---
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

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)