Plaid’s returning user experience is an optional way to save time the next time you connect your bank through Plaid. This article explains what it is, what Plaid remembers, and how to turn it off if you don’t want to use it.
When you connect your bank through an app or service that uses Plaid, you may see a screen asking for your phone number and a one-time passcode (OTP) sent by text message.
If you enter your phone number and the code, Plaid creates a returning user profile. This profile lets Plaid recognize your phone number the next time you see Plaid, so that after you verify your phone number you can:
- Skip some steps you have already completed before.
- Quickly reconnect the same banks you’ve previously used with Plaid.
- Spend less time signing in when you see Plaid in a new app.
You don’t need a returning user profile to use Plaid. It’s an optional way to make future connections faster.
What Plaid’s returning user experience may remember
With the returning user experience turned on, Plaid may remember:
- The phone number you verified with a one-time passcode.
- The banks or credit unions you connected in past Plaid-powered apps.
- The specific accounts you chose in those banks, so Plaid can show them as options next time.
Plaid does not use the returning user profile to:
- Store your bank username and password in a way you can sign in to Plaid like a bank website.
- Move money or make changes to your bank accounts without your action in an app that uses Plaid.
- Give new apps access to your financial data unless you explicitly select a bank and approve the connection when using Plaid.
Where you might see the returning user experience
If you have a returning user profile, you might notice:
- Apps that use Plaid show your previously connected banks as options when you start.
- Plaid may skip some login steps for banks you’ve already connected before, when this is supported.
- You can often pick your bank account sooner, instead of starting from the very beginning each time.
This behavior is part of Plaid’s returning user experience and is meant to save you time.