ACH Standard Entry Class code

MTE SEC code: Machine Transfer Entry

Entry initiated at an ATM or other electronic terminal.

What MTE is for

Transactions a consumer starts at an ATM or another electronic terminal, such as a cash withdrawal.

Consumer accounts.

Authorization

The consumer initiates the transaction at the terminal.

A summary in general terms: the Nacha Operating Rules set the exact requirements, and Regulation E adds its own for consumer accounts.

Debits, credits and addenda

Debits and credits.

Addenda on a forward entry: type 02, exactly 1 per entry. Returns (addenda type 99) and Notifications of Change (type 98) follow their own layouts whatever the SEC code.

Returns

The general return timeframes apply: 2 banking days after settlement for most codes, with the account-type rules of the entry’s Receiver.

NOC codes and return codes have their own pages.

Common mix-ups

MTE covers ATM-style transfers; POS and SHR cover purchases at a terminal.

Where MTE sits in a NACHA file

The SEC code is a batch-level field: positions 51–53 of the Company/Batch Header record (type 5), so every entry in the batch shares it, and a file that mixes SEC codes puts them in separate batches. The batch header also carries the Company Name, Company Identification and Company Entry Description that Receivers see on their statements.

To read a MTE batch record by record, open the file in NACHA Navigator, a free sister site that parses NACHA files in your browser without uploading them.

Look up MTE from code or an AI agent

REST · GET · no key

curl -s 'https://payopskit.com/api/v1/codes/MTE?set=ach-sec'

MCP · tools/call · lookup_payment_code

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "lookup_payment_code",
    "arguments": {
      "code": "MTE",
      "set": "ach-sec"
    }
  }
}

Response (JSON)

{
  "code": "MTE",
  "set": "ach-sec",
  "found": true,
  "matches": [
    {
      "set": "ach-sec",
      "code": "MTE",
      "name": "Machine Transfer Entry",
      "description": "Entry initiated at an ATM or other electronic terminal.",
      "details": {
        "direction": "both",
        "addendaTypes": "02",
        "minAddenda": 1,
        "maxAddenda": 1
      }
    }
  ]
}

The MCP server is at /mcp (Streamable HTTP, no key); the API and MCP docs show how to connect Claude, Cursor or VS Code.

Source: Nacha Operating Rules, Appendix Three (Standard Entry Class codes). The code’s name is the Rules’ own; the rest is this site’s plain-language summary, informational and not a substitute for the Rules or your ODFI agreement.