How it works
Create the borrower Entity, verify them, run Connect to discover their liabilities, then subscribe to the v2 attribute set for a continuous, real-time view. All examples useMethod-Version: 2026-03-30. Monetary values are in cents (1420000 = $14,200.00); utilization is a percentage (37.4 = 37.4%); deltas are percentage points.
Create the Entity
POST /entities. You only need first_name, last_name, and phone. An Entity can be created minimally and enriched later; passing dob and ssn_4 when you have them measurably improves match rates during account discovery, so include them in production where available. The Entity returns status: "incomplete" with connect, credit_score, and attribute in restricted_products until verification completes.Verify the borrower (BYO SMS + BYO KYC)
Verification must complete before Connect, credit, and attribute products unlock. The lending flows in these guides use BYO SMS and BYO KYC, which let you assert results you already captured in your own onboarding. Both require your team to be pre-authorized, so contact your Method CSM to enable them. For other verification methods, see Verification Methods. Once both sessions complete, the Entity moves to
status: "active" and connect, credit_score, and attribute move from restricted_products into products. For the full walkthrough, see the Getting Started guide.Run Connect
POST /entities/{ent_id}/connect. Connect performs a soft credit pull (no score impact) and returns the account IDs Method created for each liability. The first Connect returns all liability accounts, both active and closed; subsequent calls return only newly discovered accounts.List the discovered accounts
GET /accounts. Filter to type=liability and status=active to work with live debt only. Narrow with liability.type (e.g. mortgage, credit_card) to isolate the secured-debt picture that matters for a HELOC decision. For decision-time accuracy, pull a fresh POST /accounts/{acc_id}/updates on the accounts that drive the decision (balances on revolving and mortgage debt shift daily).Enroll the entity in the attribute subscription
POST /entities/{ent_id}/subscriptions with enroll: attribute. Method computes credit-health attributes (utilization, balances, APRs, trends, payment behavior, delinquency flags) at both the entity level and the account level. Pass the portfolio_intelligence bundle to onboard the full PI attribute set in one call, plus any HELOC/mortgage-specific attributes you want explicitly. Once enrolled, every account on the entity is eligible for attribute generation; you do not enroll accounts individually. Portfolio Intelligence (portfolio_intelligence) is separately enabled, so ask your Method CSM to turn it on first.Once status is active, Method begins pulling directly from the borrower’s institutions and attribute generation starts.(Optional) Enroll accounts in Update subscriptions
POST /accounts/{acc_id}/subscriptions with enroll: update. Adds a near-real-time balance/payment event stream on a specific account, on top of the entity attribute layer, useful when you want a webhook the moment a tracked mortgage or card balance moves.Pull the entity attribute set
POST /entities/{ent_id}/attributes. Asynchronous: it returns immediately with status: "in_progress" and attributes: null, then fires an entity_attribute.create webhook when computation completes. Retrieve the finished object via GET /entities/{ent_id}/attributes/{attr_id}. Attributes that can’t be computed (e.g. a trend with insufficient history, or HELOC attributes for a borrower with no HELOC) return value: null with an error object rather than failing the whole response.entity_attribute.create on the first computation and entity_attribute.update thereafter whenever new values are surfaced; account-level signals fire account_attribute.create / account_attribute.update. Subscribe to these to drive monitoring workflows without polling.
A primer on the full attribute set, entity-vs-account availability, and webhook payloads lives in the Portfolio Intelligence guide.
Pre-qualification
Run the create-and-Connect flow at intake, then read the entity attribute set to qualify before the borrower invests in a full application. Because the data comes straight from each institution rather than a weeks-old bureau snapshot, the pre-approval decision rests on what the borrower actually owes today. Key attributes:overall_utilization, credit_card_utilization, usage_pattern, delinquency_flag_credit_cards, payment_to_minimum_ratio_avg_credit_cards.
HELOC expansion
For a HELOC offer, the secured picture and the borrower’s revolving leverage drive both eligibility and sizing. Method surfaces the existing mortgage and HELOC balances directly, alongside the unsecured debt that informs capacity. Key attributes:mortgage_balance_total, heloc_balance_total, heloc_utilization, overall_utilization, revolving_credit_card_balance_total.
Debt consolidation / refi
A borrower carrying high-APR revolving balances is a consolidation candidate. Method shows the blended rate they’re actually paying, so the savings you quote are priced against real debt, not an estimated rate band. The example borrower above carries $18,400 in revolving balances at a 23.4% blended APR, a clear consolidation target a HELOC or refi will retire. When the borrower accepts, Direct Pay (the Payments API) routes the verified payoff straight to the incumbent creditor. Key attributes:weighted_average_apr_credit_card, revolving_credit_card_balance_total, credit_card_utilization, personal_loan_monthly_installments_estimate.
Portfolio Intelligence: HELOC / mortgage targeting
Enroll existing customers in the attribute subscription and let the continuous attribute stream surface who is in the market. Watch for the signals that indicate HELOC or new-mortgage intent (sustained revolving paydown that frees capacity, rising high-APR balances that a HELOC will consolidate, or an improving overall profile) and trigger a targeted offer before they shop a competitor. Key attributes:revolving_credit_card_balance_change_30d/60d/90d, overall_utilization_delta_90d, overall_utilization_trend_90d, weighted_average_apr_credit_card, mortgage_balance_total.