> ## 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.

# Payments

> How Method moves money to pay down debt.

## Payments — Moving Money to Pay Down Debt

### What Payments Enable

Payments are where Method's platform closes the loop from data to action. After discovering a user's liabilities and retrieving their current account data, Payments enable your application to actually move money — initiating paydowns from your platform's corporate funding account to your users' creditors.

This is the capability that transforms Method from a data platform into a complete debt management infrastructure. Without Payments, you can show users what they owe. With Payments, you can help them do something about it.

### What's Required Before a Payment Can Be Made

<Steps>
  <Step title="A verified Entity">
    The user must complete [identity verification](/guides/identity-verification/overview).
  </Step>

  <Step title="A destination liability account">
    A supported liability Account, typically discovered through [Connect](/guides/connect/overview), identifies where Method sends the funds.
  </Step>

  <Step title="A configured funding flow">
    Method configures FBO funding or Per-Payment funding during implementation. Compare them in [Flow of Funds Setup](/guides/payments/flow-of-funds).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Webhook handling">
    Payment processing is asynchronous. Consume [webhooks](/guides/platform-fundamentals#real-time-notifications-via-webhook-events) to track status changes.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Payment Processing and Timing

Method uses the supported delivery method for each destination. Funding follows the configured flow; destination delivery uses the same Payment lifecycle.

Processing typically takes 2–3 business days, but creditor posting times vary. Track webhooks and avoid promising an exact posting date. See [Flow of Funds Setup](/guides/payments/flow-of-funds) for the standard funding flows and cutoff.


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