## Account Setup and Management

This section provides comprehensive guidance on setting up, activating, and managing your Stripe account. It covers essential steps from initial account creation to advanced configurations, ensuring you can effectively utilize Stripe's services for your business.

### Getting Started with Your Stripe Account

*   **Create an Account:** Learn the process of creating a Stripe account, including the necessary information and initial steps.
*   **Set Up Your Account:** Understand the requirements for verifying your business and activating Stripe services for live accounts. This includes completing the account checklist and providing business and personal details.
*   **Account Checklist:** Follow a step-by-step checklist to ensure your Stripe account is properly configured and secure before going live. This includes enabling two-factor authentication and confirming statement descriptors.
*   **Stripe Accounts Overview:** Get a general understanding of Stripe accounts, including how to activate and manage them, and the importance of your unique account ID.

### Account Configuration and Verification

*   **Acceptable Verification Documents:** Discover the types of documents Stripe accepts for identity, address, and legal entity verification, categorized by country, to ensure a smooth onboarding process.
*   **Stripe Profiles:** Learn how to create a public identity for your business on Stripe, which can be used across various Stripe services and helps in verification and connection with other businesses.

### Managing Your Account and Finances

*   **Add Funds to Your Stripe Balance:** Understand how to add funds to your Stripe balance to cover potential refunds, chargebacks, or to maintain a minimum balance for stable operations.
*   **Linked External Accounts:** Learn how to connect external bank accounts to your Stripe account for payouts and how Stripe uses this financial information responsibly.
*   **Money Management:** Explore Stripe's tools for managing your finances, including holding funds, sending money globally, converting currencies, and accessing financing options.
*   **Balances and Settlement Time:** Understand how your Stripe balance works, including settlement times and how different currencies affect your funds.

### Customization and Branding

*   **Branding Your Stripe Account:** Customize the appearance of your Stripe account, including emails, checkout pages, and customer portals, to align with your brand identity.
*   **Custom Email Domain:** Set up your own custom domain for sending Stripe-generated emails like invoices and receipts, enhancing your brand's professional image.
*   **Custom Domain:** Learn how to integrate your custom domain with Stripe Checkout, Payment Links, and the customer portal for a seamless customer experience.
*   **Statement Descriptors:** Configure clear and accurate statement descriptors that appear on customer bank statements to reduce disputes and improve clarity.

### Advanced Account Features

*   **Create Multiple Stripe Accounts:** Understand the benefits and process of creating and managing multiple separate Stripe accounts for organizational or tax purposes.
*   **Stripe Verified for Platforms:** Explore specialized risk and compliance controls and benefits designed for trusted platforms and their connected accounts.
*   **Product Release Phases:** Learn how Stripe communicates the availability and development stages of new features through different release phases.

### No-Code and Simplified Usage

*   **No-code Options for Using Stripe:** Discover various Stripe features and tools that allow you to get started and manage payments without writing any code.
*   **Training Scenarios:** Utilize interactive scenarios in the Stripe Dashboard to practice implementing key business processes and learn how to use Stripe's products.