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

# Withdraw to safeguarding

> Move excess liquidity out of a settlement account to your registered safeguarding account.

## Overview

A withdrawal moves funds out of the settlement account of a scheme to one of your registered safeguarding accounts, for example to keep end-of-day balances under the maximum holding amount of your clearing system. It is executed as a regular SEPA payment (SCT or SCT Inst), so it appears in your payments as well as in your liquidity transfers.

Withdrawals are available for CENTROlink and EKS settlement accounts. SWIFT and T2 are not supported.

## Step 1: Register your accounts

Register at least one operational account and one safeguarding account, either in the dashboard under **Settings > Liquidity** or with [Add bank account](/payments/api/nostro/liquidity-bank-accounts/create-liquidity-bank-account):

```bash theme={null}
curl -X POST https://{host}/v1/liquidity/bank-accounts \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer {token}" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "accountType": "SAFEGUARDING",
    "iban": "DE89370400440532013000",
    "accountName": "Example Ltd safeguarding"
  }'
```

| Type | What it is | Validation |
| - | - | - |
| `OPERATIONAL` | IBAN used as the debtor of the withdrawal payment. It identifies you as the sender; the funds are taken from the settlement account | Must be held under one of your BICs |
| `SAFEGUARDING` | Account the withdrawal is paid to | Its BIC must be resolvable from the IBAN |

The account name is used as the debtor or creditor name of the payment. Only EUR is supported. You register accounts once and reuse them; a withdrawal can only be paid to a registered safeguarding account.

## Step 2: Initiate the withdrawal

```bash theme={null}
curl -X POST https://{host}/v1/nostro-accounts/transfers \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer {token}" \
  -H "Idempotency-Key: 9a8b7c6d-5e4f-4a3b-2c1d-0e9f8a7b6c5d" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "transferType": "SAFEGUARDING",
    "paymentScheme": "SEPACT",
    "debtorAccount": "LT121020100000000099",
    "creditorAccount": "DE89370400440532013000",
    "amount": 2500000,
    "currency": "EUR"
  }'
```

| Field | Description |
| - | - |
| `transferType` | `SAFEGUARDING` |
| `paymentScheme` | `SEPACT` or `SEPAINST`. Decides which settlement account is debited and how fast the payment settles. Required for withdrawals |
| `debtorAccount` | A registered operational account |
| `creditorAccount` | A registered safeguarding account |
| `amount` | Amount in minor units (`2500000` = 25,000.00 EUR) |
| `purpose` | Optional, up to 140 characters. Purpose of the payment; defaults to `Transfer to safeguarding account` when absent or blank |
| `Idempotency-Key` header | Required. Repeating a request with the same key returns the original transfer |

The platform creates the payment with that purpose and debits the settlement account of the selected scheme for the operational account's BIC. The request is refused if:

* the operational or safeguarding account is not registered
* the BIC has no settlement account for that scheme, or more than one
* the settlement account balance does not cover the amount

## Step 3: Track the withdrawal

The withdrawal appears in [Get liquidity transfers](/payments/api/nostro/get-nostro-account-liquidity-transfer-list) with `transferType: SAFEGUARDING`, and the payment it created is linked in `paymentTransactionId`. The transfer status follows the payment:

| Payment status | Transfer status |
| - | - |
| `CREATED`, `TO_SIGN`, `SIGNED` | `CREATED` |
| `SENT_TO_CLEAR` | `SENT_TO_CLEAR` |
| `ACCEPTED` | `ACCEPTED` |
| `COMPLETED` | `COMPLETED` |
| `REJECTED`, `CANCELLED` | `REJECTED` |

<Note>
  If 4-eyes signing is enabled for your organisation, the payment waits in `TO_SIGN` until it is signed, and nothing is sent to the clearing system before that.
</Note>

## Cut-offs

A withdrawal is a regular payment, so the cut-offs of its scheme apply. SCT payments settle in the next clearing cycle; SCT Inst payments settle within seconds, provided the safeguarding account's bank is reachable for instant payments.


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