts, consortium-enhanced risk detection, and audit-ready transparency.
Want to see how your institution can prepare for Nacha 2026 and beyond?
Meet with one of our solution consultants to explore what’s possible.