Common questions about Plaid (US only)

Plaid is a company that Google uses to let you connect your bank accounts, credit cards, prepaid cards, or PayPal account to Google Pay.

What is Plaid?

Google Pay works with Plaid, a third-party service, to obtain transaction and balance info. If you choose, you can use Plaid to allow Google Pay to track your spending and account balances. You can use Plaid to link your bank account to Google Pay and send money to friends or family. You can also add money to or transfer money out of your Google Pay balance. To provide this service and to help create a secure connection to your financial institution, Plaid collects and uses your financial institution login info and accesses your account. If you have more than one account with your financial institution, you can choose which accounts you want to add. Not all accounts are supported.

What data do Google and Plaid use?

When you choose to add an account to Google Pay, Plaid connects to your bank using secure credentials to retrieve your account info. 

• If you use Plaid to track spending, Plaid shares transaction data and account balance with Google Pay to help provide you with insights.  
• If you use Plaid for payments, like sending money, transferring money out of Google Pay or adding money to Google Pay, Plaid shares your routing and account number to complete the transactions. 

Both Plaid and Google store this information while your account is linked. The type of information collected depends on how you use the account you’ve added.

For banks accounts added to make payments & withdraw money

• Bank account number
• Bank routing number
• Basic identity information
  • Name
  • Address
  • Phone number
  • Email address

For bank accounts added to make instant money transfers

• Bank account number
• Bank routing number, if applicable
• Account transaction history
• Account balance
• Basic identity information
  • Name
  • Address
  • Phone number
  • Email address

For bank accounts or credit cards added to track spending & balances

• Credit or Bank account number
• Bank routing number, if applicable
• Account transaction history
• Account balance
• Basic identity information
  • Name
  • Address
  • Phone number
  • Email address

Plaid and Google will store this information while your bank account is linked to Google Pay. To delete your information from Google Pay, you can remove your bank account at any time. Plaid’s Privacy Policy details how Plaid handles your data.

How do I link my account?

Important: To log in to your bank through Plaid, you need to provide your bank username and password. If you have more than one account with the financial institution, you can choose which accounts you'd like to add.

Link account

1. Open the Google Pay app .
2. Tap Insights .
3. Tap Link account. If you don’t find that option, tap Show all accounts Link account.
4. Select your financial institution and sign in to your online bank account.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions. To confirm it’s you, your bank might send you a text message or email.
6. Tap Done.

How do I remove my accounts?

1. Open the Google Pay app
2. Tap Insights .
3. To find your bank accounts, tap Show all accounts.
4. Tap the account or card you want to remove More .
5. Tap Remove account.

When is my data deleted?

When you remove an account from Google Pay, Google deletes the transaction history associated with that account, except for money transfers between you and other people using Google Pay. If you have accounts linked through Plaid with a non-Google service, Plaid may continue to store your data. For more information, please read the Plaid’s Privacy Policy.

What banks work with Plaid?

Most banks that work with Plaid are listed as options when you start the process to add your account. If your bank isn't listed, it may still be compatible with Plaid. Contact your bank for more information.

Why am I prompted to relink my account?

If you’ve successfully linked your bank account with Plaid before, you may still get a notification to relink your account. Here are some of the reasons why this happens:

• Interrupted connection: Your bank interrupts the connection for security maintenance. This happens every 90 days but can vary bank to bank.
• Updated credentials: Your credentials changed. To authenticate your new info, you must relink your account with Plaid. 
• Account isn’t found: Your bank account was deleted or the linked credit card expired. To relink your account with Plaid, give your updated bank or credit card info. 
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA): Your bank account requires an MFA that we don't currently support. Try to link a different bank or credit card with Plaid.