AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
The short answer
Remittance apps use Plaid to confirm you own the US bank account you are paying from and to get its routing and account numbers, so they can pull an ACH payment with less risk of it bouncing. Plaid's End User Privacy Policy (effective 8 December 2025) says it may collect account details, balances, transactions and owner identifiers depending on the app; you can see and end connections in Plaid Portal at my.plaid.com.
What Plaid does in a transfer to Nigeria
When you choose "pay from bank account" in a remittance app, the app needs two things: proof that the account is yours, and the numbers it will debit. Plaid is a US data network that sits between the app and your bank to provide both. You pick your bank in a Plaid window inside the app, sign in or approve the connection, and choose which account to share. The app then receives what it needs to set up an ACH debit, the bank-to-bank payment that funds your transfer.
The reason this matters to a remittance app is risk. An ACH debit settles days after you press send; Wise, for example, says the debit usually shows in your bank account within two to three business days. If the app can see that the account exists, is in your name and has a balance, it is less likely to pay naira out in Nigeria and then have the dollars bounce. Remitly's US user agreement records that you authorise "ACH debit or credit entries" to your bank account when you pay this way.
What data Plaid says it may collect
Plaid's End User Privacy Policy lists the categories it may collect from your financial accounts, depending on the product the app uses:
- Account details: institution and account name, type, ownership, account and routing numbers.
- Current and available balances.
- Account owner identifiers: name, email, phone, date of birth and address.
- Transaction details.
- Credit and loan data, investment data, and payroll or tax document data, where the app's product uses them.
A remittance app linking an account for payment typically needs the first three; a lending or budgeting app might ask for more. The connection screen should say what the app is requesting. If it asks for far more than a payment needs, that is a reason to pause.
Your bank login
The policy says Plaid collects login data where the account provider requires it, and that by providing it "you also give Plaid permission and authority to act on your behalf." With some banks you approve the connection on the bank's own site; with others you enter your bank credentials in the Plaid window. The policy we read does not say whether credentials are passed to the app, and describes sharing data with developers as the app directs.
Selling and sharing
The End User Privacy Policy does not use the word "sell". Plaid's Consumer Privacy Notice says it shares information with non-affiliates to market to you and that you can limit that sharing. Read both if this matters to you.
How to see, limit or delete connections
- Sign up for Plaid Portal at my.plaid.com with the phone number you used. Plaid says it shows the apps connected to your accounts and the types of data shared.
- End any connection you no longer use. Plaid says the Portal lets you end connections and delete the associated data.
- For other requests, use Plaid's online data request form or write to privacy@plaid.com.
- Remove the bank as a payment method in the remittance app too, so it cannot debit the account.
- If you think someone linked your account without you, contact your bank at once; unauthorised debits fall under your bank's error rules (Regulation E, 12 CFR 1005.11), with a 60-day window after the statement.
Why the connection sometimes breaks
A linked account can stop working when you change your bank password, when the bank updates its security, or when you close the account. The app will usually ask you to reconnect. Treat a reconnection request that arrives by text or email with a link as suspect; open the app yourself and reconnect from its settings instead.
If you would rather not use Plaid
Some apps let you enter routing and account numbers by hand, and most also accept a debit card, which avoids linking the bank at all. Card payments usually reach the provider faster; Wise lists card pay-ins at 0 to 30 minutes against up to four business days for ACH. The trade-off can be price: compare the naira received for each payment method. Our piece on ACH versus debit card funding goes through the difference.
A scam to watch for
No legitimate app needs you to read a bank login or one-time code to a person on the phone or in a chat. If a "support agent" or a stranger offering a good naira rate asks you to link your bank through a link they send, stop. See scams targeting Nigerians in the US.
Where Pryme fits
A Pryme account, opened from the US, comes with its own local dollar account details, so money can be sent into it from your US bank rather than pulled. From there you can convert with Swap and send naira to Nigeria; the app shows the rate and the fee before you approve. Pryme's services outside Nigeria are carried out through regulated partners.
Questions people ask
Is it safe to link my bank account to Remitly or LemFi with Plaid?
Plaid is widely used for this, and its privacy policy sets out what it collects and how to delete connections. Check what data the app requests on the connection screen, and end connections you no longer use in Plaid Portal.
What does a remittance app see when I connect through Plaid?
Usually your account and routing numbers, the account owner's name and the balance. Plaid's policy lists further categories, such as transactions, that some apps request.
How do I remove Plaid access to my bank account?
Use Plaid Portal at my.plaid.com to end the connection and delete the data, and remove the bank as a payment method in the app.
Can I send money to Nigeria without linking my bank?
Yes. Most apps accept a US debit card, and some let you enter account details manually. Compare the cost of each payment method.
Sources
- Plaid: End User Privacy Policy (effective 8 Dec 2025) · accessed Oct 2026
- Wise Help: Paying with your connected bank account (ACH) in the US · accessed Oct 2026
- Wise Help: USD transfers (pay-in times by method) · accessed Oct 2026
- Remitly: User Agreement, US (effective 23 Feb 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- CFPB: Regulation E, 12 CFR 1005.11, procedures for resolving errors (accounts and debit cards) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.