# Connecting your bank account for Link payments

This applies to when you are connecting your bank account for payments using Link. This payment method is only available in the US for supportable US bank accounts
* [Why am I being asked to save my bank account with Link?](#why-am-i-asked-to-save-bank-account)
* [What are the steps to connect my bank account through Link?](#steps-to-connect-bank-account)
* [How does Link work with Stripe to connect my bank account?](#link-stripe-bank-account)
* [How does Stripe connect to my bank account?](#how-does-stripe-connect-to-my-bank-account)
* [What data does Stripe access from my connected bank account?](#what-bank-account-data-does-stripe-access)
* [Who can access data that I’ve shared from my connected bank account, and for what purposes?](#who-can-access-my-bank-account-data)
* [Who will obtain my bank login credentials?](#who-will-obtain-my-bank-login-credentials)
* [What is the relationship between Stripe and its service providers?](#what-is-the-relationship-between-stripe-and-its-service-providers)
* [How does Stripe limit data use by service providers?](#how-does-Stripe-limit-data-use)
* [Is my connected bank account information safe?](#connected-bank-account-safe)
* [How do I disconnect my connected bank account?](#how-do-i-disconnect-my-connected-bank-account)
## Why am I being asked to save my bank account with Link?
When checking out on a Link-enabled site, you may see the option to pay with your bank account on eligible purchases. If you would like to complete the purchase using this payment method, you’ll need to first connect your bank account with Link. Link will always let you know why you are being prompted to connect your bank account.
After connecting your bank account, you will be able to reuse the saved bank account on other Link-enabled businesses.
## What are the steps to connect my bank account through Link?
To add a bank account to Link:
1. [Log in](https://app.link.com/login) to your Link account.
1. Go to **Wallet** and select "+" to Add a **Bank** under **Add a payment method**.
1. Click **Agree and Continue** to go through the authentication flow for your banking institution.
Alternatively, you can connect your bank account as a payment method with Link by following these steps during checkout:
1. Select your bank.
1. Enter your bank login credentials.
1. Select the bank account(s) you want to connect.
If you’re creating a new Link account, you’ll also need to agree to the Link End User [Terms](https://link.com/terms) and [Privacy Policy](https://link.com/privacy).
## How does Link work with Stripe to connect my bank account?
Link was built by Stripe to provide an easy way to pay in 1-click. You can use your bank account as a payment method to complete a payment on eligible purchases when checking out on a Link-enabled site.
## How does Stripe connect to my bank account?
You’ll be able to choose which accounts you want to share with Stripe. Stripe can successfully establish a connection to your bank account in one of two ways:
* When you enter your bank login credentials, you may be logging in to your bank or your bank’s service provider directly. In these cases, your login screen will either open in a new window or you will be redirected to the bank’s website. After you enter your credentials, your bank or your bank’s service provider will then provide Stripe with access through a token. Stripe will use the token to access information in order to help the business process your transaction.
* In other instances, when you input your login credentials, you are providing your credentials to Stripe and one of our trusted [service providers](#what-is-the-relationship-between-stripe-and-its-service-providers). Stripe and our service providers may store and use your credentials to regularly collect updated data. We do not share your login credentials with the business during check out.
## What data does Stripe access from my connected bank account?
With your consent, Stripe accesses and stores copies of the following financial information types from your account:
* **Account details**, including your name and mailing address, account number and routing number, account type, and account nickname
* **Account balances**, including current and pending balances
* **Account transactions**, including each transaction’s amount, date, business from which you purchased, and description
Stripe and our [service providers](#what-is-the-relationship-between-stripe-and-its-service-providers) may also store your [financial institution login credentials](#who-will-obtain-my-bank-login-credentials) so we can connect to your bank account and regularly collect updated data that you’ve agreed to share. Stripe does not share your login credentials with the businesses.
Stripe only uses your bank account information as outlined in [our Privacy Policy](https://link.com/privacy).
## Who can access data that I’ve shared from my connected bank account, and for what purposes?
When you connect a bank account, you are granting data access to Stripe and the following trusted partners:
* Our [service providers](#what-is-the-relationship-between-stripe-and-its-service-providers)
* If you process a payment with Link, we'll also share the relevant details with our bank partners to enable the transaction.
In addition, Stripe will only use your financial account information for the following purposes, as outlined in [Stripe’s Privacy Policy](https://stripe.com/privacy):
* Verify your bank account
* Facilitate the processing of your requested payments
* Mitigate fraud, financial loss, or other harm to you, the business with which you transacted, and Stripe
* Assess your eligibility for and offer you our other products or services
* Analyze, develop, and improve Stripe products and services, including our ability to securely connect financial accounts
* Provide you customer support, including responses to your inquiries
* Maintain legal and regulatory compliance, and to enforce compliance with our terms
Stripe doesn't sell your bank account information to third parties, including marketers, and we require the same of our service providers. When our service providers obtain your personal data, they can only use it to perform services for Stripe or to comply with legal requirements.
