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ISO 20022 reason code

NOAS: No answer from customer

The customer did not answer. NOAS is an ISO 20022 reason code used as a status reason, a return reason and a cancellation rejection reason: you will see it in pain.002, pacs.004, camt.053 and camt.029.

NOAS at a glance
CodeNOAS
NameNo answer from customer
ISO code listsExternalStatusReason1Code (status reason); ExternalReturnReason1Code (return reason); ExternalPaymentCancellationRejection1Code (cancellation rejection reason)
WhereStsRsnInf/Rsn/Cd; RtrRsnInf/Rsn/Cd (pacs.004), TxDtls/RtrInf/Rsn/Cd (camt); CxlStsRsnInf/Rsn/Cd

What NOAS means

In the answer to a recall: the payee did not respond within the time allowed, so the funds are not returned.

Not to be confused with: NOAS is a payee who did not answer; CUST is a payee who answered no. Either way the funds stay with the payee.

A reason code always comes with a status or an action: on its own it says why, not what happened. In a status report look at the status next to it (RJCT means the payment will not be executed); on a statement the returned entry tells you the money has come back.

Where NOAS appears

NOAS belongs to three of the ISO 20022 reason code lists, so it can arrive in these places:

  • Status reason (ExternalStatusReason1Code): in a payment status report (pain.002 from a bank to its customer, pacs.002 between banks) that rejects or holds a payment.
  • Return reason (ExternalReturnReason1Code): in a payment return (pacs.004) after the money has moved, and the returned entry on the account statement (camt.053) or notification (camt.054).
  • Cancellation rejection reason (ExternalPaymentCancellationRejection1Code): in the answer to a cancellation or recall request that is refused (camt.029 resolution of investigation).

In the answer to a cancellation or recall request, NOAS says why it was refused (RJCR: cancellation request rejected):

camt.029.001.09 · a recall refused
<CxlDtls>
  <TxInfAndSts>
    <OrgnlEndToEndId>INV-2026-0042</OrgnlEndToEndId>
    <TxCxlSts>RJCR</TxCxlSts>
    <CxlStsRsnInf>
      <Rsn>
        <Cd>NOAS</Cd>
      </Rsn>
    </CxlStsRsnInf>
  </TxInfAndSts>
</CxlDtls>

What to do about NOAS

  • If you sent the payment or the collection: The banks cannot return the money without the payee. Contact the payee directly, or take advice on other ways to recover it.

Your bank’s implementation guide and the scheme’s rulebook (for SEPA, the EPC rulebooks) say exactly when it may use NOAS; banks do not all apply a code the same way.

Look up NOAS from a script or an AI agent

Scripts and AI agents get this code’s name, definition, where it sits and the address of this page from GET /api/v1/explain, keyless, or from the explain_code tool of the MCP server (API and MCP docs; add it to Claude, Cursor or VS Code).

REST · curl
curl -s 'https://iso20022-navigator.com/api/v1/explain?code=NOAS&kind=status_reason'