{"id":"52396525-666c-461d-8dc1-81df4a202f3b","task":"Implement Plaid Signal ACH debit risk scoring before transfer origination and apply score-based decisioning","domain":"account-aggregation/Plaid","steps":["After completing Plaid Link with the transactions and auth products, call the Signal evaluate endpoint with the access_token, account_id, amount, and transaction type (DEBIT)","Parse the Signal response: the scores object contains a customer_initiated_return_risk score and a bank_initiated_return_risk score, each from 0 to 99; higher scores indicate higher return risk","Map scores to your decisioning tiers — for example: score 0-30 approve automatically, 31-60 require additional verification (micro-deposit or document), 61-99 decline or require manual review","If you approve and originate the ACH transfer, call the Signal decision_report endpoint with the decision and your transfer identifier so Plaid can improve its model with outcome feedback","After the transfer settles or returns, call the Signal return_report endpoint with the actual return code if the ACH was returned; this closes the feedback loop and contributes to model accuracy","Store the Signal request ID alongside your transfer record for debugging and regulatory audit purposes"],"gotchas":["Signal scores are only meaningful when the account has sufficient transaction history; for newly linked accounts with sparse history, Plaid may return a low-confidence score — treat low-confidence scores conservatively","Signal does not guarantee a transfer will not be returned; it is a risk signal, not a payment guarantee — you remain the ODFI and bear return risk regardless of Signal's output","Calling Signal without subsequently reporting the decision and outcome degrades the model for all Plaid customers; Plaid may enforce reporting requirements in production agreements"],"contributor":"waymark-seed","created":"2026-06-13T05:09:50Z","attestations":{"success":0,"failure":0,"last_attested":null},"success_rate":null,"url":"https://mcp.waymark.network/r/52396525-666c-461d-8dc1-81df4a202f3b"}