> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developers.ingopayments.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Payment Methods
> Delivery speeds, use cases, and eligibility across every IngoPay payment type.
IngoPay supports push (credit) and pull (debit) transactions across eight payment types through a single verify → process architecture. The right payment type depends on your recipients' preferences, required delivery speed, and the nature of the disbursement. Many clients enable multiple types simultaneously — the integration scope remains the same regardless of how many you activate.
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## Push Payments — Send Funds to a Recipient
| Payment Type | Delivery Speed | Best For |
| --------------------------------------- | -------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Debit & Prepaid Card | Minutes | Gig worker pay, insurance claims, instant rebates, gaming payouts |
| Bank Account (ACH / Same-Day ACH / RTP) | Minutes to 3 business days | Payroll, large disbursements, unbanked-friendly use cases |
| PayPal | Minutes | Recipients who prefer digital wallets over bank accounts |
| Venmo | Minutes | Consumer-facing programs targeting younger demographics |
| Check by Mail | 3–7 business days | Recipients without bank accounts or digital wallets |
| BillPay | 1–3 business days | Directing disbursements toward a recipient's existing bills |
| Credit Card Balance Paydown | 1–3 business days | Reducing a recipient's credit card balance with their disbursement |
Push funds in minutes to any eligible Visa or Mastercard debit or prepaid card via Visa Direct and Mastercard Send. This is the fastest delivery method for recipients with a debit card and the most common choice for real-time disbursement programs such as gig economy payouts, earned wage access, and insurance claims settlement.
Transfer funds directly into a checking or savings account. Three delivery rails are available under the same verify → process flow — the rail is determined by the `account_type` value sent in the process request:
| Rail | `account_type` | Delivery Speed | Notes |
| ------------------ | -------------- | ----------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Standard ACH | `AC` | 1–3 business days | Broadest compatibility — virtually every U.S. bank account can receive an ACH credit |
| Same-Day ACH | `SD` | Same business day | Available for time-sensitive disbursements; subject to network cutoffs and amount limits |
| Real-Time Payments | `RT` | Minutes | Instant credit; availability depends on recipient bank participation in the RTP network |
ACH is the most broadly compatible choice. Same-Day ACH and RTP are ideal for programs where speed matters — earned wage access, emergency disbursements, and on-demand payouts.
Disburse to a recipient's PayPal or Venmo digital wallet. Both networks deliver funds in minutes. PayPal offers broader global reach; Venmo is predominantly used by U.S. consumers and tends to perform well in younger-demographic programs such as student refunds, gaming, and loyalty rewards.
Issue a physical check to any U.S. mailing address. While the slowest delivery option, check by mail remains the most accessible — reaching recipients who have no bank account, no debit card, and no digital wallet. Commonly offered as a fallback option in multi-rail programs to ensure 100% recipient coverage.
Enable recipients to direct a disbursement toward an existing bill — utilities, loans, healthcare, insurance premiums, and more — rather than receiving cash. Ingo routes the payment directly to the biller on the recipient's behalf. Particularly effective in healthcare, government benefits, and financial wellness programs where directing funds toward specific obligations is a program goal.
Enable recipients to direct a disbursement toward their credit card balance, reducing the amount they owe to the card issuer. Rather than receiving funds directly, the disbursement is routed to the card network on their behalf. Uses the same verify → process flow as all other IngoPay payment types.
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## Pull Payments — Collect Funds from a Recipient
| Payment Type | Settlement Speed | Best For |
| --------------------------------- | ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------ |
| Debit Card | Minutes | Instant collection at point of interaction |
| Bank Account (ACH / Same-Day ACH) | Same business day to 3 business days | Recurring collections, large amounts |
| Wire Transfer | Same day (domestic) | High-value, time-sensitive collections |
Pull funds from a debit card account in minutes using the same card token generated during verify. Commonly used in insurance premium collection, loan repayment, and any scenario where instant debit against a known card is preferred.
Pull funds from a checking or savings account via standard ACH (1–3 business days) or same-day ACH. The same `account_type` values used for push apply here — use `AC` for standard ACH or `SD` for same-day. The most common collection method for recurring programs, as the reusable token eliminates re-collecting account details on subsequent pulls.
Pull funds via domestic wire for high-value, time-sensitive collections. Wires settle the same business day when initiated before the network cutoff. Typically used in B2B scenarios, treasury operations, and large settlement flows.