Welcome to version 4 (v4) of the Plaid API Documentation. This documentation will help you get started with the Plaid API.
\nThe Plaid API allows developers to access and interact with banking and other financial data. Some common use cases include:
\nAccessing financial data: Developers can access financial data from banks, credit card companies, and other financial institutions.
\nInitiating transactions: Developers can initiate transactions such as money transfers.
\nPlaid API uses the HTTP protocol, and requests are made using the appropriate HTTP methods. The data is typically sent and received in JSON format.
\nThe next few sections of this introductory page will guide you on obtaining the necessary credentials to start experimenting with the PLAID API.
\nThis is the 4th and latest version of the Plaid API, known as version 2020-09-14.
\nThis version includes several changes to improve authentication, streamline and simplify the API, and improve international support.
\nBelow are a complete list of changes that have been added to this version.
\nTo see a complete log of the previous versions, please see the changelog section of the general Plaid documentation.
\nBefore using the API, you need to obtain an API key. Plaid has three environments:
\nSandbox: Supports only test items.
\nDevelopment: Supports up to 100 live items using real data.
\nProduction: Where all activity is billed.
\nThis documentation is focused on the Sandbox environment where you can test and experiment with free data.
\nBelow is a step-by-step guide on how to obtain your Sandbox Credentials
\nNavigate to sign up on plaid to create a plaid account
\nFill in your data in the required fields, then verify your account to log in to your dashboard.
\nOn your dashboard, navigate to your account at the top-right corner and click to select the \"keys\" option.
\nYou'll be asked to do a 2-factor authentication. You can either authenticate with your mobile number or with an authentication app.
\nOnce you've authenticated successfully, your Sandbox Credentials will be displayed like so:
\nCopy your _client_id_ and _secret_, and ensure to keep them safe. You'll always need to authenticate with them to access the Plaid APIs.
To access some part of the APIs, you'll also need an access_token credential. To create an access_token, kindly follow the steps below:
\nCreate a public token using the /sandbox/public_token/create endpoint
The endpoint in step one will require your client_id and secret credentials, with two additional parameters: institution_id and initial_products
To obtain these parameters above, log in to your dashboard, and navigate to Activity on the sidebar.
\nIn the drop-down menu that appears, click on status. This will display a list of institutions.
\nSelect any institution of your choice. In the page containing the institution details, copy the institution_id and supported products for your institution_id and initial_products parameters.
Once your public token has been created, you'll have to exchange it using the /item/public_token/exchange endpoint for an access token. The request requires your client_id, secret, and public_token for authentication.
If your request is successful, it will return an access_token which you will use to make requests to other endpoints.
\nThe next section will guide you on how to authenticate with your credentials.
\nTo Authenticate with your Sandbox credentials, you'll need to include your client_id and secret in your request headers or body, like so:
\nPlaid returns data as JSON, therefore you will also have to set Content-Type to application/json in your request Header.
\nPlaid API returns standard HTTP status codes to indicate the outcome of a request. Additionally, the response body may include an error object with more details.
\nHere are some standard error status codes and their meanings:
\nTo help manage the volume of requests made by thousands of developers daily, Plaid places limits on the number of requests that can be made. These limits help to provide reliable and scalable APIs for developers.
\nRate limits are applied based on which Plaid environment credentials you use. When these limits are exceeded, an error is returned.
\nTo learn about these errors please see the table below for an overview of Rate limits for the sandbox environment.
\nYou will make requests to several endpoints on this documentation. The table below gives an overview of the endpoints and their information.
\nspecifies that the request body is in JSON format.
\n","type":"text"}],"body":{"mode":"raw","raw":"{\r\n \"client_id\": ,\r\n \"secret\": ,\r\n \"institution_id\": ,\r\n \"initial_products\": [\"assets\", \"auth\",\"transactions\" ]\r\n}","options":{"raw":{"language":"json"}}},"url":"https://sandbox.plaid.com/sandbox/public_token/create","description":"This endpoint creates a valid public_token for an arbitrary institution ID, initial products, and test credentials.
This endpoint allows you to exchange a public token for an access token.
\nThis section contains endpoints for creating an access token.
\n","_postman_id":"32fa97ca-139a-42d0-bc89-c4d75f495edd"},{"name":"Payments and funding 💰","item":[{"name":"Auth 🛡️","item":[{"name":"Retrieve auth data","id":"efb2dcd7-aa94-46f0-8555-ffa3568ebbaa","protocolProfileBehavior":{"disableBodyPruning":true},"request":{"method":"POST","header":[{"key":"Content-Type","value":"application/json","type":"text"}],"body":{"mode":"raw","raw":"{\r\n \"client_id\": ,\r\n \"secret\": ,\r\n \"access_token\": \r\n}","options":{"raw":{"language":"json"}}},"url":"https://sandbox.plaid.com//auth/get","description":"This endpoint returns bank account and identification numbers.
\nThis endpoint allows you to get a list of bank transfer events
\nThis endpoint allows you to request up to the next 25 Paid-initiated bank transfer events.
\nThis section contains API reference for Auth endpoints
\n","_postman_id":"f04aedb8-1829-43a3-baff-3770f31a6a21"},{"name":"Balance 💵","item":[{"name":"Retrieve real-time balance data","id":"068bbc12-e36d-4ab9-bf11-b4fcc0c8723d","protocolProfileBehavior":{"disableBodyPruning":true},"request":{"method":"POST","header":[{"key":"Content-Type","value":"application/json","type":"text"}],"body":{"mode":"raw","raw":"{\r\n \"client_id\": ,\r\n \"secret\": ,\r\n \"access_token\": \r\n}","options":{"raw":{"language":"json"}}},"url":"https://sandbox.plaid.com/accounts/balance/get","description":"This endpoint returns the real-time balance for each of an Item's accounts.
