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Brale supports two paths for creating an external off-chain bank address, each unlocking different transfer types. When you create an external bank address, the path you choose determines which transfer_types are available for that address. Choose the right path based on the transfer rails you need.

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Comparison

ACH debit is only available through the Plaid-linked bank account flow. You cannot enable ach_debit via Direct bank entry.
Wire is only available through the Direct bank entry flow. You cannot enable wire via the Plaid-linked bank account flow.

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Which path should you use?

  • Plaid-linked bank account — Use this when you need ach_debit or want to provide a Plaid bank-linking experience for your users. This flow uses Plaid Link to securely connect a bank account and supports ach_debit, ach_credit, rtp_credit, and fednow_credit (on accounts with FedNow enabled).
  • Direct bank entry — Use this when you already have bank account details (account number, routing number) or need wire transfers. This flow supports wire, ach_credit, same_day_ach_credit, rtp_credit, and fednow_credit (on accounts with FedNow enabled).
To pay out over FedNow, include fednow_credit when you register the recipient with either path, or add it to an existing address. The recipient’s routing number must participate in FedNow. See Send FedNow payouts.

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Direct bank entry field requirements

For Direct bank entry, required fields depend on the transfer types you request. If transfer_types includes wire, wire requirements apply, even if the same address also includes ACH, RTP, or FedNow rails. For addresses without wire, omit bank_address and beneficiary_address unless you have accurate values—do not enter placeholder or generic bank addresses.

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Account holder type

Both paths accept an optional account_holder_type ("individual" or "business"). Brale uses it to choose the ACH SEC code for payouts to the address: individual → PPD, business → CCD. If you omit it, Brale uses the entity type of the account that owns the address. For Plaid-linked accounts, the holder category reported by Plaid takes precedence when available. You can set it later with the PATCH address endpoint if it was not set at creation; once set, it cannot be changed.

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Plaid-linked bank account flow

This flow uses the Plaid Link SDK to securely connect a bank account in two steps:
  1. Create a Plaid link token — Generate a link_token to launch Plaid Link in your front-end.
  2. Register the account via Plaid — Exchange the public_token from Plaid to create an address_id.
For a full walkthrough, see Key Concepts → Addresses → Create addresses through Plaid. After registration, you can check the linked account’s USD balance with GET /accounts/{account_id}/addresses/{address_id}/balance?transfer_type=ach_debit&value_type=USD. See Get A Balance.

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Direct bank entry flow

Submit bank account details directly using the Addresses API:
  • Create a new external address — Addresses without wire require owner, account_number, routing_number, account_type, and transfer_types. Wire-capable addresses also require bank_address and beneficiary_address. This path supports wire, ach_credit, same_day_ach_credit, rtp_credit, and fednow_credit.
For examples, see Key Concepts → Addresses → Create via Direct bank entry.

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Validation

When you create a Direct bank entry address, Brale validates the format of the bank details. For example, Brale checks that the routing number is valid. Brale does not verify that the account exists, that it is open, or who owns it.
  • Bad account details surface after submission. If the account number does not exist or cannot receive the payment, the receiving bank returns the ACH entry. For example, R03 means no account was found or the account could not be located.
  • Returns arrive as transfer.failed. Brale updates the transfer to failed and sends a transfer.failed webhook. Read the return code and reason from failure.ach_return. See the transfer failure field for the full schema.
  • Returns can arrive late. An ACH return can arrive after the transfer was already processed. Keep handling transfer.failed events for transfers you have already recorded. See Transfer status lifecycle.
If you need the account confirmed before you send funds, use the Plaid-linked bank account flow instead. That flow connects the account through Plaid Link rather than accepting manually entered details.

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Archive and unarchive

If you need to stop using a previously linked external bank address without deleting the record, use the PATCH address endpoint to archive it. If the customer later wants to restore the same external address, unarchive it.
  • Archive: PATCH /accounts/{account_id}/addresses/{address_id} with { "status": "archived" }
  • Unarchive: PATCH /accounts/{account_id}/addresses/{address_id} with { "status": "active" }
Archive and unarchive apply only to external addresses. See Address lifecycle for details.