---
title: "Roles for API credentials"
description: "Learn what roles your API credential needs to perform an action"
url: "https://docs.adyen.com/payouts/payout-service/manage-access/webservice-roles"
source_url: "https://docs.adyen.com/payouts/payout-service/manage-access/webservice-roles.md"
canonical: "https://docs.adyen.com/payouts/payout-service/manage-access/webservice-roles"
last_modified: "2023-05-03T10:25:00+02:00"
language: "en"
---

# Roles for API credentials

Learn what roles your API credential needs to perform an action

[View source](/payouts/payout-service/manage-access/webservice-roles.md)

API credentials use web service (ws) roles to define exactly which actions you can perform. While Adyen assigns a set of default roles when your company account is created, you may need to enable additional [roles](/payouts/payout-service/manage-access/api-credentials-web-service/#api-permissions) in your [Customer Area](https://ca-test.adyen.com/) to unlock specific [Configuration API](https://docs.adyen.com/api-explorer/balanceplatform/latest/overview) or [Transfers API](https://docs.adyen.com/api-explorer/transfers/latest/overview) functionality. These roles specify what API requests a user can perform with this credential.

## Requirements

Before you begin, take into account the following requirements, limitations, and preparations.

| Requirement                                                    | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| -------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Integration type**                                           | You must have the [Adyen for Platforms](/platforms/) integration.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| **[API credentials](/development-resources/api-credentials/)** | You must have a [Balance Platform API key](/platforms/manage-access/api-credentials-web-service?tab=create-ws_1) (for example, **ws\[\_123456]@BalancePlatform.\[YourBalancePlatform]**) to access the [Configuration API](https://docs.adyen.com/api-explorer/balanceplatform/latest/overview) and [Transfers API](https://docs.adyen.com/api-explorer/transfers/latest/overview). |

## Frequently used roles

The following table shows roles that you use to make requests related to fund transfers.

| Web service role                         | Description                                                                                                                         |
| ---------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Bank Transfer Initiation Webservice role | You can initiate transfers.This is only available for Transfers API [v1](https://docs.adyen.com/api-explorer/transfers/1/overview). |
| TransferService Webservice Initiate role | You can initiate transfers.                                                                                                         |
| TransferService Webservice Retrieve role | You can view initiated transfers.                                                                                                   |

## See also

* [Manage access for your team](/platforms/manage-access)
