> ## 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.

# Update Subscriptions

> Set-and-forget monitoring to keep account data current.

## What Update Subscriptions Do

For products that need to keep data current without requiring users to manually refresh, Update Subscriptions provide a set-and-forget monitoring capability.

* A direct Update subscription tells Method to periodically pull fresh data from the financial institution and deliver it to you via webhook as it becomes available. The refresh cadence depends on the institution and account type.
* A snapshot-only subscription delivers new data whenever the credit report refreshes (typically monthly), ensuring your baseline data stays current without manual intervention.

Subscriptions are essential for: dashboards and account overview screens that should always show reasonably current data, alerting systems that detect changes (missed payments, balance spikes, rate changes), progress tracking features that show debt paydown over time, and any feature where the user expects data to be fresh without taking action.

The combination of on-demand Updates for user-initiated actions and subscription-based Updates for background freshness gives you a complete data strategy.

## Creating a Subscription

You can set up subscriptions either at Connect time (recommended for new accounts) or individually on existing accounts.

### At Connect Time (Recommended)

Include `subscriptions` in your Connect request to automatically subscribe all discovered accounts:

```bash theme={null}
curl https://production.methodfi.com/entities/ent_au22b1fbFJbp8/connect \
  -X POST \
  -H "Method-Version: 2026-03-30" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_WyZEWVfTcH7GqmPzUPk65Vjc" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "subscriptions": ["update"]
  }'
```

### On an Existing Account

```bash theme={null}
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"}'
```

## Subscription Types

| Type              | What it does                                                                                                                                                     |
| ----------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `update`          | Periodically pulls real-time data directly from the financial institution and delivers via webhook. Refresh cadence depends on the institution and account type. |
| `update.snapshot` | Delivers new credit report data whenever the bureau refreshes (typically monthly). Lower cost, broader coverage.                                                 |

<Note>
  Check the account's `available_subscriptions` array before creating a subscription. If `update` isn't listed, direct subscriptions aren't available for that account.
</Note>

### Refresh Cadence

<Note>
  The frequency of updates for direct subscriptions depends on the liability type and the individual account. Credit cards generally update more frequently (every 1 to 3 days), while personal loans and mortgages typically refresh every \~30 days, aligning with billing cycles and account activity. Snapshot subscriptions refresh whenever the credit bureau receives updated data from the creditor, usually on a monthly basis.
</Note>

## Receiving Updates via Webhook

When a subscription triggers a refresh, Method sends an `update.create` webhook when the Update is created, followed by an `update.update` webhook when its status changes (typically to `completed` or `failed`):

```json theme={null}
{
  "type": "update.update",
  "path": "/accounts/acc_yVf3mkzbhz9tj/updates/upt_NYV5kfjskTTCJ"
}
```

Retrieve the Update from the path to get the fresh data. Your application should process these webhooks to update its local data store or cache.

## Managing Subscriptions

* **List active subscriptions:** `GET /accounts/{acc_id}/subscriptions`
* **Delete a subscription:** `DELETE /accounts/{acc_id}/subscriptions/{sub_id}`

Subscriptions remain active until explicitly deleted or the account is disabled/closed.

## When to Use Subscriptions vs On-Demand Updates

| Scenario                                      | Approach                          |
| --------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------- |
| Dashboard showing current balances            | Subscription (background refresh) |
| Pre-payment balance confirmation              | On-demand direct Update           |
| Debt paydown progress tracking                | Subscription                      |
| One-time underwriting check                   | On-demand direct Update           |
| Alerting on missed payments or balance spikes | Subscription                      |