You can delete and [disconnect your bank account](#how-do-i-disconnect-my-connected-bank-account) as a payment method at any time from the Link [website](https://app.link.com/login).
### Who will obtain my bank login credentials?
The [type of connection](#how-does-stripe-connect-to-my-bank-account) that Stripe has with your bank determines whether we and our [service providers](#what-is-the-relationship-between-stripe-and-its-service-providers) need to access your bank information by using and storing your login credentials.
* If Stripe or our trusted service providers are able to connect to your bank or its service provider directly, then you can connect a bank account by entering your login credentials directly with your bank or its service provider.
* If neither Stripe nor our service providers can connect to your financial institution via OAuth, then you are sharing your financial institution login credentials with Stripe and one of our service providers when you link a financial account. Stripe and our service providers will store the credentials using encryption and use them to regularly obtain the updated account information that you’ve consented to share. [Learn more](#what-is-the-relationship-between-stripe-and-its-service-providers) about our service providers’ security practices.
No matter which type of connection is made, we do not share login credentials with the businesses.
## What is the relationship between Stripe and its service providers?
To enable you to connect bank accounts, Stripe works with third-party service providers who are subject to contractual requirements and restrictions on the use of data accessed through Stripe.
Our service providers include third-party data aggregators such as [Finicity](https://www.finicity.com) and [MX](https://www.mx.com). We may work with service providers to obtain the information from the bank accounts that you have consented to share with Stripe. When you input your login information in the credential pane, Stripe and one of our service providers may collect, store, and use your login information or authorization to maintain an active connection to your account. Our service providers use encryption to protect data.
Learn more about security practices at [Finicity](https://www.finicity.com/security) and [MX](https://hubspot.mx.com/hubfs/security-whitepaper.pdf). Stripe also works with banks’ service providers who are subject to contractual requirements and restrictions by the banks.
Stripe does not sell your financial account information to third parties, including marketers, and we require the same of our service providers. When our service providers obtain your personal data, they can only use it to perform services for Stripe or to comply with legal requirements.
## How does Stripe limit data use by service providers?
Stripe carefully selects [service providers](#what-is-the-relationship-between-stripe-and-its-service-providers), and they are contractually obligated to only use your financial information to perform services for Stripe or to comply with legal requirements. Service providers are prohibited from selling your financial account information. When you request to [disconnect](#how-do-i-disconnect-my-connected-bank-account) a bank account from Stripe and do not have any other accounts connected under the same login credentials, our service providers are also required to terminate their Stripe-initiated connection to your account and delete any copies of your information they’ve stored on their systems as a result of your connection via Link.
## Is my connected bank account information safe?
We maintain organizational, technical, and administrative measures designed to protect bank account information against unauthorized access, destruction, loss, alteration, or misuse. Information associated with bank accounts is encrypted in transit and at rest and protected by additional access controls, along with ongoing monitoring to prevent data misuse. [Learn more](https://stripe.com/privacy-center/legal#data-transfers) about the safeguards we've put in place to protect data transfers and control access.
Our [service providers](#what-is-the-relationship-between-stripe-and-its-service-providers) also use encryption to protect your data and are required to protect the security and confidentiality of personal data they process for Stripe. Learn more about security at [Finicity](https://www.finicity.com/security) and [MX](https://hubspot.mx.com/hubfs/security-whitepaper.pdf). The bank service providers we work with are subject to security and privacy requirements by the banks.
If you have reason to believe that your interaction with us is no longer secure or that the security of your bank account has been compromised, [contact us](https://support.link.com/?contact=true) immediately.
## How do I disconnect my connected bank account?
You can remove your bank account as a payment method at any time from the Link [website](https://app.link.com).
1. Log in to your [Link account](https://app.link.com/).
1. Navigate to the [Wallet](https://app.link.com/wallet) section.
1. Select the connected bank account and click **Remove bank**.
If you disconnect a bank account that is being used for a subscription, the subscription payments will stop.
To remove your Link account entirely, you can [delete your Link account](https://support.link.com/how-to-delete-your-saved-payment-information).
In some cases Stripe may retain your information, including financial account information, where permitted by applicable law or in connection with disputes. Stripe will also continue to collect your financial account information if you have other connected bank accounts that share the same login credentials.
Read more about our retention practices in our [Privacy Policy](https://stripe.com/privacy). If you have connected your bank account to a business through Stripe independently of Link, Stripe will retain that connection. You can [request disconnection or deletion](https://support.stripe.com/user/how-do-i-disconnect-my-linked-financial-account) of those connections.