> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.paygentic.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Accounts

> Fund management and instant settlement

Accounts form the financial backbone of Paygentic's billing infrastructure. Each organization maintains at least one account that handles fund custody, instant settlements, and payment routing.

## Architecture

Every account operates as an isolated ledger with atomic balance operations. Transactions between accounts execute synchronously, guaranteeing immediate finality without reconciliation delays.

**Key properties:**

* Single currency denomination (USD currently)
* Real-time settlement between parties

## Transaction flow

The system implements a dual-entry accounting model where every debit has a corresponding credit:

1. **Funding** - External money enters through payment processors into consumer accounts
2. **Consumption** - Usage triggers instant transfers from consumer to merchant accounts
3. **Settlement** - Merchants withdraw accumulated balances to external banks

This closed-loop design eliminates counterparty risk and payment latency.

## Precision handling

Atomic unit denomination enables micropayment economics previously impossible with traditional systems.

**Practical implications:**

* Charge fractions of pennies for token processing
* No rounding errors in high-volume transactions
* Exact cost attribution for microscopic resource consumption

For example, billing \$0.0000001 per database query becomes viable at scale.

## Payment abstraction

Accounts decouple payment sources from consumption. Merchants receive funds regardless of how consumers originally paid - credit cards, ACH transfers, crypto, or corporate invoicing.

This abstraction provides:

* Geographic payment method flexibility
* Compliance boundary isolation
* Reduced PCI scope for merchants
* Unified reconciliation regardless of payment type

## Balance management

Account balances enforce hard spending limits naturally. Consumption cannot exceed available funds, preventing:

* Debt accumulation
* Invoice disputes
* Collection overhead
* Credit risk exposure

The system rejects transactions that would create negative balances, maintaining financial integrity throughout.

## Instant settlements

Traditional billing involves days or weeks between service delivery and payment. Account-based transactions settle in milliseconds.

**Benefits:**

* Cash flow acceleration for merchants
* No accounts receivable management
* Eliminated chargeback windows for consumed services
* Real-time revenue recognition

## Multi-party transactions

Accounts support complex fund flows beyond simple bilateral transfers:

* **Revenue splits** - Automatic distribution to multiple recipients
* **Platform fees** - Percentage deductions during transfers
* **Tax withholding** - Regulatory compliance deductions
* **Affiliate commissions** - Programmatic partner payouts

Each component processes atomically within the same transaction.

## Fund withdrawal

Merchants extract accumulated account balances through payout operations:

**Prerequisites:**

* Completed KYC verification
* Linked external bank account
* Minimum balance thresholds

**Processing:**

* Batch aggregation for efficiency
* Bank network timing dependencies (1-3 business days)
* Audit trail generation

## Future enhancements

**Multi-currency support** - Local currency accounts eliminating FX friction

**Hierarchical accounts** - Team budgets and departmental allocations

**Programmable controls** - Spending policies and automated rebalancing

**Interest accrual** - Yield generation on idle balances

## Technical integration

Accounts integrate transparently with existing billing flows. No special handling required beyond standard usage reporting. The platform manages all underlying fund movements automatically.

## Next steps

* [Pricing Overview](/platform/pricing/overview) - Structure your billing model
* [Entitlements](/platform/billing/entitlements) - Pre-authorize payments
* [Usage Events](/platform/billing/usage-events) - Trigger account transfers