# Bank Transfers
source: https://developer.mastercard.com/mastercard-gateway/documentation/payment-methods/alt-pay-methods/bank-transfer/index.md

Bank Transfer Payments are an alternative payment method available through the Mastercard Gateway that allows merchants, payment service providers, acquirers, and software vendors to accept payments directly from customer bank accounts.

Bank Transfer Payments:

* Support bank account payment initiation, payment status tracking, and transaction lifecycle management.
* Enable customers to transfer funds from a bank account to a merchant account through supported banking networks and payment providers.
* Support online commerce, invoice payments, business payments, and account-based payment acceptance.
* Enable merchants to expand payment choice while maintaining a consistent Mastercard Gateway integration model.
* Supports transaction creation, transaction retrieval, refund processing, and payment reconciliation through Mastercard Gateway APIs.
* Can be used alongside card payments, digital wallets, voucher payments, and other alternative payment methods available through the Mastercard Gateway.   

Use Bank Transfer Payments when you need to accept direct bank account payments through a gateway-managed payment experience.

## Recommended paths {#recommended-paths}

Select the path that matches your role and integration requirements.

|                                 If you are a...                                  |                          Then focus on...                          |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
| **Acquirer**, a bank or acquiring institution that enables merchants             | Configuring Bank Transfer Payments across your merchant portfolio. |
| **Payment service provider**, a PSP, aggregator, or payment facilitator          | Integrating Bank Transfer Payments across multiple merchants.      |
| **Enterprise merchant**, a large merchant integrating directly with Gateway APIs | Using Bank Transfer Payments in your checkout experience.          |
| **Software vendor**, an ISV embedding payment flows into platforms               | Embedding Bank Transfer Payments in your platform.                 |

## Learn more {#learn-more}

Explore these topics for additional information:

* [Integration models and payment workflows](https://developer.mastercard.com/mastercard-gateway/documentation/build/index.md)
* [Supported payment methods](https://developer.mastercard.com/mastercard-gateway/documentation/payment-methods/index.md)
* [API reference](https://developer.mastercard.com/mastercard-gateway/documentation/api-reference/index.md)

## Versions {#versions}

These versions apply to Bank Transfer.

|             If you need...              |                                       Then...                                        |
|-----------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| **To integrate to an API**              | Use Version 100 of the Mastercard Gateway API for all new integrations.              |
| **Support for an existing integration** | Refer to each Bank Transfer method documentation for minimum supported API versions. |

## FAQs {#faqs}

Bank Transfer Payments allow customers to authorize payment from a bank account through a supported banking network or payment provider. Bank Transfer Payments can be supported through Hosted Checkout and Direct API integrations when Bank Transfer Payments are enabled for the merchant. Bank Transfer Payments can help merchants support customers who prefer bank account payments. They can expand payment acceptance options and support alternative payment strategies.