One of the main actions that all novice businessmen should take is opening a bank account. Without this procedure, financial interaction on concluded transactions with other legal entities is impossible. It is the current account number that is the main line in the details that customers need from contractors to pay for work performed or services rendered. But, in addition to the current account, some heads of enterprises and organizations also open a personal account. What is the purpose of each of these accounts and what is the fundamental difference between them?
Personal account - what is it and who has the right to use it
Quite often, under the phrase "personal account" people understand an account opened with a banking organization for an individual. However, this interpretation is not entirely correct and unambiguous.
In fact, a personal account is an account that can be registered with a financial company not only for a citizen of the Russian Federation, but also for an individual entrepreneur, as well as any commercial structure.
If we talk about a personal account with regards to legal entities, then this will be a narrower concept than a current account. In essence, under personal account, often several phenomena are understood at once:
- a personal page or, in other words, an account of an enterprise or organization created in the bank's database to record credit and financial transactions with this particular legal entity. The personal account of a legal entity cannot be used as a platform for settlements with counterparties;
- the end of 6 digits of the twenty-digit commercial account number;
- an account that has a connected remote banking system for individuals, not intended for settlements under commercial agreements;
- a personal account issued for an individual "on demand".
From these points it can be seen that, despite the fact that most often a personal account is still used by ordinary citizens, legal entities also sometimes have bank accounts, understood as personal accounts. However, they are not intended for cash settlements under transactions and contracts with partners, but are needed, for example, to obtain loans from banks and repay them, or transfer salaries to employees.
Using a personal IP account for commercial settlements
Sometimes individual entrepreneurs, and even some legal entities, open personal accounts and try to use them for commercial settlements. What benefit are they pursuing? The answer is obvious.
- Maintenance of personal accounts is cheaper;
- Sometimes on a personal account there is no limit on the limit of cash flow during the day, just like there is no limit on the balance on the balance sheet, which can be reduced to zero at any time, which is extremely interesting for business representatives.
However, in the case of using a personal account for commercial transfers, some possible troubles should not be ruled out, such as:
- if the client transfers money to personal account, but at the same time indicates that he is an individual entrepreneur, then most likely the operation will not be carried out;
- customer - an individual entrepreneur may completely refuse the transaction if the seller asks him not to indicate himself as an individual entrepreneur.
By the way, since the law does not give the right to banks to track financial flows on personal accounts, representatives of financial institutions go the other way. When an agreement is drawn up with a legal entity or individual entrepreneur to open a personal account, it clearly spells out the procedure and rules for using l / s. In cases of their violation, the bank disclaims any responsibility and in which case, the account holder will automatically be punished.
Settlement account - application features
With a checking account, the situation is completely different. The current account is specifically intended for the implementation of various financial transactions for the purpose of doing business, including depositing funds, withdrawing funds, tax payments, receiving and sending payments by counterparties, etc.
Unlike a personal account, all legal entities are required to have a current account, individual entrepreneurs and individuals can open it at will. As a rule, finances placed on a bank current account are owned by its holder.
Important! If an individual entrepreneur plans to conclude transactions and conduct commercial activities with legal entities, settlements with which are made by wire transfers, then it will not work without a current account - enterprises and organizations make all their transfers only through them. In addition, the current account is convenient for individual entrepreneurs and for transferring various payments to the state budget, for example, tax fees and insurance premiums to the Pension Fund of Russia.
Thus, current accounts can be used:
- Legal entities (enterprises and organizations) and individual entrepreneurs, in whose work there are non-cash money transfers for commercial transactions;
- Ordinary citizens who need to perform various banking operations (transfers, withdrawals, credits) through the remote banking system. True, some experts dispute the legitimacy of classifying such accounts opened by individuals as settlement accounts, since they do not have a commercial focus and are not intended for settlements with business partners.
What documents are needed to open a checking account?
