Transfer Application
Get approved to create transfers
When you request access to Transfer in Production, Plaid will collect information from you regarding your business and customer verification processes. If your company is privately held, you will also need to submit identity verification details for a "control person" (such as an executive or senior manager).
Originators vs Platforms
As part of your application, Plaid will confirm what type of Transfer customer you are - either an Originator or a Platform.
Platform Payments is still in beta. If you are interested in Platform Payments, contact sales or your Plaid account manager, or see the Platform Payments documentation to learn more.
What is an originator?
An Originator initiates ACH payments and is the main beneficiary of these funds. Originators are a party to every transfer and have a direct contractual relationship with the consumer. If you are not contractually obligated to be the main beneficiary of the funds, you are likely a Platform.
Examples of Originators:
- Neobank funding a new user account
- E-commerce website offering ACH as a payment method
- Lender disbursing loan funds to a user
What is a Platform?
A Platform onboards originators of their own and facilitates money movement between them and their consumers. Platforms do not have a direct contractual relationship with their originator's consumers and are not obligated to be paid; they are simply an intermediary.
Examples of Platforms:
- Marketplace website that brings buyers and sellers together
- Any reseller partner, such as a payment processor that provides an SDK to their customers using Plaid transfer functionality
- SaaS provider that sells account funding tools or payment services
- Crowdfunding website for nonprofit organizations
To learn more about Plaid's Platform Payments solution, see the Platform Payments documentation.
Transfer pricing
Transfer is typically billed as a fee for each transfer, plus a flat fee for each Transfer Item and for each call to /transfer/authorization/create
. For details of the transfer pricing model, see the Transfer billing documentation. Exact transfer pricing will vary depending on the details of your business, payments activity, and Plaid integration. After you have completed the Transfer Application form, Plaid will contact you with more information about the pricing that applies to you.
Prohibited industries
There are certain types of businesses, products and industries that can't use Plaid's Transfer services. You must not use Plaid's Transfer services for any illegal activities or for the businesses, product types, or industries listed below. The types of industries listed here are representative of prohibited categories, but this is not an exhaustive list.
- Adult content or services
- Marijuana dispensaries and related products
- Payday lending
- Weapons or munitions
To use Plaid's Transfer services, you must remain compliant with these industry limitations. There are additional restricted industries that are subject to enhanced due diligence for approval for Transfer usage.
If you have questions about prohibited or restricted industries for Transfer, please contact us.