Plaid MCP Server (Python)

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for integrating with Plaid's API in sandbox mode. This server provides tools for linking bank accounts, retrieving transactions, balances, and account information.

Features

• Create Link tokens for Plaid Link initialization
• Exchange public tokens for access tokens
• Retrieve account information
• Fetch transactions within date ranges
• Get real-time balance information

Prerequisites

• Python 3.10 or higher
• pip or uv package manager
• Plaid account with sandbox credentials

Setup

1. Get Plaid Credentials

• Sign up at Plaid Dashboard
• Navigate to Developers > Keys
• Copy your client_id and sandbox secret

2. Install Dependencies

Using pip:

pip install -e .

Or using uv (faster):

uv pip install -e .

3. Configure Environment

cp .env.example .env

Edit .env and add your credentials:

PLAID_CLIENT_ID=your_client_id_here
PLAID_SECRET=your_sandbox_secret_here

Usage

Running the Server

python -m plaid_mcp_server.server

Or if installed:

plaid-mcp-server

Getting a Sandbox Access Token

For testing, run the sandbox setup script:

python sandbox_setup.py

This will create a test Plaid item and give you an access token to use with the MCP tools.

Available Tools

1. create_link_token

Create a Link token for initializing Plaid Link.

Parameters:

• user_id (required): Unique ID for the user
• client_name (required): Name of your application
• products (optional): Array of products (default: ["transactions"])
• country_codes (optional): Array of country codes (default: ["US"])
• language (optional): Language code (default: "en")

2. exchange_public_token

Exchange a public token for an access token.

Parameters:

• public_token (required): Public token from Plaid Link

3. get_accounts

Retrieve account information.

Parameters:

• access_token (required): Access token for the linked item

4. get_transactions

Fetch transactions within a date range.

Parameters:

• access_token (required): Access token for the linked item
• start_date (required): Start date (YYYY-MM-DD)
• end_date (required): End date (YYYY-MM-DD)

5. get_balance

Get real-time balance information.

Parameters:

• access_token (required): Access token for the linked item

Testing in Sandbox

The server is configured to use Plaid's sandbox environment. Use these test credentials when testing with Plaid Link:

• Username: user_good
• Password: pass_good

See Plaid's Sandbox Guide for more test credentials and scenarios.

Development

Project Structure

plaid-mcp-python/
├── src/
│   └── plaid_mcp_server/
│       ├── __init__.py
│       └── server.py          # Main MCP server implementation
├── sandbox_setup.py            # Script to create test access tokens
├── requirements.txt            # Python dependencies
├── pyproject.toml             # Project metadata and build config
├── .env.example               # Environment variables template
└── README.md

Code Style

This implementation follows Python best practices:

• Type hints for better IDE support and type checking
• Async/await for concurrent operations
• Proper error handling with specific exceptions
• PEP 8 style guide compliance
• Docstrings for all modules and functions

Connecting to Claude Desktop

To use this MCP server with Claude Desktop, add the following to your Claude Desktop config:

MacOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "plaid": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "plaid_mcp_server.server"],
      "cwd": "/absolute/path/to/plaid-mcp-python",
      "env": {
        "PLAID_CLIENT_ID": "your_client_id_here",
        "PLAID_SECRET": "your_sandbox_secret_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Or if using uv:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "plaid": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": ["run", "plaid-mcp-server"],
      "cwd": "/absolute/path/to/plaid-mcp-python",
      "env": {
        "PLAID_CLIENT_ID": "your_client_id_here",
        "PLAID_SECRET": "your_sandbox_secret_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

After updating the config, restart Claude Desktop.

License

MIT