\nThis section contains API Reference for account balance.
\n","_postman_id":"5166873f-bb0a-4882-8e5e-f39071348b58"},{"name":"Identity 👤","item":[{"name":"Retrieve identity data","id":"1272d168-3dd1-4445-9a92-2bdb0df90c9d","protocolProfileBehavior":{"disableBodyPruning":true},"request":{"method":"POST","header":[{"key":"Content-Type","value":"application/json","type":"text"}],"body":{"mode":"raw","raw":"{\r\n \"client_id\": ,\r\n \"secret\": ,\r\n \"access_token\": \r\n}","options":{"raw":{"language":"json"}}},"url":"https://sandbox.plaid.com/identity/get","description":"This endpoint allows you to retrieve various account holder information.
\nThis endpoint generates a match score that indicates how well the provided identity data matches the identity information on file.
\nThis endpoint retrieves identity details.
\nThis section contains API references for Identity endpoints.
\n","_postman_id":"2bfcd738-7e7b-4c3e-8ed4-66859bf7fec4"},{"name":"Signal 📶","item":[{"name":"Evaluate transaction","id":"d04ce9ec-8034-4a32-bb93-ffbad11089fa","protocolProfileBehavior":{"disableBodyPruning":true},"request":{"method":"POST","header":[{"key":"Content-Type","value":"application/json","type":"text"}],"body":{"mode":"raw","raw":"{\r\n \"client_id\": ,\r\n \"secret\": ,\r\n \"access_token\": ,\r\n \"account_id\": ,\r\n \"client_transaction_id\": \"txn12345\",\r\n \"amount\": 123.45,\r\n \"client_user_id\": \"user1234\"\r\n}","options":{"raw":{"language":"json"}}},"url":"https://sandbox.plaid.com/signal/evaluate","description":"This endpoint evaluates a planned transaction.
\nThis endpoint reports whether the transaction was initiated
\nThis endpoint reports a returned transaction that was previously sent to the /signal/evaluate endpoint.
This endpoint allows you to opt-in an Item to the Signal data collection process.
\nThis section contains API Reference guide for the Signal product
\n","_postman_id":"65c1dad0-9555-4ede-8215-9be40becbb05"},{"name":"Transfer 💸","item":[{"name":"Initiating Transfer","item":[{"name":"Create a transfer authorization","id":"91bbcb25-8d5d-4d98-8ac4-abaf685d1ce9","protocolProfileBehavior":{"disableBodyPruning":true},"request":{"method":"POST","header":[{"key":"Content-Type","value":"application/json","type":"text"}],"body":{"mode":"raw","raw":"{\r\n \"client_id\": ,\r\n \"secret\": ,\r\n \"access_token\": ,\r\n \"account_id\": ,\r\n \"type\": \"debit\",\r\n \"network\": \"ach\",\r\n \"amount\": \"12.34\",\r\n \"ach_class\": \"ppd\",\r\n \"user\": {\r\n \"legal_name\": \"Chris Taylor\"\r\n }\r\n}\r\n","options":{"raw":{"language":"json"}}},"url":"https://sandbox.plaid.com/transfer/authorization/create","description":"This endpoint allows you to authorize a transfer.
\nThis endpoint allows you to initiate a new transfer.
\nThis endpoint allows you to cancel a transfer.
\nThis endpoint allows you to cancel a transfer authorization.
\nThis section contains API Reference for Transfer initiation endpoints.
\n","_postman_id":"e1a49843-8d17-4f36-9900-64b67f0aa0f1"},{"name":"Reading Transfers","item":[{"name":"Retrieve a transfer","id":"57822749-27ce-4b69-87fb-e3729745f6f8","protocolProfileBehavior":{"disableBodyPruning":true},"request":{"method":"POST","header":[{"key":"Content-Type","value":"application/json","type":"text"}],"body":{"mode":"raw","raw":"{\r\n \"client_id\": ,\r\n \"secret\": ,\r\n \"transfer_id\": \r\n }","options":{"raw":{"language":"json"}}},"url":"https://sandbox.plaid.com/transfer/get","description":"This endpoint allows you to fetch information about a transfer, based on the given transfer_id or authorization_id
This endpoint allows you to see a list of all your transfers and their statuses.
\nThis endpoint allows you to get a list of transfer events based on specified filter criteria.
\nThis endpoint allows you to request up to the next 25 transfer events that happened after a specific event_id.
This endpoint endpoint fetches a sweep of a given sweep_id.
This endpoint fetches sweeps based on given filters.
\nThis section contains API Reference for Transfer endpoints.
\n","_postman_id":"9daacf29-577e-4d56-88cc-a3d449793187"}],"id":"04e5df8c-291b-44f4-b63a-fc0bbf32b9ac","description":"This section contains endpoints for retrieving bank data, events, and transactions.
\n","_postman_id":"04e5df8c-291b-44f4-b63a-fc0bbf32b9ac"}],"event":[{"listen":"prerequest","script":{"id":"916f913b-b858-44c1-9861-f6adbf2c0f88","type":"text/javascript","packages":{},"exec":[""]}},{"listen":"test","script":{"id":"1638d0a4-b00b-4af4-a109-a2669fc8e0ba","type":"text/javascript","packages":{},"exec":[""]}}],"variable":[{"key":"baseUrl","value":"https://sandbox.plaid.com"},{"key":"client_id","value":"","type":"string"},{"key":"secret","value":"","type":"string"},{"key":"access_token","value":"","type":"string"},{"key":"institution_id","value":"","type":"string"},{"key":"account_id","value":"","type":"string"},{"key":"authorization_id","value":"","type":"string"},{"key":"transfer_id","value":"","type":"string"}]}