External Accounts represent bank accounts that exist outside the Passport system. These accounts are linked to a customer to enable fund transfers such as debits (collects) or credits (payouts).

A customer can configure one or more external accounts, depending on their business needs.

When to Use External Accounts

Collect funds from a customer’s bank account
Send payouts to external bank accounts
Enable recurring payments

How it Works

Add an External Account
Provide bank account details such as account number, routing number, and account holder information.
Initiate Verification
Based on program configuration and the selected validation method, the system performs verification using EWS, Prenote, or Micro-deposit. Refer to External Account Validations to learn more about each of these methods.
OFAC Screening
The account holder’s name is screened against regulatory and compliance watchlists.
Account Activation
Once verification and compliance checks are successfully completed, the external account is marked as ACTIVE and is ready for transactions.

Add an External Account

Use the POST /v1/customer/id/{id}/externalAccount (or using externalId) API to add an external bank account within the system. Key Details Required:

Field	Required	Description
`holderName`	✓	Name of the account holder exactly as per bank records
`holderType`	✓	Indicates whether the account belongs to an `CONSUMER` or a `CORPORATE`.
`accountNumber`	✓	Bank account number to be linked
`routingNumber`	✓	9-digit ACH routing number used for bank transfers. Use the POST `/v1/bank/list` API to retrieve a list of bank routing numbers along with their corresponding financial institution details, based on the specified search criteria.
`wireRoutingNumber`	Optional	Routing number used for wire transfers, if different from ACH routing number
`type`	✓	Type of bank account - `CHECKING` or `SAVINGS`.
`validateAccount.ews`	Optional	Enables instant account validation using EWS. Values: `true` – Perform instant validation during account creation (recommended for faster onboarding) `false` – Skip EWS validation If not provided, the system applies the default configuration set for your program.
`microDeposit`	Optional	Enables validation via micro-deposits to confirm account ownership. Values: `ALWAYS` – Always validate using micro-deposits (recommended when strong ownership verification is required) `NEVER` – Do not perform micro-deposit validation (recommended when relying on other validation methods) If not provided, the system applies the default configuration.
`prenote`	Optional	Enables validation via prenote (zero-dollar transaction). Values: `ALWAYS` – Always run prenote validation (recommended for bank-level validation without moving funds) `NEVER` – Skip prenote validation `ON_FAILURE` – Run prenote only if EWS validation returns `NOT_FOUND` (use as a fallback when instant validation is inconclusive) If not provided, the system applies the default configuration.
`linkedDocument.purpose`	Optional	Defines the purpose of the document. Example: `AUTHORIZATION` – indicates user consent for debiting/crediting the account
`linkedDocument.document.type`	Optional	Type of supporting document uploaded. Values: `ATD` – Account Transfer Document (authorizes fund movement) `EFT` – Electronic Funds Transfer authorization form `SPAA` – Signed Payment Authorization Agreement `WEB_RECEIPT` – Online consent or transaction receipt `TEL_RECEIPT` – Consent captured via phone interaction `DMF` – Document Management Form for internal/reference use `ACCOUNT_SETUP_FORM` – Form used to collect account details during onboarding

Validations can be triggered either during external account creation or later using the v1/customer/id/{id}/externalAccount/id/{id}/validate API. For more details, refer to External Account Validations.

After submitting the request, the system checks that all required information is present. If any validation fails, the request is rejected immediately, and an error response is returned. You must correct the issue and resubmit the request. For a complete list of validation errors and how to resolve them, refer to the HTTP Response Codes.

Key Capabilities:

Link multiple external accounts per customer
Support for ACH and Wire routing
Attach authorization documents
Add metadata and tags for tracking
Perform validations based on program configuration. You can reach out to the PCE Account Management team to enable or disable an External Account Validation methods.

Retrieve External Account details

Use the GET v1/customer/id/{id}/externalAccount/id/{id} API to view the following important information:

External Account Status & Status Reason: Current state of the external account along with the reason (e.g., ACTIVE, BLOCKED due to insufficient funds or validation failure)
Validation Statuses: Results of validations performed on the account, including:
- EWS (instant validation)
- Prenote
- Micro-deposit
OFAC Status: Compliance verification status of the account holder (e.g., VERIFIED, UNDER_REVIEW, REJECTED)
Instant Validation Details: Outcome of internal validation (e.g., OPEN, NOT_FOUND, INVALID_DEBIT_ACCOUNT)
Linked Document Status: Status of any supporting documents submitted (e.g., PENDING_VERIFICATION, VERIFIED, REJECTED)
Timestamps: Key lifecycle timestamps such as creation date, last updated date, and status change date

💡
Only the last 4 digits of the account number are returned in API responses for security.

Compliance & Security

Every external account undergoes OFAC verification on the account holder name.
Transactions are allowed only after successful compliance checks and validations.
Supporting documents can be uploaded for authorization and audit purposes.