Circle Payment APIs: Overview

Businesses leverage Circle’s Core API and Payment APIs to connect to banks and digital wallets and to enable global payments, using USDC.

Note:The Circle Payment APIs are limited to eligible enterprise customers that mint USDC at scale using their Circle Account.

Mint and Redeem USDC

A Circle Account enables you to deposit traditional money from more than 80 countries and convert it into USDC, or digital currency dollars. You can also use USDC for everyday payments and treasury flows. This core set of APIs allow you to accomplish the following:

• Transfer digital currency (USDC) in and out of your Circle Account.
• Register your business bank accounts, if any.
• Transfer funds to or from your business bank account, seamlessly converting them between digital currency and traditional fiat.

➡ Learn more about Circle's core API functionality.
➡ Read the quickstart guide on sending account funds externally.

Three APIs for Moving Money On-Chain

Circle Account customers can use the Payments, Payouts, and Accounts APIs to manage their Circle Account in a programmatic way.

Accept crypto payments

Accept USDC and other digital asset payments natively via supported blockchains. Learn More

Make crypto payouts

Send fast, low-cost payouts to your customers, vendors, and suppliers. Pay directly via crypto.
Learn More

Manage account balances

Create and manage USDC, BTC, and ETH balances for your global customer base with our flexible, reliable accounts infrastructure.
Learn More

❗️

Available for eligible Circle Account customers only.

Circle Payments API

The Circle Payments API allows you to accept USDC and other crypto deposits from your customers.

With the Circle Payments API you can:

• Take USDC payments directly through on-chain transfers.
• Support customers worldwide.

➡ Read the quick start guide on processing payments notifications.

Circle Payouts API

The Circle Payouts API allows you to send payouts to customers, vendors, or suppliers directly using crypto payouts.

Fund payouts in USDC using your Circle Account, which can receive deposits from both traditional and blockchain payment rails.

➡ Learn more about the Circle Payouts API.
➡ Read the quickstart guide on issuing payouts.

Circle Accounts API

The Circle Accounts API allows you to easily create and manage accounts and balances for your customers. Use it to execute transfers of funds across accounts, which can be within the Circle platform or outside of it, thanks to on-chain USDC connectivity.

Our API eliminates the complexity usually associated with custody and security of digital assets, blockchain address management, and transaction fees.

With the Circle Accounts API you can:

• Embed US Dollar-denominated accounts into your product or service without the hassle of legacy bank account structures.
• Manage multi-asset accounts infrastructures for your customers that offer seamless fund transfers, including hosted accounts and on-chain USDC connectivity.
• Accept USDC deposits with minimum cost and no exposure to reversals.
• Support BTC and ETH balances in addition to USDC.
• Manage customer accounts across 150+ countries
• Benefit from Circle's extensive experience supporting over 10 million digital account customers, $5B in digital asset custody, and hundreds of billions of dollars in transactions.

➡ Learn more about the Circle Accounts API.
➡ Read the quickstart guide on sending funds externally.
➡ Read the quickstart guide on receiving external funds.
➡ Read the quickstart guide on swapping USDC across blockchains.

Ready for the next step?

After experimenting with our APIs, you’ll want to start building test integrations in sandbox prior to moving into production. Start by applying for a Circle Account. We'll be happy to walk you through the next steps.