The Plaid API
The Plaid API
Plaid API connects to user bank accounts to pull transactions, balances, and identity — primarily serving fintech apps in US, CA, UK, EU.
Plaid Link drops auth UX into your app with minimal code
Limited Asia coverage (mostly Japan and Hong Kong)
Sign up at plaid.com, copy client_id and secret from the Dashboard. Start in sandbox: have a user authorize via Plaid Link, get a public_token, exchange it for an access_token, then call Transactions, Auth, and other endpoints with that token.
Uptime · 30-day window
About this API
Plaid is the integration layer fintech apps use to access user bank data. The centerpiece is Plaid Link — an in-app authorization UI that lets users pick their bank and log in via a familiar flow, instead of you integrating with each bank's API and credentials individually.
The backend API is built around access_token. After Link authorization, you receive a public_token, exchange it for a long-lived access_token, then call Transactions (historical activity), Auth (account/routing numbers), Balance (real-time), Identity (account holder info), or Income (payroll data). Plaid handles OAuth or screen-scrape connections with banks underneath, shielding your app from those differences.
The sandbox is free and pre-seeded with diverse test accounts and scenarios. Development covers a small number of real accounts for end-to-end testing. Production requires Plaid review and disclosure compliance. Country coverage is strongest in the US, Canada, UK, and EU; Asia-Pacific coverage is limited. Some bank connections use OAuth and inherit the bank-side SLA — an industry-wide reality, not Plaid-specific.
What you can build
- 1Build personal finance and budgeting apps
- 2Verify bank accounts for ACH transfers
- 3Pull real transactions for credit underwriting
- 4Fetch income records for payroll apps
- 5Verify identity and account ownership
Strengths & limitations
Strengths
- Plaid Link drops auth UX into your app with minimal code
- Solid sandbox with rich pre-seeded test accounts
- Strong coverage of US, Canadian, UK, and EU banks
- Clean product lines (Auth / Transactions / Income / Identity)
Limitations
- Limited Asia coverage (mostly Japan and Hong Kong)
- Going to production requires Plaid review and disclosure compliance
- Some bank connections use OAuth and inherit the bank-side SLA
Example request
curl https://plaid.com/<endpoint> \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $API_KEY"
# Some providers use X-Api-Key instead — verify in the docs.Getting started
Sign up at plaid.com, copy client_id and secret from the Dashboard. Start in sandbox: have a user authorize via Plaid Link, get a public_token, exchange it for an access_token, then call Transactions, Auth, and other endpoints with that token.
FAQ
Is the sandbox free?+
Yes — sandbox is fully free with pre-seeded test accounts and scenarios. Production calls are billed per API and active user.
Does it work for Chinese banks?+
No — Plaid's coverage is mostly US, Canada, UK, and EU. Asia-Pacific is limited to Japan and Hong Kong.
Do access_tokens expire?+
They do not expire on their own, but users can revoke or bank connections can break. Listen for webhooks like ITEM_LOGIN_REQUIRED.
How long does production review take?+
Usually 1–3 business days, mostly depending on whether your user disclosures and privacy policy need adjustments.
Technical details
- Auth type
- api_key
- Pricing
- freemium
- Protocols
- REST
- SDKs
- python, javascript, typescript, java, ruby, go
- Response time
- 419 ms
- Last health check
- 5/12/2026, 7:38:06 AM
Endpoints
Parsed from the OpenAPI spec. Showing 12 of 191 non-deprecated endpoints.
/accounts/balance/getplaidRetrieve real-time balance data
/accounts/getplaidRetrieve accounts
/application/getplaidRetrieve information about a Plaid application
/asset_report/audit_copy/createplaidCreate Asset Report Audit Copy
/asset_report/audit_copy/getplaidRetrieve an Asset Report Audit Copy
/asset_report/audit_copy/removeplaidRemove Asset Report Audit Copy
/asset_report/createplaidCreate an Asset Report
/asset_report/filterplaidFilter Asset Report
/asset_report/getplaidRetrieve an Asset Report
/asset_report/pdf/getplaidRetrieve a PDF Asset Report
/asset_report/refreshplaidRefresh an Asset Report
/asset_report/removeplaidDelete an Asset Report
179 more endpoints not shown. See the OpenAPI spec for the full list.
Alternatives to consider
Different providers solving similar problems. Picked by category, auth, pricing, and tag overlap.