# Understanding your default business account

A default business account brings payment settlement and eligible Stripe Treasury money-management features together in one place.
Proceeds from your Stripe payments settle directly into this account. The way Stripe processes payments, refunds, disputes, and payouts doesn’t change. Your default business account also gives you access to additional ways to manage and use your money, depending on the features available to you.
## Who can use a default business account?
Stripe is gradually rolling out default business accounts to eligible Stripe users in the United States. Not every US account has access at this time.
Stripe will inform you if a default business account becomes available for your account. You can view and manage your default business account from the Balances page in the Stripe Dashboard.
If you haven’t received a notification and don’t see a default business account in the Dashboard, continue using your existing payments balance and the options displayed in the Dashboard.
## How does a default business account work?
Your default business account is where proceeds from your Stripe payments settle. Refunds, disputes, and payouts are also reflected in and handled through this account. Once your payment proceeds are available, you can use them with the eligible money-management features shown in the Dashboard.
### What changes?
Instead of seeing a separate payments balance, you’ll see a business account marked Default. Proceeds from your Stripe payments settle into this account.
Once payment funds become available, you can use them with the features supported by your account without first moving them to another financial account.
### What stays the same?
Nothing changes about how you accept payments or how Stripe processes them:
* Payment authorization, capture, and processing continue to work as before.
* Payment proceeds follow the same pending and available balance timelines.
* You can continue creating refunds and responding to disputes as you do today. Refunds, disputes, and related balance activity appear in your default business account.
* You can continue making payouts from your available balance through the existing payout process.
## What additional features might be available?
Your default business account might support additional Stripe Treasury features. The Dashboard shows which features are available to your account.
To find them, open the Balances page and select your default business account. The available actions and money-management options appear with the account.
You might be able to:
* [Add money](https://docs.stripe.com/treasury/add-funds): Open your default business account to view its account details and available funding methods. You can use those account details to send money from an external bank through a supported credit transfer. You might also be able to initiate a debit transfer from a linked external bank account.
* [Send money to third parties](https://docs.stripe.com/global-payouts): View the available sending options for your default business account and pay another person or business—for example, to pay a bill—without first paying the funds out to your own bank account.
* [Convert currencies](https://docs.stripe.com/treasury/convert-funds): View, hold, and convert funds in supported currencies using the currency options shown for your account.
* Create additional business accounts: Create separate business accounts to organize funds for different purposes.
* [Create a checking account](https://docs.stripe.com/treasury#checking-account): If available to you, create a checking account with its own features and terms. Checking accounts are a separate account type from business accounts.
* [Create cards](https://docs.stripe.com/treasury/cards): If available to your account, create and manage Stripe-issued cards that spend from your default business account.
* [Transfer money to your own bank](https://docs.stripe.com/payouts): Continue creating payouts from your available balance through the existing Dashboard flow or [API](https://docs.stripe.com/treasury/transfer).
Available transfer methods, currencies, processing times, and account features can vary. Check the Dashboard to confirm what your account supports.
## How do multiple financial accounts work?
If you have more than one financial account, the account with the Default badge is the account that automatically receives proceeds from your Stripe payments.
Additional business and checking accounts remain separate. They might support different currencies, funding methods, or money-management features, and they don’t automatically receive your payment proceeds.
Before adding, sending, or converting funds, confirm that you have selected the intended account.
## FAQ
### Do I need to do anything?
You don’t need to take action solely because your payments balance has become a default business account. You can continue accepting payments and using your available balance.
If Stripe needs information from you, you’ll see a notification or task in your [Dashboard](https://dashboard.stripe.com/account/status).
### Is a default business account a bank account?
A default business account isn’t a bank account opened directly in your business’s name. It’s a financial account backed by a for-benefit-of arrangement with one of Stripe’s banking partners.
The banking partner holds funds for the benefit of Stripe customers, including your business. Stripe records your balance and displays your transactions and available money-management options in the Dashboard.
Review your account agreements and disclosures for the legal terms that apply to your account. Learn more about [Stripe Treasury business accounts](https://docs.stripe.com/treasury#business-account).
### Are funds in my default business account FDIC insured?
No. Funds held in your default business account aren’t currently eligible for FDIC deposit insurance.
This applies to your default business account. Separate business and checking accounts have different terms and disclosures. [Learn more about FDIC insurance eligibility](https://docs.stripe.com/treasury#fdic-insurance-eligibility)
### Where is my payments balance?
If your Dashboard shows a default business account, your existing pending and available payment funds are shown in that account instead of a separate payments balance.
Refunds, disputes, and payouts are also handled through your default business account. Payment processing and normal payment-availability timelines remain the same.
### Do I need to transfer my earnings before I can use them?
No. Once your payment proceeds become available, you don’t need to transfer them to another business account or your external bank account before using a feature supported by your default business account.
### Can payments settle into any of my business accounts?
No. Payment proceeds settle into the default business account. Additional business and checking accounts are separate and don’t automatically receive proceeds from your Stripe payments.
### Why don’t I see a default business account?
Stripe is gradually rolling out default business accounts to eligible users in the United States, so this account setup isn’t available to everyone yet.
Stripe will inform you if it becomes available for your account. Until then, continue using your existing payments balance and the options shown in your Dashboard.
### Do I need to update my payments integration?
No. You don’t need to update your existing payments integration because you received a default business account.
You can continue accepting and processing payments through your existing integration. The default business account changes where the resulting payment proceeds settle, not how your integration creates or processes payments.
### Are there additional fees?
There’s no additional fee solely for having a default business account.
Fees might apply when you use certain money-management features, such as [sending money](https://docs.stripe.com/global-payouts/pricing) or [converting currencies](https://docs.stripe.com/treasury/convert-funds#supported-currencies-and-pricing). Review any fee shown in the Dashboard and the applicable pricing information before completing a transaction.
### What is a settlement pause and what happens if my payment proceeds are placed in a settlement pause?
A settlement pause temporarily holds affected new or pending payment proceeds instead of adding them to your available balance. It doesn’t automatically affect funds that were already available, and you can continue accepting payments unless a separate restriction applies.
If Stripe needs information from you, you’ll see a task or notification in your Dashboard. Complete any requested steps and monitor your Dashboard and email for updates.
Learn more about settlement pauses.