In the world of mobile applications, financial data integration has become a crucial feature for many applications. The Plaid Link SDK allows developers to easily and securely connect to bank accounts in their Android apps. In this article, we will walk you through the steps on how to integrate the Plaid Link SDK using both Kotlin and Java.

Getting Started

To build the sample application, you will need a Plaid account. If you don’t have one, you can create it on Plaid’s website.

Step 1: Register Your App ID

• Log into your Plaid Dashboard at the API page.
• Under Allowed Android package names, click Configure and then Add New Android Package Name.
• Enter the sample app package name: com.plaid.linksample.
• Click Save Changes. You may be prompted to re-enter your password.

Step 2: Generate a Link Token

To create a new link_token, you have two options:

Option 2a: Generate a Link Token Manually

• Clone the sample repository.
• Use Curl to call the linktokencreate to create a new link_token.
• Copy and paste the link_token into the Kotlin or Java `LinkTokenRequesters.getToken()` function.

Option 2b: Run the Token Server

• Install npm using the instructions from npm installation.
• Copy your client id and secret from your Plaid Dashboard.
• Run .start_server.sh $CLIENT_ID $SECRET but replace client_id and secret with values from your dashboard account.
• Your server will now be running on localhost:8000.

Step 3: Run the Sample Application

Now that you have set everything up, it’s time to run the sample application!

Features

The Plaid Link SDK offers various features, including:

• Integration of Plaid Link SDK in build.gradle files.
• Link token configuration and Plaid initialization.
• Kotlin and Java sample Activity demonstrating how to start Link and receive results.
• Use of OpenPlaidLink ActivityResultContract for easy handling of Link results.
• _Optional_ utilization of LinkEventListener to capture events from Link.

For more information on all the Plaid Link SDK features, check out our main documentation.

Releases and Upgrades

You can stay updated about the release history by checking our change log. Plaid releases updates to the SDK approximately every few months. To ensure the best user experience, always use the latest version of the SDK.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter any issues during integration, here are some troubleshooting ideas:

• Ensure that the package name in the Plaid Dashboard matches the package name in your code.
• Double-check your client id and secret, and confirm you are using the correct API keys.
• Make sure that your token server is running on localhost:8000 before launching the app.
• If you have any further queries, visit the Plaid Android Documentation.

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Conclusion

Integrating the Plaid Link SDK into your Android application offers you a gateway to connect users with their bank accounts seamlessly. By following the outlined steps, you can effectively set up this functionality with ease.

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