# Claim edit: Zero-charge claims

> Stedi now rejects 837P professional, 837D dental, and 837I institutional claims when the total charge is zero and the claim is marked as chargeable.

Published Dec 1, 2025

Product: Claim edits

Stedi now rejects [837P professional](https://www.stedi.com/docs/healthcare/submit-professional-claims), [837D dental](https://www.stedi.com/docs/healthcare/submit-dental-claims), and [837I institutional](https://www.stedi.com/docs/healthcare/submit-institutional-claims) claims when the total claim charge amount is zero and the claim is marked as chargeable.

Most commercial payers do not accept zero-dollar claims. Some scenarios – such as capitated arrangements or encounter submissions – allow them, but standard chargeable claims must have a charge amount greater than \$0. Otherwise, the payer will reject the claim, causing delays.

This edit  – the industry term for an automated validation rule – catches the issue before the claim reaches the payer.

**Rejection errors**  
If you submit a claim that fails the edit using Stedi’s [claim submission APIs](https://www.stedi.com/docs/healthcare/intro-to-claim-submission#api-claim-submission) or [professional claim form](https://www.stedi.com/docs/providers/providers-submit-claims), you’ll get back an error message in real time. If you’re using a JSON API endpoint, the response includes details in the [`errors`](https://www.stedi.com/docs/healthcare/api-reference/post-healthcare-claims#response.errors) array:

```jsonc
{
  "errors": [
    {
      "code": "33",
      "description": "For Chargeable (CH) claims, the total claim charge amount $0.00 must be greater than zero ($0.00) dollars. Correct and resubmit.",
      "followupAction": "Please Correct and Resubmit"
    }
  ]
}
```

If you submit a claim that fails the edit using SFTP, Stedi will reject the claim with a [277CA claim acknowledgment](https://www.stedi.com/docs/healthcare/claim-responses-overview#277ca-claim-acknowledgment). The acknowledgment will contain a related claim status category code, claim status code, and error message. You can use the error message to correct and resubmit the claim.

**Resolution tip**  
If the claim was intended for reporting and the total charge should be \$0, change the claim’s **Claim Identifier** to **Reporting**. If you’re using a JSON [claim submission API endpoint](https://www.stedi.com/docs/healthcare/intro-to-claim-submission#api-claim-submission), you can do this by changing the top-level `claimIdentifier` request body property to `RP` (Reporting).