# 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

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**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.

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**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).