> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getlemma.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# What is inbound?

> How Lemma distinguishes transfers initiated outside Lemma from transfers initiated inside Lemma.

"Inbound" refers to a transfer initiated outside Lemma, by a bank, network, or counterparty that isn't you. An "outbound" transfer, by contrast, is one initiated inside Lemma — either by your application through the API, or by a user acting manually in the Lemma dashboard.

This distinction is about who started the transfer, not which direction money moves. Both inbound and outbound transfers can move money in either direction.

For example, an [ACH transfer](/api-reference/get-ach-transfer) is outbound: it was requested through the API or the dashboard, whether it sends money to an external account or pulls money from one (an ACH pull). An [inbound ACH transfer](/api-reference/get-inbound-ach-transfer) is the opposite: the entry originated at another bank, whether it's a credit sending an entity money or a debit pulling money out of a Lemma account.

|             | Initiated inside Lemma (outbound)                                                    | Initiated outside Lemma (inbound)                                                                       |
| ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Sends money | [ACH transfer](/api-reference/get-ach-transfer) with a positive amount               | [Inbound ACH](/api-reference/get-inbound-ach-transfer) credit, e.g. a payment from an insurance company |
| Pulls money | [ACH transfer](/api-reference/get-ach-transfer) with a negative amount (an ACH pull) | [Inbound ACH](/api-reference/get-inbound-ach-transfer) debit, e.g. a vendor pulling a payroll payment   |

If you want to find deposits from payers, you want to use the [list inbound ACHs endpoint](/api-reference/list-inbound-ach-transfers).