> ## 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.

# Onboarding & Liability Discovery

> Identity verification options, liability discovery via Connect, ongoing connect subscriptions, and vehicle enrichment for auto loans.

This guide covers the onboarding layer of a PFM integration: how users get verified, how their liabilities are discovered, how to detect new liabilities over time, and how to enrich auto loan accounts with vehicle details.

If you haven't completed the [Getting Started](/guides/use-cases/pfm/getting-started) steps (creating and verifying Sarah Chen's Entity, and running Connect), start there first.

## Identity Verification with Opal

[Opal](/guides/opal) is Method's pre-built, white-labeled UI component that handles the entire verification flow — phone verification and identity verification — in a single drop-in experience. It's the fastest path to getting users verified and is recommended for most integrations.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Opal (Recommended)">
    Opal handles phone verification (SMS or SNA) and identity verification (KBA) in a single embedded flow. Your user completes the process in your app, and you receive a webhook when verification is complete.

    **Advantages:**

    * Minimal frontend development
    * Tested, optimized UX for conversion
    * Handles edge cases (retries, fallbacks, error states)
    * White-labeled to match your brand

    <Card title="Opal Integration Guide" icon="window" href="/guides/opal">
      Full guide for embedding Opal in your application.
    </Card>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="BYO Identity Verification">
    If you have an existing identity verification flow or need complete control over the UX, you can use Method's API directly. This involves separate calls for [phone verification](/reference/entities/verification-sessions/create-sms) and [identity verification](/reference/entities/verification-sessions/create-kba).

    **When to use BYO:**

    * You already have a KYC/IDV provider and want to pass results to Method
    * Your UX requires a custom verification flow
    * You need to integrate verification into an existing onboarding funnel

    <Card title="Identity Verification Methods" icon="shield-check" href="/guides/identity-verification/methods">
      All available verification methods and when to use each.
    </Card>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Liability Discovery via Connect

Once Sarah is verified, [Connect](/guides/connect/overview) performs a soft-pull credit report to discover her liabilities. The [Getting Started](/guides/use-cases/pfm/getting-started) guide showed the Connect call that discovered all 6 of her accounts.

Here's what Connect found for Sarah:

| Account ID          | Creditor               | Type          | What Your App Shows            |
| ------------------- | ---------------------- | ------------- | ------------------------------ |
| `acc_eKKmrXDpJBKgw` | Chase Sapphire Reserve | Credit Card   | Card balance, APR, due date    |
| `acc_GV8WbmJW7KGRy` | Citi Double Cash       | Credit Card   | Card balance, APR, due date    |
| `acc_MLPKh9gQDDbT8` | Capital One            | Auto Loan     | Loan balance, payment schedule |
| `acc_LbXE8wVYJLrKt` | Navient                | Student Loan  | Loan balance, disbursements    |
| `acc_J3P9fayDFjpAy` | SoFi                   | Personal Loan | Balance, term, rate            |
| `acc_eFFRV9zmpLREK` | Wells Fargo            | Mortgage      | Balance, rate, payoff date     |

<Note>
  Connect discovers both open and closed liabilities on the first call. Subsequent Connect calls for the same Entity only return newly opened accounts.
</Note>

## Connect Subscriptions

A user's liability picture changes over time — they open new credit cards, take out loans, or consolidate debt. Connect subscriptions automatically re-run discovery on a recurring basis and notify you via webhook when new accounts are found.

Enroll the Entity in a connect subscription:

```bash theme={null}
curl https://production.methodfi.com/entities/ent_au22b1fbFJbp8/subscriptions \
  -X POST \
  -H "Method-Version: 2025-12-01" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_WyZEWVfTcH7GqmPzUPk65Vjc" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "enroll": "connect"
  }'
```

```json theme={null}
{
  "id": "sub_Wm3FJkqV8hpDR",
  "name": "connect",
  "status": "active",
  "payload": null,
  "latest_request_id": null,
  "created_at": "2025-09-15T15:00:00.000Z",
  "updated_at": "2025-09-15T15:00:00.000Z"
}
```

When Method detects a new liability for Sarah, you'll receive a webhook event with the new Connect result containing the newly discovered account IDs. Your app can then automatically add these to her dashboard without any user action.

## Vehicle Enrichment

For auto loan accounts like Sarah's Capital One loan (`acc_MLPKh9gQDDbT8`), Method can retrieve the associated vehicle details — VIN, year, make, model, and style. This transforms a generic "Auto Loan: \$18,450 balance" into "2021 Honda CR-V EX: \$18,450 remaining."

Request vehicle data for Sarah's Entity:

```bash theme={null}
curl https://production.methodfi.com/entities/ent_au22b1fbFJbp8/vehicles \
  -X POST \
  -H "Method-Version: 2025-12-01" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_WyZEWVfTcH7GqmPzUPk65Vjc"
```

```json theme={null}
{
  "id": "evhl_QnT4mKxBfVpJ8",
  "entity_id": "ent_au22b1fbFJbp8",
  "vehicles": [
    {
      "vin": "7FARW2H83ME012345",
      "year": "2021",
      "make": "honda",
      "model": "cr-v",
      "series": null,
      "major_color": "blue",
      "style": "sport_utility_vehicle"
    }
  ],
  "status": "completed",
  "error": null,
  "created_at": "2025-09-15T15:05:00.000Z",
  "updated_at": "2025-09-15T15:05:00.000Z"
}
```

With vehicle data, your PFM app can display rich auto loan details, enable equity calculations (comparing vehicle value against remaining balance), and power features like insurance comparison or refinancing recommendations.

<Card title="Vehicles API Reference" icon="car" href="/reference/entities/vehicles/create">
  Full API documentation for the Vehicles endpoint.
</Card>

## What's Next

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Dashboard & Insights" icon="chart-mixed" href="/guides/use-cases/pfm/monitoring-insights">
    Pull real-time balances, credit scores, card brand art, and financial health attributes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Transactions & Payments" icon="money-bill-transfer" href="/guides/use-cases/pfm/transactions-payments">
    Stream credit card transactions and initiate bill payments.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>