# Understanding your financial account

A financial account is a dedicated store-of-value account connected to your Stripe account. Think of it as a business bank account that lives inside Stripe: you can hold funds there, receive incoming payments from external banks, and move money to your Stripe payments balance when you need it.
It's separate from your Stripe payments balance, which holds revenue from your Stripe payment activity. A financial account is for active funds, for example, working capital you want to keep on the platform or funds earmarked for specific operations.
## What can I do with a financial 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
- Supported funding methods
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- United States
- USD
- Routing number and account number
- ACH Debit, ACH Credit, Fedwire
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- United Kingdom
- GBP
- Sort code and account number
- Faster Payments (FPS), CHAPS
---
- European Union
- EUR
- IBAN and BIC
- 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, just like a standard bank account.
## 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 financial account the same as a bank account?
It functions similarly to a business current account for holding and receiving funds, but it's issued through Stripe's banking partners rather than a traditional bank. Stripe manages the account 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.