Two approaches to financial data
ClearStaq: Document-First
Applicants upload bank statement PDFs. ClearStaq extracts every transaction, detects document fraud with 27 signals, and categorizes income — all without requiring the applicant to log into their bank.
Plaid: Connection-First
Plaid connects directly to the applicant's bank through open banking APIs. Data flows in real-time — balances, transactions, identity verification. Clean, structured data without documents.
When ClearStaq is the better choice
Plaid is great for consumer fintech. But for lending, underwriting, and compliance — documents still dominate.
Applicants won't connect their bank accounts
Many MCA applicants and small business owners are uncomfortable sharing bank credentials with a third party. Statement uploads are the established workflow — and ClearStaq processes them in seconds.
You need document fraud detection
Plaid pulls verified data from banks — but it can't tell you if the PDF the applicant also submitted was manipulated. ClearStaq's 27-signal analysis catches document fraud that API connections can't see.
Historical data beyond API limits
Plaid typically provides 12-24 months of history. When underwriting requires more, or when older statements are submitted as PDFs, ClearStaq processes them all with the same accuracy.
Compliance requires document retention
Regulated lenders often need to keep the original statement documents. ClearStaq processes these documents as part of the workflow — not as an afterthought.
Feature comparison
| Feature | ClearStaq | Plaid |
|---|---|---|
| Bank statement document parsing | ||
| Direct bank account connections | ||
| PDF/image processing | ||
| 27-signal fraud detection | ||
| AI income verification | Limited | |
| Works without customer login | ||
| Real-time balance checks | ||
| Identity verification | ||
| Document manipulation detection | ||
| Historical statement analysis | Unlimited months | 24 months typical |
| Scanned document support | ||
| 900+ bank formats | 12,000+ institutions | |
| Processing speed | <5 seconds | Real-time |
| Works with your existing tools | ||
| Transparent pricing | $149/mo | Per-connection |
| No third-party bank login |
What teams are saying
Real results from lending teams who made the switch.
“ClearStaq cut our underwriting prep time from 45 minutes to under 2. The fraud detection alone paid for itself in the first week.”
Operations Director
MCA Brokerage
Switched from Plaid
“We switched from Plaid and haven't looked back. It's easy to use, the results are accurate, and we can actually see what we're paying.”
VP of Operations
Commercial Lender
Switched from Plaid
“Processing 200+ statements a day used to require a team of 4. Now it's automated. That's not an exaggeration.”
VP Operations
Equipment Finance
Switched from Plaid
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Upload a bank statement
Drag and drop any PDF — we handle the rest automatically.
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Full financial breakdown, fraud score, and income verification in seconds.
Platform
Explore ClearStaq features
Everything you need to process statements, catch fraud, and verify income — in one platform.
Bank Statement Parsing
Extract transactions, balances & account data from any PDF.
Fraud Detection
27+ checks to catch manipulated documents before they cost you.
Income Verification
Automated income & expense analysis for faster underwriting.
For MCA Brokers
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