Processing Federal Government ACH Payments and Reclamations – What You Need to Know!
February 19, 2026
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Financial institutions process federal government ACH payments every day. However, when a Death Notification Entry (DNE) is received or a federal reclamation notice arrives, the rules change quickly and the stakes are high.
While the Nacha Operating Rules continue to apply, federal government payments follow additional and sometimes very different requirements outlined in the Green Book. Recent updates to Chapter 5 of the Green Book now require financial institutions to submit all reclamation responses through the Automated Reclamation Processing System (ARPS) via Treasury’s Pay.gov portal. Paper remittances are no longer accepted.
This practical, example driven session explains what is different, how to respond correctly, and where financial institutions most often make costly mistakes.
You will also learn how federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), and the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, now deliver ACH reclamations via FedMail®, and how to enroll in this required email notification process.
Why You Should Attend
Federal ACH reclamations are not handled the same way as commercial reclamations. Misunderstanding these differences can expose your institution to unnecessary liability, compliance violations, and operational risk.
This session removes uncertainty by providing clear, actionable guidance on:
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Handling benefit payments after death
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Responding to government reclamations accurately and on time
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Understanding RDFI liability under federal versus commercial rules
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Navigating updated Green Book requirements with confidence
What You Will Learn
During this session, participants will gain clarity on:
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Updates to Chapter 5 of the Green Book, including mandatory ARPS submission requirements
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Step by step processes for handling Death Notification Entries (DNEs)
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Required return timeframes for benefit payments made to deceased accountholders
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Proper use of return reason codes for federal benefit payments
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How to process and respond to Federal Government Reclamations
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Response deadlines and liability considerations for RDFIs
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A side by side comparison of Commercial Reclamations and Federal Government Reclamations
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How to complete the Federal Reserve Bank FedMail® Request Form to receive ACH reclamation notices electronically
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How to handle misdirected payments and understand your institution’s liability
Real world scenarios and examples are used throughout the session to demonstrate how the rules apply in daily operations.
Who Should Attend
This session is designed for:
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ACH and payments operations staff
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Bank operations managers and payment professionals
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Risk, compliance, and audit personnel
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CEOs and CFOs seeking a clearer understanding of institutional liability
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New employees in the payments industry
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Aspiring and current Accredited ACH Professionals (AAPs) seeking continuing education credits
Presenters:
Donna Olheiser
Donna K Olheiser, AAP, is the vice president of Education Services and founder of Dynamic Mastership, LLC. She is an enthusiastic and energetic Certified Master Trainer with over 14 years’ experience. She has over 23 years of experience in the financial services industry which includes 9 years’ experience as the education service director at a Regional Payments Association (RPA), where she managed and facilitated the entire education program for nearly 800 financial institution members. Prior to that, Ms. Olheiser spent 14 years in various departments with the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and also holds the Accredited ACH Professional (AAP) designation (achieved in 2004). Her extensive knowledge, enthusiasm, and passion for transferring payment processing knowledge using the adult learning theory is remarkable and has helped many payment professionals perform daily operational tasks including exception processing while remaining compliant with the NACHA Operating Rules. She uses scenarios and examples to bring the learning home, easy to comprehend and apply to real-life day-to-day ACH
February 19, 2026