---
title: "Block a payout"
description: "Block a payout to the merchant's bank account."
url: "https://docs.adyen.com/account-management-api/manage-bank-accounts-and-payouts/blockpayout"
source_url: "https://docs.adyen.com/account-management-api/manage-bank-accounts-and-payouts/blockpayout.md"
canonical: "https://docs.adyen.com/account-management-api/manage-bank-accounts-and-payouts/blockpayout"
last_modified: "2026-05-24T12:54:32+02:00"
language: "en"
---

# Block a payout

Block a payout to the merchant's bank account.

[View source](/account-management-api/manage-bank-accounts-and-payouts/blockpayout.md)

This operation works at merchant level.

Blocking payouts usually require a [4-eye policy](http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/four-eyes-principle) through the [Adyen Customer Area (CA)](https://ca-test.adyen.com/). 

The `/blockPayout` call allows blocking payouts programmatically.

You can request to block a payout if the following criteria are satisfied:

* The payout is in the **Payable** state.
* There are no pending changes for the specified payout. 

## Payout states

A payout can go through the following states:

![](/user/pages/reuse/text-snippet-library/diagram-payout-states/diagram-payout-states.png)

## Request parameters

To block payout for a merchant, make a POST `/blockPayout` request specifying:

| Name           | Type   | Required                                                                                    | Description                                                                                                                        |
| -------------- | ------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `merchantCode` | String | ![-white\_check\_mark-](/user/data/smileys/emoji/white_check_mark.png "-white_check_mark-") | A merchant code string holds a value to identify a merchant.Format:- Either: `MerchantAccount.Merchant_Code`
- Or: `Merchant_Code` |

## Response parameters

If there are no errors in the request, the call returns a `pspReference.`If any issues occur during the process, the call returns one or more warning or error messages.

| Name           | Type   | Returned by default                                                                         | Description                                                                                         |
| -------------- | ------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `pspReference` | String | ![-white\_check\_mark-](/user/data/smileys/emoji/white_check_mark.png "-white_check_mark-") | A reference to uniquely identify the request.                                                       |
| `warnings`     | String | ![-x-](/user/data/smileys/emoji/x.png "-x-")                                                | List containing one or more warning messages. Returned when the request is not correctly processed. |
| `errors`       | String | ![-x-](/user/data/smileys/emoji/x.png "-x-")                                                | List containing one or more error messages. Returned when the request fails.                        |

## Examples

### Request

#### JSON

```json
{  
   "merchantCode":"TestMerchant"
}
```

#### Soap

```xml
<soap:Envelope xmlns:soap="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
    <soap:Body>
        <blockPayout xmlns="http://caaccount.services.adyen.com">
            <request>
                <merchantCode>TestMerchant</merchantCode>
            </request>
        </blockPayout>
    </soap:Body>
</soap:Envelope>
```

### Response

#### JSON

```json
{  
   "pspReference":"9914526950050204"
}
```

#### Soap

```xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<soap:Envelope xmlns:soap="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:ns0="http://caaccount.services.adyen.com">
    <soap:Body>
        <ns0:blockPayoutResponse>
            <ns0:response>
                <ns0:pspReference>9914140758760046</ns0:pspReference>
            </ns0:response>
        </ns0:blockPayoutResponse>
    </soap:Body>
</soap:Envelope>
```