This article will help you understand common payment rejection Error Codes, how to identify them, and what steps you can take to quickly resolve them so your next payment is successful.
Table of Contents
Payment Notification emails
We'll send you a Payment Notification email a few days before your royalties are released. This will come from kobo-notifications@kobo.com, so please check that the message isn't in your spam or junk folders.
If your payment doesn't go through, you'll find the details in the CSV file attached to that email. Just look for the "Status" column to see if your payment was "Released" or "Rejected." If it was rejected, the "Error_Code" column will tell you why.
Don't worry if you see a rejection—there's usually a simple fix.
Your first course of action for any rejection is to review and re-enter your banking information. Sometimes, simply re-entering details can resolve hidden formatting issues that may be blocking your payment!
Common Error Codes and how to fix them
Your Error Code indicates the reason why your payment was rejected. Here are some of the most frequent rejection reasons and steps you can take to resolve them:
| Error Code | What it Means | How to Fix It |
|---|---|---|
| RTN01 - Account Closed | The bank account you provided is no longer active. | You'll need to update your payment information with a currently active bank account. |
| RTN02 - No Account/Unable to locate account | Your bank couldn't find an account matching the details provided. | For USD accounts, ensure that you've entered the correct low routing code (ACH routing code). This is a common issue that you can usually fix yourself by updating your account details. |
| RTN04 - Invalid Account Number | The account number you entered is not recognized by the bank. | For USD accounts, ensure that you've entered the correct low routing code (ACH routing code). Also, double-check that your account number has no spaces or dashes. |
| RTN10 - Invalid Routing | The routing information for your bank is incorrect. | For USD accounts, ensure that you've entered the correct low routing code (ACH routing code). |
| RTN27 - Details Missing/Incorrect | There's an issue with the banking information you provided. | Please review and re-enter your banking information. Even if it looks right, sometimes re-entering the details can fix hidden formatting problems. |
| RTN31 - Per Beneficiary Request | This often points to an issue with special characters or formatting in your personal details. | Remove any special characters (like accents or non-English letters) from your Kobo Writing Life account info, including your first name, last name, publisher name, address, and banking information. |
| ER013 - Beneficiary bank routing code is missing or is not a valid length | The routing code (or similar code like BSB, institution/transit number) is either missing or has an incorrect number of digits. | Please check that your routing code (or equivalent) is correct and has the required number of digits. If you're unsure, contact your bank directly for guidance. |
| ER035 - Beneficiary account number is missing or is not a valid length | Your IBAN or account number is incorrect or improperly formatted. | Please enter your full IBAN or account number and ensure the formatting is correct (no spaces or hyphens). Even if it looks right, sometimes re-entering it can fix hidden formatting problems. |
| ER037 - Beneficiary bank routing code is missing or is not a valid length | The routing code (or similar code like BSB, institution/transit number) is either missing or has an incorrect number of digits. | Please check that your routing code (or equivalent) is correct and has the required number of digits. If you're unsure, contact your bank directly for guidance. |
| ER040 - Beneficiary bank country is not valid for this channel | There's a mismatch between your bank's country and the currency or payment method chosen. | Please review your banking information and ensure that your banking country is supported by your chosen currency. Even if it looks right, sometimes re-entering the details can fix hidden formatting problems. |
| SWF_ERROR T29 SWIFT BIC contains an invalid branch code | The SWIFT/BIC you provided doesn't match the specific branch of your bank account. | Make sure the SWIFT/BIC code you've entered is specific to your own bank branch, not a different branch or a head office. Your bank can provide you with the right code if you’re not sure! |
| 1003:bankAccount.id | A general error indicating a problem with the bank account details. | Please review and re-enter your banking information. Even if it looks right, sometimes re-entering the details can fix hidden formatting problems. |
| SanctionRejected | Our finance partner, Convera, was unable to process this transaction due to their compliance standards, controls, and policies. Convera operates on a risk-based approach to monitoring transactions and will not facilitate those that conflict with such standards, controls, and policies. | This type of rejection requires direct intervention by our author care team. Please reach out to us directly so we can help you. |
General tips for inputting bank information
To help ensure your payments go through smoothly from the start, keep these general guidelines in mind:
- Account numbers: No dashes or spaces in the account number.
- Special characters: Avoid special characters (like accents or non-English letters) in any input box.
- Bank address: Provide a physical address for your bank branch; P.O. Boxes are not accepted.
- Personal address: Provide a physical address in your personal contact information; P.O. Boxes are not accepted.
- IBAN: An IBAN is required for European, MENA (Middle East and North Africa), Latin American, and Asia-Pacific countries.
- SWIFT code: A SWIFT code is required for all countries, except Canada and the USA (though it's helpful to include for these countries too, if available).
- Romanize addresses: For banks in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Thailand, please Romanize addresses and names.
What to do after addressing the Error Code
Once you've addressed the issue that was preventing your payment, please contact us. In your message, be sure to include the following:
- The approximate date your payment was rejected
- Your specific Error Code
- Any steps you’ve taken to fix or update your banking information
This info will help us resolve the rejection and reattempt the payment as soon as possible!
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my Error Code isn’t listed?
If your specific Error Code isn't in the table above, don't worry! Your first step should always be to review and re-enter your banking information. Doing this before contacting our author care team can often help fix the problem quickly.
What if my payment status isn’t "Rejected" but I haven’t received my payment?
If your payment status isn't "Rejected" but your funds haven't arrived, please allow 5-7 business days after the 15th of the month for the payment to be deposited into your account. If it still hasn't arrived after this timeframe, please review and re-enter your banking information before reaching out to our author care team.
What if I didn’t receive a Payment Notification email?
First, check your official monthly statements from our Finance team to see if you met the payment threshold for that cycle. Also, remember that it takes 45 days from the end of the royalty period to the payment cycle. Once you've confirmed you were due to be paid, please review and re-enter your banking information. Then, contact our author care team and let us know you didn't receive a Payment Notification email or Error Code.