Send a Bank Transfer via POST /disbursements/initialize

Use this endpoint to send a bank transfer (disbursement) from your Paylink merchant balance to any supported bank account. Each transfer is identified by a unique reference you supply. The transfer is processed asynchronously — use GET /disbursements/verify/{reference} or your configured webhook to track the final outcome.

Before submitting a transfer, use POST /banks/resolve to confirm the destination account name matches your intended recipient. See Resolve Account.

POST https://sandbox.lyseis-pay.com/disbursements/initialize

Headers

Header	Value
`X-Key-Id`	Your merchant key ID
`X-Timestamp`	Unix timestamp of the request
`X-Signature`	HMAC request signature
`Content-Type`	`application/json`

Request body

string

required

Full name of the transfer recipient.

string

required

Email address of the transfer recipient. Used for notifications and record-keeping.

string

required

A unique reference you assign to this transfer. Used to verify status and to identify the transfer in webhook payloads. Must be unique across all your transfer requests.

number

required

Amount to transfer in the specified currency.

string

required

ISO 4217 currency code (e.g. NGN). Must be a currency supported by your merchant account.

string

required

Bank code of the recipient’s bank. Use GET /banks to retrieve a list of valid codes. See List Banks.

string

required

Recipient’s bank account number.

string

required

Human-readable name of the recipient’s bank (e.g. "Example Bank").

string

A short description of the transfer that may appear on the recipient’s bank statement.

object

An arbitrary key-value object for storing additional information alongside the transfer record (e.g. internal IDs, order references). Not sent to the bank.

string

A URL on your server to which Paylink will POST the transfer result when it reaches a terminal state. Overrides the default webhook URL configured in your merchant dashboard for this transfer only.

Example request

{
  "customer_name": "Ada Lovelace",
  "customer_email": "ada@example.com",
  "reference": "payout_12345",
  "amount": 10000.00,
  "currency": "NGN",
  "destination_bank_code": "058",
  "destination_bank_account": "0123456789",
  "destination_bank_name": "Example Bank",
  "narration": "Merchant payout",
  "metadata": {
    "payout_id": "12345"
  },
  "webhook_url": "https://merchant.example.com/webhooks/transfers"
}

Example response

{
  "status": "success",
  "message": "Transfer initiated successfully",
  "data": {
    "reference": "payout_12345",
    "amount": 10000.00,
    "currency": "NGN",
    "destination_bank_code": "058",
    "destination_bank_account": "0123456789",
    "destination_bank_name": "Example Bank",
    "narration": "Merchant payout",
    "status": "processing",
    "created_at": "2026-01-15T10:00:00Z"
  }
}

Error reference

HTTP status	Error message	Resolution
`409`	Insufficient funds	Your merchant balance does not cover the transfer amount. Top up your balance and retry.

Payments

Virtual Accounts

Direct Debits

Refunds

Transfers

Banks

Send a Bank Transfer via POST /disbursements/initialize

Request body

Example request

Example response

Error reference

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Example request

Example response

Error reference