To open a bank current account, the founder or representative of the organization, as well as an individual entrepreneur, needs to go to the bank with a pre-prepared package of documents. It should contain:
- certificate of registration with the tax office,
- applicant's passport
- extract from the Unified State Register of Enterprises or Unified State Register of Legal Entities,
- TIN (if it is an individual entrepreneur),
- a copy of the charter and the decision to create (if it is an LLC),
- print with imprint and some other documents with copies.
As a rule, the list of required documents for opening a bank account in different banks is approximately the same.
Difference between personal and current account
Summing up, we can say that the difference between personal and current accounts is quite obvious.
If the personal account is not intended for transferring and receiving funds for the purpose of commercial activities and is used solely for the personal needs of the holder, then the current account is required specifically for conducting transactions on commercial transactions.
Attention! The recipient of funds on current accounts is always a specific legal or natural person. On personal accounts - the beneficiary bank, only in the purpose of the payment it is indicated in more detail, for example, "For crediting to an account, the number is such and such, for a person such and such."
So it is quite natural that personal accounts, as a rule, are widely used for various monetary transactions by ordinary citizens and are completely unsuitable for business representatives. And the situation is completely different with settlement accounts - legal entities are simply obliged to open them for legal settlements with counterparties.
The list of individual payment details of an individual or company includes data on personal and current accounts. Sometimes both accounts are mentioned at once. What are their differences?
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The beginning of any entrepreneurial activity is accompanied by the opening of a current bank account. Without this, financial interaction with other legal entities is impossible.
To pay for the services provided by the contractor, the customer needs exactly the current account number. But some heads of organizations also open personal accounts.
An individual may also have both a personal account and a settlement account. What is the purpose of each of these accounts and how do they differ?
Important Aspects
Bank accounts are of different types, which predetermines the purpose of their use. The need for a bank account arises when it is required to keep records of funds in a non-cash form and carry out various non-cash transactions.
Bank account holders can be both legal entities and individuals. An opinion is required to open any account.
At the same time, a banking institution must have the proper capacity to carry out operations of this kind. The agreement between the bank and the client prescribes the mutual rights and obligations of the parties.
The law does not limit the number of bank accounts for one entity, although a credit institution has the right to establish certain restrictions.
As a rule, such accounts as personal and settlement are most popular. Most often, in the understanding of ordinary citizens, a current account and a personal account are one and the same. Despite some similarities, their intended purpose is somewhat different.
What it is
Most often, the definition of "personal account" means a bank account that is opened for an individual. But everything is not so clear.
In fact, a personal account can be opened both for a citizen and for an individual entrepreneur or any commercial structure. If we consider a personal account in relation to a legal entity, then its intended purpose has a narrower focus.
In essence, "personal account" can be interpreted in different ways:
A current account is a bank account used in the execution of various monetary transactions. That is, the account is used to receive / send payments, deposit funds, withdraw funds through the remote banking system.
Documents to open
In order to open a current account with a bank, a representative of an organization or an individual entrepreneur must visit the bank, having all the necessary documents with them.
These include:
- certificate of tax accounting;
- passport confirming the identity of the applicant;
- extract from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities or EGRIP;
- copies and decisions on creation - for LLC;
- seal impression and signature samples.
To open a personal account in the name of an individual, the applicant will only need a passport. If necessary, the bank has the right to request additional documents.
The legislative framework
The main legal regulation of banking settlements is based on.
This standard, among other banking operations, also establishes such an operation as settlement and cash services.
The recipient's account is a personal or settlement account, which is a special code consisting of twenty digits. Its opening involves the storage of funds and financial transactions.
What do you need to open
In order to be able to conduct financial transactions, you must visit a banking institution and provide its employees with a set of documentation that is different for each category of customers.
- For an individual to start cooperation with the bank, a passport and an individual tax number are enough.
- For an individual entrepreneur in addition, it is necessary to prepare a Certificate of registration and registration with the Tax Service.
Legal entities must provide:
- an extract from the registration register;
- minutes of the meeting of founders on the creation of the organization and the appointment of the current head of the organization;
- charter;
- certificate of tax registration;
- an order appointing a director;
- passport and individual number of the applicant, which can only be the head of the company.
