Integrations
How Clarity uses Plaid
Plaid is the secure connectivity layer Clarity uses to link your banks and brokerages. Read-only, tokenized, revocable in one click.
- 12,000+ institutions
- Read-only account connections
- Bank-level encryption
What Plaid is — and isn't
A quick orientation before you connect an account.
Plaid is
- The connection layer between Clarity and 12,000+ US and Canadian banks.
- Used by Venmo, Robinhood, Chime, and most major finance apps.
- Read-only by design — tokenized access, no balance transfers.
- Revocable from Clarity settings or your bank directly.
Plaid is not
- A bank, broker, or money mover.
- A place where Clarity stores your password (we never see it).
- Used for crypto — that goes through CCXT and Alchemy directly.
- Permanent — disconnect anytime, in one click.
What happens when you click Connect
The flow takes about 90 seconds for most banks.
- 1. Plaid opens your bank's official login screen inside its secure widget. Clarity never sees your password.
- 2. Your bank issues Plaid a read-only access token. The token doesn't include your password, your full account number, or the ability to move money.
- 3. Plaid passes that tokenized access to Clarity, encrypted at rest. Clarity uses it to refresh balances and transactions on a schedule.
- 4. Disconnect anytime from Clarity settings. The token is invalidated within minutes.
Frequently asked questions
What people ask before connecting their first account.
What does Plaid do for Clarity?
Plaid is the secure connectivity layer that links Clarity to your banks, brokerages, and credit unions. When you connect an account, Plaid handles the bank login flow and returns a read-only token to Clarity so we can keep your balances and transactions current. We never see or store your bank password.
Is Plaid safe to use with my bank?
Plaid is used by thousands of finance apps including Venmo, Robinhood, and Chime, and is regulated under the same data-sharing rules as the financial institutions it connects to. Connections are tokenized and read-only — no money can move via the Plaid link, and the token can be revoked at any time from your Clarity settings or directly with your bank.
What data does Plaid share with Clarity?
Account balances, transaction history, account metadata (institution name, account type, last four digits), and — for brokerage accounts — holdings and cost basis where the institution exposes them. Plaid never shares your bank password, your full account number, or the ability to initiate transfers.
Can I disconnect Plaid at any time?
Yes — disconnect from Clarity's settings page in one click, or revoke access directly from your bank's online portal. Once disconnected, Clarity stops receiving updates and Plaid invalidates the access token within minutes.
Why Plaid instead of screen scraping or manual import?
Plaid uses official bank APIs where they exist (Chase, Capital One, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and most major institutions), which is more reliable than screen scraping and faster than manual CSV uploads. Where an institution requires fallback access, Plaid handles the security review and the credential storage so Clarity never has to.
What if my bank isn't supported by Plaid?
Clarity also supports manual account creation and CSV imports for institutions that aren't on Plaid. For brokerages and crypto exchanges, we use direct integrations (CCXT for exchanges, Alchemy for on-chain wallets) so Plaid coverage isn't a hard requirement.
Is there a Plaid alternative for Clarity users?
Plaid is the connectivity layer for North American banks specifically. For crypto, Clarity uses CCXT (100+ exchanges) and Alchemy (50+ blockchains) directly. For unsupported banks, manual entries and CSV imports cover the gap. We don't currently support MX or Finicity — Plaid covers ~95% of US and Canadian retail banking.
Related
Connection security, the broader integration directory, and how Clarity handles non-Plaid sources.
Explore the rest of Clarity
The Plaid connection is the front door — here's what's behind it.
01
One review instead of five apps
Sunday morning, one tab. Spending, investments, crypto, and upcoming bills — already reconciled.
- Every bank, brokerage, and wallet balance updates automatically
- Transactions categorized across all accounts — no manual rules
- Weekly review takes minutes, not the morning
02
See what changed this week
New charges, spending spikes, and recurring bills — surfaced before you have to go looking.
- Every card and bank account in one feed, searchable and categorized
- Recurring charges flagged automatically — price increases included
- Spending connected to your net worth, not isolated in a bank app
03
Tax season without the scramble
Cost basis updates with every trade. Gains and losses are ready to export — not reconstructed in April.
- Capital gains tracked across crypto and equities as you trade
- Pre-filled Form 8949, Schedule D, and Schedule 1 exports
- Tax documents from every institution collected in one place
04
Your real net worth — not what one bank shows
Cash, debt, retirement, brokerage, and crypto balances in one number you can actually trust.
- Every account type — checking, IRA, 401k, crypto, mortgage — in one view
- Net worth over time: daily, monthly, or since you started
- Allocation and concentration visible at a glance
Connect your first account in under 3 minutes
Read-only by design. Disconnect any time. No credit card required for the trial.