---
title: "Payment accounts"
metaTitle: "Payment accounts"
order: 3
showPageMenu: true
---

import EndpointBlock from "src/components/endpoint-block";
import Callout from "src/components/callout";

import WebhookPlaceholder from 'src/components/webhook-placeholder';
import WebhookSummary from 'src/components/webhook-summary';

## Payment accounts overview

<Callout colour="green">
<h3>Payment accounts are coming soon</h3>
<p>All information on this page describes a solution that is <strong>not yet live in production and therefore could change</strong>. This includes any endpoint and webhook details. The information is being provided early to aid you in integrating with our API in our UK simulation environment.</p>
</Callout>

Payment accounts are regular GBP accounts with more payment functionality than savings accounts. With a payment account, your customers can have direct debits and standing orders, and make day-to-day payments — among other features. They are suitable for Retail, Sole Trader, and business (Legal Entity) customers.

Payment accounts come in two subtypes: **Current accounts** and **Transaction accounts**:

* [Current accounts](#current-accounts) meet the definition of a Payment Account in both the Payment Account Regulations (PARs) and Payment Service Regulations (PSRs).
* [Transaction accounts](#transaction-accounts) also meet the PSR definition of a Payment Account, but they are less feature rich than a Current Account. For example, Transaction accounts do not support cash withdrawals.

Payment accounts are available to embedded banking partners by prior agreement with ClearBank. If you're interested in using this account type, please contact your Client Director.

<Callout colour="blue">
  <strong>Note:</strong> Deposits held in Payment accounts may be eligible for FSCS protection. FSCS protection insures deposits of up to £120,000 per person per authorised firm (ClearBank) in the event of insolvency. Customers should review the specific terms and conditions of their account to confirm whether FSCS protection applies.
</Callout>

## Current accounts

Current accounts provide extensive payment functionality for customers. They support:

* Issuance of a debit card against the account
* Withdrawal of cash from the account
* Execution of payments to third parties (refer to our [FPS documentation](/uk/docs/gbp-payments/faster-payments))
* Receipt of payments from third parties
* Open Banking integration
* Account switching

You can create a current account for a customer by calling our [**POST /accounts/sterling/v1/payment-accounts**](#create-a-transaction-or-current-account) endpoint, and specifying `"CurrentAccount"` as the `accountSubType`.

## Transaction accounts

Transaction accounts facilitate limited payment transactions for customers and are subject to fewer regulations. They support:

* Execution of payments to third parties
* Receipt of payments from third parties
* Open Banking integration

You can create a transaction account for a customer by calling our [**POST /accounts/sterling/v1/payment-accounts**](#create-a-payment-account) endpoint, and specifying `"TransactionAccount"` as the `accountSubType`.

## Endpoint

<EndpointBlock
  type="post"
  title="Create a Payment account"
  endpoints={[
    {
      path: "/accounts/sterling/v1/payment-accounts",
      version: "1.0.Sterling",
      webhooks: [
      'account-created-webhook-v1'
      ]
    }
  ]}
/>

## Webhooks

<WebhookPlaceholder render='account-created-webhook-v1' />