Key takeaways
- Bulk payments pay a list of people from one CSV file: pick how to pay, upload the file, fix what the checks find, then submit and track every payment from one page.
- Every row goes through the same checks as a single payment. Errors block the batch until they're fixed; warnings, such as an unusual amount, can be acknowledged and sent.
- Stablecoin batches go straight from your Global Account: USDC or USDT to wallets on the same network, up to 25 payments per batch, each signed with your passkey, or USDT on Tron with a single signature, sent by Align.
- Bank payouts in bulk are available on request for businesses with a bank balance; Align's team runs those batches.
The short answer
In AlignPay, open Bulk payments, choose how you're paying and which account you're paying from, and download the sample file for that method. Fill it in, upload it, and review what the checks found: fix the errors, read the warnings, and compare the batch total with your available balance. Then submit, sign when asked, and follow each payment from the batch's page.
Ways to pay in bulk
| Method | How it's sent | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| USDC or USDT to wallets on the same network | From your Global Account, each payment signed with your passkey | Up to 25 payments per batch |
| USDT on Tron | One signature; Align funds a payout address and its team pays each recipient | Up to 50 payments per batch; a per-recipient fee is added on top, so each recipient gets the amount in the file |
| Bank payouts | On request, for businesses with a bank balance; Align's team runs the batch | Up to 500 rows per file |
Files can be up to 2 MB.
Step 1: Choose how to pay
Pick the network, or the bank rail, and the account to pay from. Its available balance is on screen before you upload anything, so you can check the batch fits.
Step 2: Fill in and upload the file
Download the sample file for that method. Samples follow the method's own formats, so a GBP template shows a sort code and an 8-digit account number, and a EUR one shows an IBAN. The recipient's address columns are the recipient's own address, not their bank's.
Use the sample or your own file with the same columns, and upload it.
Step 3: Review the rows
Every row goes through two layers of checks:
- The same rules as a single payment. A row that would fail as a one-off payment, such as a malformed IBAN, a wallet address that isn't valid for the network, or a missing field, is an error. The batch can't be submitted until every error is fixed or the row is removed.
- A second look by AI. It flags rows that look wrong: an amount far larger than the others, a company name in a row for an individual, an IBAN from a different country than the one given, or a near-duplicate. It can only add warnings, never clear an error or approve a row.
You can correct a cell in place, and the row is checked again by the same rules. Where a fix is clear, Align suggests it, for example rounding an over-precise amount down. Warnings must be acknowledged before you send. The batch total is compared with your live balance at submit, not only at upload.
Step 4: Submit and track
Submit the batch. For a same-network stablecoin batch, sign each payment with your passkey in the signing queue; if you close the tab, the queue is kept. Every payment in the batch is linked to the payment that went out, and the batch's page shows each one's status. The original file stays downloadable as the record of what you asked to pay.
If you leave a batch as a draft, you can reopen it later from the file history, and it's checked again against the current rules and balance.
Tips for payroll and contractor runs
- Keep a master file of recipients and their details, and change only the amounts each run.
- Add an email column so recipients are told when their payment has left.
- Check new recipients separately. A new or changed bank account or wallet deserves a call before it goes into a batch. See supplier bank detail changes.
- For contractors abroad, see how to pay international contractors in USDC or by local bank transfer.
Sources
- Align, Bulk payments
- Align, Team and approvals
Common questions
- What file do I need?
- A CSV. Download the sample file for the way you're paying from the bulk payments page: it has the right columns and example formats. Common header names such as "company" or "sortcode" are recognised, and semicolon-separated files exported from Excel work too.
- Why does each payment ask for my passkey?
- Your Global Account's funds are only ever moved with your own signature, and each payment to a wallet is its own signature. That's why same-network stablecoin batches are capped at 25 payments. If you close the tab partway, the queue is kept and you carry on where you left off.
- Is recipient data shared with the AI review?
- Only what the checks need. Account numbers are masked to their last four digits and street addresses are removed before the review, and the review can add warnings but never approve a row.
- Can recipients be told they've been paid?
- Yes. Add an email column to the file, and each recipient is emailed a link to their payment's status page once their payment has left your account.
- Do batches need approval?
- If your business requires approval for members' payments, a member's batch is judged by its total.
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and providers' terms change; check the sources linked above and take advice on your own situation.