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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.methodfi.com/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

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Common Failure Modes

Direct Updates can fail for several reasons. In the Update response, direct retrieval failures currently surface through a canonical error object:
Failure ModeWhere it surfacesRecommended Action
Institution unreachable or temporarily unavailableUpdate error.code: 21001; account data_status_error is usually 15004 or 15006.Retry after a delay. These are usually transient.
Account not supportedAccount data_status_error: 15009.Check the account’s products array, then rely on snapshot Updates from an update.snapshot subscription.
Account closed, paid off, transferred, or consolidatedAccount data_status_error is 15001, 15002, 15003, or 15010.Update your local records. Re-discover via Connect when appropriate.
Authentication or account detail mismatchAccount data_status_error is 15005 or 15007.Refresh identity or account details, then re-enroll or re-discover the account.
Delinquent or disabled liabilityAccount data_status_error is 15008 or 15011.Surface the state to the user or contact support if unexpected.
{
  "id": "upt_NYV5kfjskTTCJ",
  "status": "failed",
  "error": {
    "type": "UPDATE_FAILED",
    "sub_type": "UPDATE_TEMPORARILY_UNAVAILABLE",
    "code": 21001,
    "message": "Update is temporarily unavailable for this account."
  }
}
For the granular reason, read the underlying account liability’s data_status_error. These are the codes exposed by the API:
CodeReasonWhat it meansRecommended action
15001ClosedThe account has been closed at the institution.Update your local records. Don’t retry.
15002Paid in fullThe liability has been paid off.Update your local records. Don’t retry.
15003No longer servicedThe institution no longer services this account (e.g. transferred or sold).Update your local records. Don’t retry.
15004Unauthorized / sync failedCatch-all for transient and connection-level failures (institution timeouts, technical issues, outside-hours, internal errors, repeated failure throttling).Retry after a delay. If persistent, contact support.
15005Invalid holder detailsThe institution rejected the holder details Method has on file (e.g., DOB, postal code, KYC).Refresh the entity’s identity data and re-enroll.
15006Temporarily unavailableGeneric temporary failure.Retry after a delay.
15007Invalid account numberThe account number Method has is no longer valid at the institution.Re-discover the account via Connect.
15008DelinquentThe account is in a delinquent state at the institution.Surface this to the user. Don’t retry until resolved.
15009Unsupported merchantThe institution doesn’t support real-time data connections for this account type.Rely on snapshot Updates delivered via an update.snapshot subscription.
15010Consolidated loanThe student loan has been consolidated into a different loan.Re-discover via Connect.
15011Liability disabledUpdates have been disabled for this liability.Don’t retry. Contact support if unexpected.
Rate limiting is not currently exposed as a distinct Update failure code. Repeated failure throttling may appear under the catch-all sync failed reason (15004).

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Retry Strategy

1. First retry: wait 5 minutes
2. Second retry: wait 30 minutes
3. Third retry: wait 2 hours
4. After 3 failures: display the most recent snapshot data and alert your CSM
Use idempotency keys when retrying to avoid duplicate requests.

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Fallback Pattern: Direct to Snapshot

When direct Updates aren’t available or keep failing, snapshot data provides a reliable baseline. Note that POST /accounts/{acc_id}/updates always creates a direct Update; you cannot request a snapshot Update on demand. Snapshot Updates are produced by update.snapshot subscriptions and delivered via webhook. To fall back to snapshot data, list the account’s existing Updates and use the most recent one whose source is snapshot: 
curl "https://production.methodfi.com/accounts/acc_yVf3mkzbhz9tj/updates?source=snapshot" \
  -H "Method-Version: 2026-03-30" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_WyZEWVfTcH7GqmPzUPk65Vjc"
If no snapshot Update exists yet, create an update.snapshot subscription so future bureau refreshes are delivered automatically: 
curl https://production.methodfi.com/accounts/acc_yVf3mkzbhz9tj/subscriptions \
  -X POST \
  -H "Method-Version: 2026-03-30" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_WyZEWVfTcH7GqmPzUPk65Vjc" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"type": "update.snapshot"}'

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UX Recommendations

  • Always show the most recent known data, even if it’s stale. A balance from last week is better than a blank screen.
  • Indicate freshness. Show the data_as_of timestamp so users know how current the data is: “Balance as of March 20, 2024.”
  • Show refresh state. When an Update is in progress, show a loading indicator alongside the existing data.
  • Don’t block on failures. If a direct Update fails, display the last snapshot data and retry in the background.

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Subscription Failures

For failed subscription executions, Method requeues the subscription execution for retry. The subscription queue retries failed executions daily up to three times, then schedules the next run according to the subscription’s normal cadence. Monitor update.update webhooks for failed Updates to detect persistent issues with specific accounts or institutions and to drive your own fallback (e.g., showing snapshot data, prompting the user to reconnect for 15005/15007).

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Fields by Liability Type

The data returned in an Update depends on the account type. Common patterns:
Liability TypeKey Fields
Credit Cardbalance, available_credit, credit_limit, interest_rate (min/max/type), payment info, opened_at
Auto Loanbalance, interest_rate, original_loan_amount, term_length, expected_payoff_date, payment info
Student Loanbalance, original_loan_amount, term_length, payment info
Mortgagebalance, interest_rate, original_loan_amount, term_length, expected_payoff_date, payment info
Personal Loanbalance, available_credit, interest_rate, original_loan_amount, term_length, payment info
All types share: balance, last_payment_amount, last_payment_date, next_payment_due_date, next_payment_minimum_amount, opened_at, closed_at. For the full Updates API, see the Updates reference.