Bank Transfers

1. Customer chooses "Bank Transfer" at checkout
2. They enter their bank account details
3. Money moves directly from their account to yours
4. You get notified when the payment completes

To collect a bank transfer payment, create a payment with the bank_transfer method:

POST /v1/payments

{
  "amount": 50000,
  "currency": "USD",
  "payment_method_types": ["bank_transfer"],
  "bank_transfer": {
    "type": "ach"
  },
  "customer_email": "customer@example.com",
  "description": "Invoice #1234"
}

The response includes bank details the customer needs to complete the transfer.

Create unique bank account numbers for each customer. When they send money to that account, we automatically match it to their payment.

// Create a virtual account for a customer
POST /v1/virtual_accounts

{
  "customer_id": "cus_abc123",
  "currency": "USD",
  "description": "Payment account for John Smith"
}

// Response includes the virtual account details
{
  "id": "va_xyz789",
  "bank_name": "ClapPay Bank",
  "account_number": "1234567890",
  "routing_number": "021000021",
  "customer_id": "cus_abc123"
}

Give these details to your customer. Any transfer to this account will be automatically credited to their balance.

Before you can debit a customer's bank account (for recurring payments), you need to verify they own it. There are two ways:

Instant Verification (Recommended)

Customer logs into their bank through a secure connection. Takes seconds.

// Create a bank account with instant verification
POST /v1/bank_accounts

{
  "customer_id": "cus_abc123",
  "verification_method": "instant"
}

// Returns a link for customer to complete
{
  "id": "ba_xyz789",
  "verification_url": "https://connect.clappay.com/verify/..."
}

Micro-deposits

We send two small deposits (like $0.32 and $0.45) to the account. Customer tells us the amounts to prove they can see the account.

// Create bank account with micro-deposits
POST /v1/bank_accounts

{
  "customer_id": "cus_abc123",
  "account_number": "1234567890",
  "routing_number": "021000021",
  "verification_method": "micro_deposits"
}

// Later, verify the amounts
POST /v1/bank_accounts/ba_xyz789/verify

{
  "amounts": [32, 45]
}

Bank transfers can take time. Listen for webhooks to know when payments complete:

Don't fulfill orders until you receive payment.succeeded.

Bank transfers can fail for several reasons:

• Set clear expectations - Tell customers that bank transfers can take 1-5 business days.
• Don't ship until confirmed - Wait for the webhook to confirm the transfer completed.
• Use virtual accounts - They make it easy to match incoming payments to customers.
• Offer multiple options - Let customers choose between cards and bank transfers.
• Watch for returns - Bank transfers can be returned up to 60 days later (unlike chargebacks on cards).