If you encounter connection issues when attempting to link your financial accounts via Plaid, we’ve outlined below the most common error messages you may see, what actions you can take to try to resolve these errors on your own. Please note, Plaid provides the technology that enables consumers to connect their financial accounts to apps, but we do not have control over the information made available by your financial institutions or functionality of the apps you use. Our support team is happy to help to the extent we can.
- “Couldn't connect to your institution.” This error message appears when we’re unable to complete the linking process, which can happen for a variety of reasons. If you need to connect immediately, we recommend trying to link another financial institution. Frequently, these are minor errors that are quickly resolved, so you may also want to try connecting the same account again later.
- “Username or password incorrect.” If you see this error message, we recommend confirming your username and password are correct by logging into your financial account directly, and ideally from a secure web browser (as opposed to a mobile app). Sometimes, when you log into your financial account on a web browser, your financial institution may have additional prompts for you to complete before you can access your data, and those prompts may be what’s preventing Plaid from accessing your data. Also, when searching for your financial institution while linking to Plaid, double check that you are selecting the correct institution––there are many financial institutions with similar names, and selecting the wrong institution will result in an error noting that your credentials are incorrect.
- “Action required with your account.” Some financial institutions require you to take specific steps to enable your accounts to be linked to third parties like Plaid. Please log into your bank account directly on a secure web browser (not via a mobile app) to confirm your online banking settings enable you to share your data before retrying your connection attempt through Plaid.
- “Username incorrect.” When you update the username associated with your financial accounts, Plaid notifies your connected app so that they can prompt you to re-connect your accounts using your new username. If you have recently updated your username but your connected app has not provided you with the option to re-connect your accounts, please try fully removing and then re-connecting your accounts in the app, or contact the app directly. You should only ever link your accounts using your current username and password.
- “Your account settings are incompatible.” For some financial institutions, certain types of account configurations or settings mean Plaid will be unable to establish a connection with your institution. We are working with many institutions to resolve these issues and provide you the access you need. If you have specific questions about your financial institution, please feel free to reach out to us via the Support button, which appears as a question mark if you’re on your mobile device.