O
About
Method is a financial infrastructure platform that provides developers and financial services companies with seamless connectivity to consumer credit and liability accounts. By leveraging a single authentication flow using just a user's phone number, Method can instantly identify and connect accounts across 10,000+ financial institutions — no login credentials or manual data entry required. The platform delivers real-time account data intelligence sourced directly from financial institutions' systems of record, replacing outdated credit report data with live liability snapshots. This includes auto loans, credit cards, mortgages, and more from 15,000+ FIs. Method's embedded payments layer enables lenders, fintechs, and banks to orchestrate end-to-end payment flows directly from connected accounts, powering use cases like debt payoff, one-click checkout, employer benefits disbursement, and financial wellness tools. Designed for consumer lenders, personal finance apps, credit unions, banks, and auto lenders, Method handles all data security and privacy compliance, reducing the overhead for product teams. With evergreen connections and a robust API and SDK, Method makes it straightforward to build sophisticated financial products that require accurate, up-to-date liability data and seamless payment execution at scale.
Key Features
- One Auth Verification: Verify and connect users' credit and liability accounts across 10,000+ financial institutions using only their phone number — no login credentials needed.
- Real-Time Liability Data: Access up-to-date financial account data sourced directly from 15,000+ institutions' systems of record, going beyond stale credit report data.
- Embedded Payments: Orchestrate end-to-end payment flows — from debt payoffs to one-click checkout — directly through connected liability accounts.
- Evergreen Connections: Maintain stable, persistent connectivity across all types of liability accounts including auto loans, credit cards, and mortgages.
- Security & Compliance: Method handles all data security and privacy compliance so product teams never need to collect or store sensitive user credentials or account information.
Use Cases
- Consumer lenders using real-time liability data to underwrite and fund debt consolidation loans directly into borrowers' existing accounts.
- Personal finance apps providing users a unified view of all credit and loan balances across multiple financial institutions.
- E-commerce and loyalty platforms enabling one-click checkout by connecting shoppers' existing financial accounts.
- Employer benefits programs disbursing financial wellness payments or student loan contributions directly to employee liability accounts.
- Banks and credit unions enriching member profiles with up-to-date external liability data to power better product offers and risk assessments.
Pros
- Massive Institution Coverage: Connects to 15,000+ financial institutions, ensuring near-universal coverage for consumer liability accounts in the US.
- Frictionless Authentication: Single-step phone-based auth eliminates the need for users to provide login credentials, improving conversion and security simultaneously.
- Live Data at the Source: Direct connections to institution systems of record provide real-time data accuracy that credit bureaus cannot match.
Cons
- Enterprise-Focused Pricing: No self-serve free tier is publicly available; the platform targets established fintechs and financial institutions, making it potentially costly for early-stage startups.
- Narrow Industry Applicability: Purpose-built for financial services use cases, so it offers little value outside of lending, banking, or consumer finance product verticals.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Method and who is it for?
Method is a financial connectivity API platform built for consumer lenders, personal finance apps, banks, credit unions, auto lenders, and fintechs that need real-time access to users' liability accounts and embedded payment capabilities.
How does Method connect financial accounts without login credentials?
Method uses a phone-based multi-factor authentication flow. By entering their legal name and phone number, users authorize Method to identify and retrieve their liability accounts across 10,000+ financial institutions — no passwords or bank logins required.
What types of accounts does Method support?
Method supports a broad range of consumer liability accounts including auto loans, credit cards, mortgages, and other debt instruments from over 15,000 financial institutions.
How does Method handle data security and compliance?
Method fully manages data security and privacy compliance on behalf of its clients, so product teams never collect or store sensitive user credentials or financial account details.
What is 'Method for Commerce'?
Method for Commerce is a product offering focused on checkout and loyalty use cases, enabling one-click payment experiences by linking users' existing financial accounts directly at the point of purchase.
