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This guide walks you through the steps to support ACH bank withdrawals using the REST API — from creating an external account to monitoring for settlement.

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Prerequisites

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Walkthrough

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Check available rails

Before creating a quote, verify the ACH rail is available for withdrawals. Call List Rails for USD to confirm the ach network has the withdraw feature. 
GET /core/rails?type=bank&network=ach&asset=USD

{
  "rails": [
    {
      "type": "bank",
      "network": "ach",
      "method": "bank-transfer",
      "asset": "USD",
      "decimals": 2,
      "features": [
        "deposit",
        "withdraw"
      ]
    }
  ]
}

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Select source account

ACH withdrawals can be sourced from any account. If the selected account is not in USD, the balance will be converted at the time of the transaction using Uphold’s prevailing rate. Make sure the origin asset has the necessary features enabled. Call List accounts to retrieve the user’s accounts and let them pick the one to withdraw from. 
GET /core/accounts

{
  "accounts": [
    {
      "id": "a00507fe-628c-4f27-ae81-e1c40b2a8fb8",
      "ownerId": "e4ce04dc-67b7-4e9f-af91-482cb6f9fc4a",
      "label": "My USD account",
      "asset": "USD",
      "balance": {
        "total": "500.00",
        "available": "500.00"
      }
    }
  ]
}

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Select a bank account

ACH bank accounts are not linked automatically. Users must provide their routing and account number to add one. Select an existing linked account or add a new one.

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Find an existing bank account

Call List external accounts and filter for accounts with type: "bank". If no USD bank account exists, proceed to link one. 
GET /core/external-accounts
Make sure the selected account has status: "ok" and "withdraw" in features. 
{
  "externalAccounts": [
    {
      "id": "bb7f7fab-9e84-5a8e-9389-1458f56ac79",
      "type": "bank",
      "status": "ok",
      "network": "ach",
      "label": "My USD Checking Account",
      "features": [
        "withdraw"
      ],
      "secondaryNetworks": ["fednow"]
    }
  ]
}
Create a USD bank account by calling Create external account with the user’s bank details. 
POST /core/external-accounts
{
  "type": "bank",
  "asset": "USD",
  "network": "ach",
  "label": "My USD Checking Account",
  "details": {
    "routingNumber": "121000248",
    "accountNumber": "9876543210",
    "accountType": "checking",
    "address": {
      "country": "US",
      "subdivision": "US-CA",
      "city": "San Francisco",
      "line1": "123 Main Street",
      "postalCode": "94102"
    }
  }
}

{
  "externalAccount": {
    "id": "bb7f7fab-9e84-5a8e-9389-1458f56ac79",
    "type": "bank",
    "status": "ok",
    "network": "ach",
    "label": "My USD Checking Account",
    "features": [
      "withdraw"
    ],
    "secondaryNetworks": ["fednow"]
  }
}
The secondaryNetworks field is present only when the destination bank supports FedNow. If it appears, you may use "fednow" as the network in the quote to settle funds faster.

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Create a quote

Create a quote with Create quote. Pass network: "ach" on the destination node to route the transfer via ACH, or leave it out to route via the external account’s default network. If the external account has secondaryNetworks, the user can choose which one to use for the transfer. The quote must be created with the selected network to ensure accurate fees and expiration time. 
POST /core/transactions/quote
{
  "origin": {
    "type": "account",
    "id": "a00507fe-628c-4f27-ae81-e1c40b2a8fb8"
  },
  "destination": {
    "type": "external-account",
    "id": "bb7f7fab-9e84-5a8e-9389-1458f56ac79",
    "network": "ach"
  },
  "denomination": {
    "asset": "USD",
    "amount": "500.00",
    "target": "origin"
  }
}
A successful response returns a quote object with fees and expiration. 
{
  "quote": {
    "id": "734111d9-ace0-5b3c-bb4e-7b7b55b8a7b1",
    "origin": {
      "amount": "500.00",
      "asset": "USD",
      "node": {
        "type": "account",
        "id": "a00507fe-628c-4f27-ae81-e1c40b2a8fb8",
        "ownerId": "e4ce04dc-67b7-4e9f-af91-482cb6f9fc4a"
      },
      "rate": "1"
    },
    "destination": {
      "amount": "500.00",
      "asset": "USD",
      "node": {
        "type": "external-account",
        "id": "bb7f7fab-9e84-5a8e-9389-1458f56ac79",
        "ownerId": "e4ce04dc-67b7-4e9f-af91-482cb6f9fc4a",
        "network": "ach"
      },
      "rate": "1"
    },
    "denomination": {
      "asset": "USD",
      "amount": "500.00",
      "target": "origin",
      "rate": "1"
    },
    "fees": [],
    "expiresAt": "2024-07-24T15:22:39Z"
  }
}
Quotes typically expire quickly. Prompt for user confirmation within the expiry window and requote if needed.

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Confirm and create transaction

After the user confirms the withdrawal, call Create transaction with the quote ID to execute the transfer. 
POST /core/transactions
{
  "quoteId": "734111d9-ace0-5b3c-bb4e-7b7b55b8a7b1"
}
In a successful ACH withdrawal, the origin is the user’s account and the destination is the external-account representing the user’s bank. The transaction status is initially processing and updates to completed once the transfer settles. 
{
  "transaction": {
    "id": "e4f5a6b7-2c3d-4e6f-a09b-8c7d6e5f4a3c",
    "origin": {
      "asset": "USD",
      "amount": "500.00",
      "node": {
        "type": "account",
        "id": "a00507fe-628c-4f27-ae81-e1c40b2a8fb8",
        "ownerId": "e4ce04dc-67b7-4e9f-af91-482cb6f9fc4a"
      }
    },
    "destination": {
      "asset": "USD",
      "amount": "500.00",
      "node": {
        "type": "external-account",
        "id": "bb7f7fab-9e84-5a8e-9389-1458f56ac79",
        "ownerId": "e4ce04dc-67b7-4e9f-af91-482cb6f9fc4a",
        "network": "ach"
      }
    },
    "status": "processing",
    "quotedAt": "2025-01-10T14:22:15Z",
    "createdAt": "2025-01-10T14:22:45Z",
    "updatedAt": "2025-01-10T14:22:45Z",
    "denomination": {
      "asset": "USD",
      "amount": "500.00",
      "target": "origin"
    }
  }
}

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Monitor for settlement

Prefer webhooks for real-time updates, or fall back to polling if webhooks are not feasible.

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Notify the user

Display an in-app confirmation when the transaction is completed, and send an email if applicable.
You now support ACH bank transfer withdrawals via the REST API.