Disconnect Your Bank Account in Plaid's App or Website

To remove a bank account from Plaid, log into your Plaid account on the web or mobile app, find the connected account in your list of linked institutions, and select the option to disconnect or remove it. The exact wording and location of this button varies slightly depending on whether you are using Plaid's own dashboard or accessing Plaid through a third-party app that uses Plaid's connection service — but the result is the same: Plaid stops holding your login credentials and stops syncing data from that account.

The disconnection happens on Plaid's side only. Removing an account from Plaid does not change your actual bank account, does not close it, and does not affect your bank's records. Your bank has no knowledge that you disconnected from Plaid. If you have given a third-party app (like a budgeting app or investment tracker) permission to access your account through Plaid, removing it from Plaid will also stop that app from seeing your data — but again, your bank account itself remains unchanged.

Key Takeaways

  • Disconnecting from Plaid removes Plaid's access to your bank login and account data, but does not close your bank account or notify your bank.
  • If you disconnect a bank account from Plaid, any third-party apps that were using Plaid to read that account will lose access to it.
  • You can remove an account from Plaid through Plaid's own dashboard or through the settings of the app that connected you to Plaid in the first place.
  • After you disconnect, Plaid deletes your stored login credentials, though some transaction history may remain in your account for a limited time.

Disconnect Through Plaid's Website or App

If you have a Plaid account and log in directly at plaid.com or through the Plaid mobile app, navigate to your connected institutions or linked accounts section. This is usually labeled "Accounts," "Connected Accounts," or "Institutions." Find the bank or financial institution you want to remove from the list.

Next to that institution, look for a menu icon (three dots), a settings gear, or a button labeled "Disconnect," "Remove," or "Unlink." Click or tap it. Plaid will ask you to confirm that you want to disconnect. Once you confirm, the account is removed from your Plaid dashboard. Plaid will stop storing your login credentials for that bank and will stop pulling new transaction data.

Disconnect Through a Third-Party App

Many people connect their bank accounts to Plaid not through Plaid's own app, but through another service — a budgeting app like Mint or YNAB, an investment tracker, a tax software, or a bill-pay service. If this is your situation, you can disconnect the account from within that app's settings instead of logging into Plaid directly.

Open the third-party app, go to settings or account preferences, and look for a section called "Connected Accounts," "Linked Banks," "Financial Institutions," or "Plaid." Find the bank account you want to remove and select the option to disconnect or unlink it. The app will then tell Plaid to revoke access. This approach is often easier because you do not have to remember a separate Plaid password or navigate an unfamiliar dashboard.

Disconnecting through the third-party app removes that app's access to your account data, but it does not necessarily remove the account from Plaid itself if you have other apps using the same connection. If you want to be thorough, log into Plaid directly afterward to confirm the account is gone from your Plaid dashboard as well.

What Happens to Your Data After Disconnection

When you disconnect a bank account from Plaid, Plaid immediately stops syncing new transactions and deletes your stored login credentials. You will not see new transactions from that account appear in any app that was using Plaid to read it.

Transaction history that Plaid already pulled and stored may remain visible in your Plaid account or in the third-party apps for a limited time — usually 30 to 90 days, depending on the app's own data retention policy. After that window, the historical data is deleted. Your actual bank records are unaffected; your bank keeps its own complete transaction history regardless of what Plaid does.

Reconnect the Same Account Later

If you disconnect a bank account from Plaid and later decide you want to reconnect it, you can do so at any time. Log back into Plaid or the third-party app, select the option to add or link a new account, and go through the connection process again. You will need to provide your bank login credentials again — Plaid does not retain them after disconnection.

Reconnecting does not restore old transaction history that was deleted after disconnection. The app will start pulling transactions from the date you reconnect forward. If you need historical data, check whether your bank's website or app lets you download or export transaction records directly.

Troubleshooting: Account Won't Disconnect

If you click the disconnect button and nothing happens, or if the account remains in your list after you confirm removal, try these steps. First, refresh the page or close and reopen the app. Sometimes the interface does not update immediately. Second, clear your browser cache or app cache and try again. Third, try disconnecting through the other route — if you were using the third-party app, log into Plaid directly, or vice versa.

If the account still will not disconnect, contact the support team for the app or service you are using. If you connected through Plaid's own dashboard, contact Plaid support. If you connected through a third-party app like Mint or YNAB, contact that app's support team. They can manually remove the connection on their end if the automated process is stuck.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does disconnecting from Plaid close my bank account?

No. Disconnecting from Plaid only removes Plaid's access to your account. Your bank account remains open and active. Your bank has no record of the disconnection and continues to operate your account normally.

Will my bank know I disconnected from Plaid?

No. Your bank does not know you were ever connected to Plaid in the first place. Plaid is a third-party service that you authorized separately. Disconnecting from Plaid is between you and Plaid; your bank is not involved.

If I disconnect, will the apps using Plaid still work?

The apps will still work, but they will no longer be able to see your bank account data. Any features that depend on reading your transactions — like automatic categorization, balance tracking, or bill reminders — will stop working for that account. You can reconnect later to restore access.

Can I remove just one account if I have multiple banks connected to Plaid?

Yes. You can disconnect individual accounts one at a time. Removing one bank does not affect your other connected accounts. They will continue to sync normally.

What if I forget which apps are connected to Plaid?

Log into your Plaid account and look at the list of connected institutions and apps. Plaid shows you which third-party services have access to each account. You can disconnect any of them individually from that view.