Plaid

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Prerequisites

• Your Sure instance must be publicly accessible via HTTPS
• You need a valid domain with working SSL certificate
• You must be comfortable with technical configuration
• You should review Plaid’s terms of service for personal use

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Creating a Plaid account

1. Go to dashboard.plaid.com and register for a new account
2. Complete the registration process
3. Request production access based on your bank type (see below)

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Requesting production access

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For banks without OAuth

1. On the Home page, find “Learn how to build with Plaid” and click Unlock real data
2. Enter your real name and phone number
3. In the description box, write:

   This is for personal use only on a self-hosted version of the Sure Finance software. I am only using it to manage my finances, sync my bank accounts, track my spending, and create a budget.

4. Leave “Additional products” unchecked
5. Click Request Access
6. Wait for approval (may take more than 24 hours)

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For banks with OAuth

1. In the left sidebar, click Get production access
2. Enter your real address
3. For business profile, write:

   This is for personal use only on a self-hosted version of the Sure Finance software. I am only using it to manage my finances, sync my bank accounts, track my spending, and create a budget.

4. Leave company website blank
5. Enter your real name, phone number, email, and date of birth
6. Click Next
7. Indicate:
   • 0 employees
   • Your country of data access
   • You do not sell data
   • No security breach in past 12 months
8. Click Next
9. Select industry: Budgeting and financial management tools
10. Click Next
11. Enter any name for your application
12. Upload a logo (1024x1024px, under 4MB)
13. Leave brand color as #22CCEE
14. Set Website URL to: https://github.com/we-promise/sure
15. In “Reason for data access”, enter:

    This is for personal use only on a self-hosted version of the Sure Finance software. I am only using it to manage my finances, sync my bank accounts, track my spending, and create a budget.

16. Enter your real email as support email
17. Click Next
18. Enter your country for “Where do you want to launch?”
19. For products:
    • Payments: Check only Auth and Balance
    • Credit Underwriting: Leave all unchecked
    • Fraud & Compliance: Leave all unchecked
    • Financial Management: Check all products
20. Click Next
21. For use cases:
    • Payments: Select Consumer bill pay
    • Financial Management: Select Personal budgeting and financial advice for all products
22. Click Next
23. Select Pay As You Go plan
24. Click Next
25. Enter billing details and check agreement boxes
26. Click Next
27. Click Start Security Practices Questionnaire
28. For each question:
    • Select Other - please see comments
    • Write in notes:

      This is for personal use only on a self-hosted version of the Sure Finance software. I am only using it to manage my finances, sync my bank accounts, track my spending, and create a budget.

29. Continue through all sections, repeating step 28
30. Click Submit
31. Wait for approval (may take more than 24 hours)

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Configuring Sure

1. Go to dashboard.plaid.com/developers/api or click Developers > API
2. Click Configure next to Allowed redirect URIs
3. Click Add new URI
4. Enter your domain with /accounts appended (e.g., https://budget.yourdomain.com/accounts)
5. Click Save changes
6. Go to dashboard.plaid.com/developers/keys or click Developers > Keys
7. Copy your client_id and Production secret key

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Docker Compose configuration

PLAID_CLIENT_ID: ${PLAID_CLIENT_ID}
PLAID_SECRET: ${PLAID_SECRET}
PLAID_ENV: ${PLAID_ENV}

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Environment variables

PLAID_CLIENT_ID=ENTER_CLIENT_ID_FROM_PLAID_HERE
PLAID_SECRET=ENTER_SECRET_KEY_FROM_PLAID_HERE
PLAID_ENV=production  # Use 'production' for Full/Limited Production Access, or 'sandbox' for Sandbox Access

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Restart Sure

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Features

• US bank coverage: Comprehensive support for US financial institutions
• Real-time data: Access to account balances and transactions
• OAuth support: Secure authentication for supported banks
• Multiple accounts: Connect accounts from different institutions

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Pricing

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Limitations

• US-focused: Primarily supports US institutions, not available for European users
• Complex setup: Requires significant technical configuration
• TOS concerns: Personal use may violate Plaid’s terms of service
• Public accessibility: Requires publicly accessible HTTPS endpoint
• Long approval times: OAuth-enabled banks can take months to approve
• Technical expertise: Not recommended for non-technical users

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Alternatives

• SimpleFIN: Simpler setup, more affordable, US-focused
• Enable Banking: Free, EU-focused, easier setup
• Lunch Flow: Global coverage, paid service

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Support