Why can’t I find the Plaid micro-deposit verification code for my Etsy bank account?

Question

I’m setting up my Etsy shop payments and trying to verify my bank account through Plaid using the manual routing and account number option. I received a $0.01 micro-deposit in my bank account, but I don’t see any 3-digit verification code or identifier attached to the transaction.

Where am I supposed to find the verification code for the Plaid deposit, and what should I do if my bank only shows the deposit amount with no code?

Çağla Çağlar · Answer

Hi! With Plaid’s manual (micro-deposit) verification on Etsy, the “code” usually isn’t shown as a separate field next to the $0.01 amount—it’s typically embedded in the **transaction description / memo / details** of that deposit (often a short 3‑letter code), and some banks don’t display that descriptor until the deposit is fully **posted/settled**.

If your bank only shows “$0.01 deposit” with no identifier, try this:
- **Make sure you’re looking at the posted transaction, not “pending.”** A lot of banks hide ACH descriptors while pending.
- Open the deposit and look for **Details / Description / Memo / Reference / ACH info / Transaction ID** (sometimes it’s visible on desktop web banking but not in the mobile app).
- Check your **monthly statement view** (PDF/statement history) or **download transactions (CSV/QFX)**—those sometimes include the full ACH description even when the app doesn’t.
- If it’s still missing, **call your bank** and ask them to read you the **full ACH transaction description** for that $0.01 micro-deposit (tell them it’s a micro-deposit verification and you need the “descriptor/memo/reference,” not the amount).

If none of that works, it’s usually because your bank (or an intermediary like PayPal/Cash App in some setups) is **stripping or replacing the ACH description**, so Plaid’s code never reaches what you can see. In that case, your best options are:
1) **Retry the verification** inside Etsy Payments (it may generate a new deposit/descriptor that shows correctly), or  
2) **Use a different checking account/bank** that shows full ACH descriptors, or  
3) If Etsy gives you the option, switch back to **instant verification** (logging into the bank) instead of micro-deposits.

One important heads-up: Etsy gives a limited window to finish verification (and your shop can be paused/suspended if it isn’t completed), so if the descriptor still isn’t showing after you’ve checked “posted” + statement/desktop view, I’d move quickly to calling the bank or swapping to another bank account.