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At Esusu, we believe income verification should be both rigorous and frictionless. Today, we are excited to share that Esusu Identity Services, formerly Celeri, now supports Plaid bank linking as a new option within Income Verification.
That means applicants now have two ways to complete proof of income:
- Upload documents such as pay stubs or bank statements
- Securely connect a bank account through Plaid
For property managers and operators, this creates a more flexible verification workflow powered by verified first-party financial data, reducing the need to manually analyze uploaded income documents. For applicants, it creates a faster and more convenient experience. And for Esusu, it is another step forward in building a smarter, more modern screening stack for housing.
Why this matters now
Income verification has become one of the most important parts of the screening process. At the same time, it has also become one of the most vulnerable. Esusu’s current Income Verification product helps property managers confirm prospective renters’ income with speed and confidence, reducing manual review of pay stubs and bank statements and helping teams make faster decisions.
Document-based verification remains an effective option, and Esusu is designed to make that experience as user-friendly as possible. We provide a streamlined verification flow, clear guidance for applicants, and hands-on renter support to help troubleshoot issues when they arise.
At the same time, some applicants may prefer an alternative to gathering and uploading files.
Uploading files can become a more difficult and slow process when applicants:
- Do not have the right documents ready
- Only have screenshots, photos, or incomplete files
- Need follow-up because the submission does not meet property requirements
Giving applicants the option to connect a bank account through Plaid helps remove that friction and gives leasing teams another reliable path to verify income.
A new option inside Esusu Income Verification
With this launch, applicants can now choose the verification path that works best for them.
They can still follow the familiar document route by uploading pay stubs or bank statements. Or, if they prefer, they can securely connect their financial accounts through Plaid so Esusu can retrieve relevant financial information directly, without relying only on uploaded PDFs.
This new capability is important because flexibility improves completion.
Some applicants prefer document upload. Others would rather avoid digging through files and connect an account instead. By offering both options in the same Income Verification experience, Esusu helps operators support more applicants without compromising verification quality.
How Plaid bank linking works in the applicant experience
The experience is designed to be simple.
On the income verification page, applicants can see both available options when enabled:
- Upload proof of income documents
- Connect bank accounts through Plaid
If the applicant chooses bank linking, they are guided through a secure Plaid flow to connect their institution. From there, Esusu can use linked financial data to support income verification. If the applicant prefers not to link an account, they can continue with document upload instead.
That flexibility matters in the real world. Open banking can be powerful, but not every applicant will want to use it, and not every verification flow should depend on a single method. Esusu’s approach is to give operators a stronger workflow, not a more brittle one.
Why Plaid Bank Linking is a strong fit for the EIS pillar
Esusu Identity Services exists to help operators verify income, identity, and applicant legitimacy with more confidence. Within that pillar, Income Verification is already built to catch edited or falsified pay stubs, bank statements, and other proof-of-income documents using AI-powered analysis.
Plaid bank linking expands that vision.
Now, instead of depending only on uploaded documents, Esusu can support a more modern verification experience that combines:
- Traditional proof-of-income uploads
- Secure account linking through Plaid
- A single workflow built for multifamily operators
This makes the product more adaptable to the way applicants actually behave today, while reinforcing Esusu’s broader commitment to more trusted, efficient housing infrastructure.
A smarter future for income verification
Fraud is evolving, and leasing workflows need to evolve with it. Esusu’s answer is not to force every applicant down one path. It is to build verification experiences that are more flexible, more automated, and easier to complete.
By making Plaid bank linking available inside Esusu Income Verification, we are giving property managers a stronger workflow and applicants a better experience. That is good for conversion, good for operations, and good for the future of rental screening.
If you’d like to see how Plaid bank linking fits into Esusu Income Verification, talk to sales.