> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.usepooler.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Recipient Management

> Understanding payment recipients and how to manage them in Pooler

Payment recipients are the individuals or businesses that receive payments through Pooler. This guide explains what recipients are, how they work, and how to manage them effectively.

## What are Recipients?

Recipients are payees - the people or businesses you send money to through Pooler. Before you can send a payment, you must create a recipient record with their payment account details. Once created, you can reuse recipient records for multiple payments.

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/pooler-7b8947fa/wPD9odAEA-5af3Zu/images/recipient-overview-diagram.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=wPD9odAEA-5af3Zu&q=85&s=b303fe90ffb5f6a53178d75ad530422d" alt="Recipient Overview Diagram" width="2312" height="1994" data-path="images/recipient-overview-diagram.png" />

### Benefits of Recipient Management

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Reusability" icon="repeat">
    Create once, use many times - save recipient details for future payments.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Verification" icon="shield-check">
    Recipients are verified to ensure account details are correct before payments.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Compliance" icon="file-shield">
    Store verified recipient information for compliance and audit purposes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Efficiency" icon="bolt">
    Send payments faster by referencing recipient IDs instead of entering details each time.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Error Prevention" icon="exclamation-triangle">
    Verified recipients reduce payment errors and failed transactions.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Tracking" icon="chart-line">
    Track payment history per recipient for better analytics.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Recipient Creation Flow

<Steps>
  <Step title="Collect Recipient Details">
    Gather all required recipient information from your customer or records.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create Recipient via API">
    Call the Create Recipient endpoint with recipient details.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Recipient Created">
    Recipient is created and assigned a unique recipient ID.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Use Recipient for Payments">
    Use the recipient ID when initiating payments to this recipient.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Recipient Management

### Updating Recipients

You can update recipient information if details change:

* Account number changes
* Account name updates
* Contact information updates
* Bank details changes

## Best Practices

<Tip>
  **Verify Before Payment**:

  * Always verify recipient status before sending payments to avoid failures.
  * Save recipient IDs in your database for easy reference.
  * Keep recipient information up to date, especially if account details change.
  * Store additional information in recipient metadata for your records.
  * Have a process for handling failed verifications and updating incorrect details.
</Tip>