You can top up your Dext Payments GBP wallet directly from your bank account using Open Banking. Dext uses Plaid to connect securely to your bank — you authorise the payment in your own banking app, and the funds are added to your wallet once your bank confirms the transfer.
Important: Open Banking wallet top-ups are currently in Beta and available for UK bank accounts supported by Plaid, our open banking provider. Behaviour may change before general release.
Before you start
To top up your wallet using Open Banking, you need:
Access to Dext Payments
An active Dext Payments GBP wallet
A UK bank account that supports Open Banking payments
Important: Not all banks support Open Banking payments. If your bank isn't listed during the top-up flow, use the manual bank transfer option instead — go to Dext Payments: Wallets for details.
Top up your wallet from the Wallet page
To add funds to your Dext Payments wallet, go to the Wallet tab in Payments and follow these steps.
Go to Payments.
Open the Wallet tab.
Select Add or request funds. The Instant Payment tab is selected by default.
Enter the amount you want to add to your wallet. The minimum top-up amount is £1.
Use Select bank to open the bank list.
Choose your bank from the list of supported providers.
Dext redirects you to your bank to authorise the payment. Depending on your bank and device, you may:
Be redirected directly to your banking app
Scan a QR code to continue authorisation on your mobile device
Complete the payment in your online banking portal
Review and authorise the payment in your bank.
Once your bank confirms the payment, Dext redirects you back to Dext Payments.
After authorisation, Dext shows a confirmation screen, and you'll receive an email confirming the deposit has been initiated. In most cases, funds are added to your wallet quickly once your bank authorises the payment, but the timing is controlled by your bank and can vary.
Note: While your deposit is being processed, Dext shows any pending top-ups in the Wallet tab. You can see the total amount processing and what your wallet balance will be once processing completes.
Top up your wallet when a payment run has insufficient funds
If you try to process a payment run and your wallet doesn't have enough funds, Dext notifies you before the payment is processed. From the notification, you can either add funds yourself or request funds from a Payments admin.
Add funds yourself
Select Add funds when Dext shows the insufficient funds notification.
Dext takes you to the Wallet tab, where you can see your current balance.
Follow the steps in Top up your wallet from the Wallet page to complete the Open Banking top-up.
Important: Because Open Banking funds may take time to arrive in your wallet, Dext redirects you to the Wallet page rather than completing the top-up from within the payment run. Return to your payment run once the funds have cleared.
Request funds from a Payments admin
If you don't have funds available, you can request a top-up from a Payments admin directly from the insufficient funds notification. This option is available on both web and mobile.
Select Request funds from the insufficient funds notification.
Review your current balance and enter the amount you need.
Select the recipients from the list of Payments admins in your business.
Select Send request.
Dext sends the selected recipients a push notification and an email asking them to complete the top-up.
Accountant flow: request a top-up from a client
Accountants and bookkeepers with the right permissions can request a wallet top-up directly from a client. Dext sends the client a push notification and an email with a link to complete the payment.
Note: Initiating a top-up request outside of the insufficient funds journey is only available in the Dext web app. On mobile, the Request funds option is only available through the insufficient funds notification — go to Request funds from a Payments admin for details.
Go to Payments.
Open the Wallet tab.
Select Add or request funds.
Select Instant bank payment.
Turn on the Request funds toggle.
Enter the required top-up amount.
Select the recipients. You can only send requests to users who have Dext Payments access:
Payment owners
Payment admins
Select Submit.
Once submitted, the client receives a push notification in the Dext mobile app and an email containing a direct link to review and complete the top-up.
Depending on the device they use:
If they open the email link in a web browser, they are redirected to the Dext web app where they will see a banner containing all pending top-up requests.
If they open the push notification or the email link on a mobile device, they can review and complete the top-up directly in the Dext mobile app.
Note: Each top-up request can only be actioned once. If multiple recipients receive the same request, the first to approve it completes the top-up. Other recipients will see a message confirming the request has already been approved.
Client flow: approve a wallet top-up request
When a client receives a top-up request, they can complete it from the push notification or from the email link.
From a push notification
Open the push notification in the Dext mobile app.
Review the suggested top-up amount.
Select Deposit to open the Plaid bank selection flow.
Select your bank.
Authenticate with your bank and approve the payment.
Depending on your bank and device, you may:
Be redirected directly to your banking app
Scan a QR code to continue on your mobile device
Complete the payment in your online banking portal
Once your bank confirms the payment, the wallet balance updates automatically.
Note: You can't reject a top-up request from a push notification. Dismissing the notification just hides it — you won't be able to access it again from mobile. To reject the request, go to the Wallet tab in the Dext web app.
From the email notification
Open the email notification.
Select Review request.
The Dext mobile app opens automatically and takes you to the top-up screen.
Review the deposit amount.
Select Deposit to open the Plaid bank selection flow.
Authenticate with your bank and approve the payment.
After approval, the funds are added to your Dext Payments wallet.
Dext sends an email confirmation once the funds have been successfully added to the wallet.
Reject a top-up request
You can only reject a top-up request from the Dext web app. Anyone with access to the Wallet tab can reject a pending top-up request — including the person who submitted it. You might want to reject your own request if you entered the wrong amount or want to resubmit with different details.
Go to Payments.
Open the Wallet tab.
In the Pending deposit requests banner, select View details.
Find the request and select Reject.
Once rejected, the person who submitted the request receives an email confirming it was declined.
What to do if a top-up fails
If a top-up doesn't complete, Dext displays a message and returns you to the wallet top-up screen. Check your banking app for the specific reason — common causes include:
Insufficient funds in the selected bank account
The payment was cancelled during authorisation
The bank connection timed out
Your bank declined the Open Banking payment
From the wallet top-up screen, you can:
Try the payment again
Select a different bank account
Exit and use the manual bank transfer option instead
Troubleshooting
My bank isn't listed
If your bank doesn't appear in the list, it may not be supported by Plaid for Open Banking payments.
You can:
Search for your bank using the search field on the bank selection screen
Select a different supported bank account if you have one
Use the Manual bank transfer option — go to [Dext Payments: Wallets] for how to copy your wallet details and transfer funds manually
The payment was authorised, but my wallet balance didn't update
In most cases, your wallet balance updates shortly after your bank authorises the payment. If it hasn't updated yet:
Refresh the Wallet page.
Wait a few minutes and check again.
Check whether the payment was completed successfully in your banking app.
If the balance still hasn't been updated after confirming the payment has been completed in your bank, contact Dext Support.
The bank authorisation timed out
If the authorisation window expires before you approve the payment, the top-up won't complete. Go back to the Wallet tab and start the top-up again.
Frequently asked questions
Are Open Banking top-ups instant?
In most cases, funds are added quickly once your bank authorises the payment. The exact timing depends on your bank — Dext can't confirm a specific timeframe as this is controlled by your bank.
What happens if my top-up fails?
If a top-up fails, Dext returns you to the wallet top-up screen. You can retry the payment, choose a different bank account, or switch to a manual bank transfer.
Check your banking app for details on why the payment was declined.
Can I use Open Banking top-ups for payroll and supplier payments?
Yes. Once funds are added to your wallet, you can use them for supplier payments, payroll runs, and expense payments processed through Dext Payments.
Why am I not receiving push notifications or emails?
Check the following:
Make sure you have the latest version of the Dext app installed — go to the App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android) to update.
Check your email notification settings in Dext — go to Profile > User settings > Approval email notifications. For details, go to User settings in Dext.
Check that push notifications are enabled for the Dext app on your device — go to Getting started with the Dext mobile app for steps.
Check that your phone isn't in Do Not Disturb or Focus mode.