External bank addresses

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

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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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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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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.