# Bank Accounts Align gives businesses instant local account presence across major markets without setting up local entities or banking relationships. Through a single API, companies can create named accounts in USD (SWIFT), EUR & AED with local account details for receiving and routing funds. Each bank account acts like a local bank account or wallet address, enabling fast collections, instant settlement, and deterministic FX. Accounts plug directly into Align's payments and compliance engine, providing audit-ready controls, programmable workflows, and policy enforcement out of the box. Use bank accounts to streamline customer collections, supplier payouts, treasury flows, and cross-border transfers. Align handles liquidity, local rails, and compliance, so global expansion becomes as simple as creating an account. **Key benefits** * Faster global expansion with instant access to local account details * Automated routing and settlement through programmable workflows * Reduced operational overhead by offloading banking, liquidity, and compliance complexity *** **Difference between Bank Accounts and Virtual Accounts** **Bank Accounts** function like traditional local accounts. Your business can hold balances in the local currency, receive payments from customers, and send payouts. **Virtual Accounts** are payment-routing tools. They let your end-users on-ramp and off-ramp funds through named account details, but they do not hold balances. *** **Contact Us** This infrastructure is currently in beta. More currencies coming soon. If you are interested in a specific currency, please reach out to the [sales team](https://cal.com/align-labs/30min) or contact us via [telegram](https://t.me/buildingalign). --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.alignlabs.dev/products/bank-accounts.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.