# Understanding your financial account

A financial account is a dedicated account connected to your Stripe account where you can hold funds. You can receive funds from external bank accounts and transfer money to your Stripe payments balance.
Your financial account is separate from your Stripe payments balance, which holds revenue from payments you process with Stripe. You can use a financial account to hold working capital on Stripe or set aside funds for specific business operations.
## Types of financial accounts
Stripe offers two distinct types of financial accounts:
* **Business account:** Holds and moves business funds. Available currencies vary by location and account configuration.
* **Checking account:** Deposit account to hold business funds and support deposits and withdrawals. Available only to US businesses in US dollars (USD).
## What can I do with a business account or checking account?
* Hold funds in your local currency, separate from your payments revenue
* Receive incoming transfers from external banks using local account details
* Move money to your Stripe payments balance instantly, at no cost
* Send funds to another business on Stripe instantly and for free
## Where are financial accounts available?
Financial accounts are available in the following regions, each with local account details and supported payment rails:
- Region
- Currency
- Account details
- Account Type
- Supported funding methods
---
- United States
- USD
- Routing number and account number
- Checking account or business account
- ACH Debit, ACH Credit, Fedwire
---
- United Kingdom
- GBP
- Sort code and account number
- Business account
- Faster Payments (FPS), CHAPS
---
- European Union
- EUR
- IBAN and BIC
- Business account
- SEPA Credit Transfer, SEPA Instant
Your financial account in each region has its own local account details. You can share these with any external bank to receive inbound transfers.
## How is my money protected?
* US: Funds are eligible for FDIC pass-through insurance up to 250,000 USD through Stripe's partner banks.
* UK: Funds are safeguarded in accordance with FCA requirements at authorized institutions.
* EU: Funds are safeguarded under EU Payment Services Directive (PSD2) requirements.
Stripe Treasury is not itself a bank. Your funds are held at regulated financial institutions through Stripe's banking partners.
## FAQ
### Do I need a separate financial account for each region?
Yes. Each region has its own financial account with its own currency and local account details. If you operate in multiple regions, you can hold USD, GBP, and EUR financial accounts simultaneously.
### Is a business account a bank account?
No. A business account is not a bank account, but it offers similar functionality for holding and receiving funds. It’s issued through Stripe’s banking partners, and Stripe manages it on your behalf.
### How do I access my financial account?
From the Stripe Dashboard, navigate to **Balances** and select your financial account to view your balance, transaction history, and account details.