Citizens NACHA file requirements
Citizens accepts NACHA-format ACH files through accessOPTIMA (ACH Pass-Through and ACH File Import) but does not publish its file specification. Here is what is public, and exactly what to request from the bank.
Independent documentation. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Citizens.
Before you upload, run the file through the free ACH file validator. It checks the structural rules and Citizens's documented quirks in your browser; the file never leaves your computer.
How Citizens ACH file upload works
- Citizens does not publish its NACHA guides publicly; they are provided inside accessOPTIMA.
- The portal offers two distinct features: ACH Pass-Through for ready-made NACHA files and ACH File Import for mapped files.
- Portal help snippets indicate account numbers of 3 to 17 characters and a duplicate-entry toggle on file import; confirm both with the bank.
Source: Assembled from public pages and indirect sources; confirm everything with the bank: Citizens accessOPTIMA product page (checked July 2026); origination guides sit behind login. Reference. Banks change their requirements; your bank agreement and portal are the authoritative reference.
What to request from your Citizens treasury contact
Ask for the bank's NACHA file layout or ACH origination guide by name; every bank has one even when it is not public. While you wait, the format itself is the industry standard documented in our NACHA format guide, and a file that passes the validator is structurally correct under Nacha rules; what remains are the bank's own settings below.
Four values are assigned per customer and only the bank can tell you them: your Company ID (often not just your EIN), the exact immediate origin value they expect in the file header, whether your agreement is set up for balanced or unbalanced files, and your cutoff times and settlement option. Get them in writing before the first upload.
Building the file
Most accounting software, including QuickBooks and Sage 50, cannot export a NACHA file directly. If your system exports one and Citizens still rejects it, the validator will usually name the exact line and field. If the reason will not yield, the format setup service works it out with you. This software formats and checks files only. It moves no money; funds move solely through your own bank under your agreement with them.