The ionic fluxes associated with the ATP-dependent acidification of endocytic vesicles were studied in a preparation isolated from rabbit reticulocytes enriched for transferrin-transferrin receptor complexes. No vesicle acidification was observed in the absence of intra- and extravesicular ions (sucrose(in)/sucrose(out), while maximal acidification was observed with NaCl(in)/KCl(out).K+(in) was a poor substitute for Na+(in), and Cl-(out) could be replaced by other anions with the following efficacy of acidification: Cl- greater than Br- greater than I- greater than PO4(3-) greater than gluconate greater than SO4(2-). Flux studies using 36Cl- and 22Na+ showed that the vesicles had a permeability for Cl- and Na+, and that ATP-dependent H+ pumping was accompanied by a net influx of Cl- and a net efflux of Na+ provided that there was a Na+ concentration gradient. After 3 mins, the time necessary to maximal acidification, the electrical charge generated by the entrance of H+ was countered to about 45% by the Cl- influx and to about 42% by the Na+ efflux. These studies demonstrated that both Cl- and Na+ fluxes are necessary for optimal endocytic vesicle acidification.