How to find out the recipient's account
When it becomes necessary to perform financial transactions, the question may arise as to what the recipient's account is. It is important not to confuse it with a bank card number.
Information can be obtained in several ways:
- by studying the data of a contractual agreement with a banking institution on cooperation;
- using special purpose software;
- having read the information specified in the invoice;
- using the services of the Tax Service or the Pension Fund;
- through Internet resources;
- by submitting a request to the bank in which the cooperation agreement was drawn up.
When searching for the necessary information, one should take into account the fact that there can be several accounts opened in different currencies. For this reason, when searching for the right one, you should take into account its compliance with the currency with which you need to make settlements with partners.
The beneficiary's account number is individual information about the bank's client. The speed of financial transactions depends on the correctness of its writing. A mistake made in writing this indicator can lead to a refusal of the transaction.
In this situation, the financial transaction is suspended, as a result of which the clarification of the client's details is initiated, which is implemented for an additional commission fee, in accordance with the approved bank rates. The term for clarifying the details corresponds to five working days. In case of gross errors in writing information about the number, the clarification problem remains unresolved, as a result of which the payment is not made, and payment for additional bank services is withheld from it.
The beneficiary's settlement account is an account, the identification of which is realized by means of twenty digits, and each of them is capable of revealing certain information about a banking product. All figures are divided into three groups:
- the first designates a category;
- the second one deciphers it, revealing its purpose;
- the third identifies the currency used in transactions.
Without an account, it is impossible to conduct financial interaction between participants in transactions, which can be represented as individuals and legal entities, as well as individual entrepreneurs.
The personal account and the recipient are the same
You need to open such an account:
- In the case when it comes to organizations, it is needed to make settlements with work partners (that is, other organizations and individuals).
- If we talk about the account number of an individual, then it is needed to conduct financial transactions of an entrepreneurial nature, using banking institutions for this.
Personal number The personal number is also called the accounting number, which is used to work with the money of legal entities and individuals.
What is a beneficiary account
Liberty June 21, 2012 14:51 1 # Is the current account included in the bank details? _cave June 21, 2012 02:56 PM # You are required to provide bank details and a 20-digit bank account of your card.
What is the difference between a checking account and a personal account
To carry out business activities, as well as to receive and send money transfers, it is necessary to open a bank account.
The recipient's account is a personal or settlement account, which is a special code consisting of twenty digits.
Its opening involves the storage of funds and financial transactions.
- What do you need to open
- How to find out the recipient's account
- Errors in financial transactions
- What do the numbers that identify the current account mean?
What you need to open In order to be able to conduct financial transactions, you must visit a banking institution and provide its employees with a set of documentation that is different for each category of customers.
How to fill out the bank transfer form correctly
An important advantage of using the "transfer to account" method is the guaranteed crediting of the payment on the current day.
INSTRUCTION Bank transfers can be divided into three types: 1.
"Transfer to the account" of an individual, including to a card linked to this account.
R / s number starts with 423, 408.2. "Transfer to card" of an individual through the Bank's transit account. Account number starts with 302, 303, 474.3. Payment to the account of a legal entity or PBOYUL.
The R/s number starts with 407 or 408, respectively. Now let's take a closer look at filling in the fields for each type of payment.
1.
How to distinguish a personal account from a current account
This application is explained by such aspects as: Personal accounts More economical in terms of service There is often no restriction on the personal account On the daily limit of cash flow. In addition, there are no restrictions on the balance on the balance sheet and you can reset the account at any time, which is very interesting for some businessmen. But you should take into account the following nuances when using a personal account for commercial settlements: If the client indicates when transferring funds to a personal account that the money is intended for as payment from an individual entrepreneur, the transaction will not be completed Sometimes the customer may refuse the transaction If the seller asks to make the payment as a transfer to an individual, and not a transfer of an individual entrepreneur, since there are doubts about the legality of the entity's activities accounts.
Is a bank card number and her current account the same thing?
The need for a bank account arises when it is required to keep records of funds in a non-cash form and carry out various non-cash transactions. Bank account holders can be both legal entities and individuals.
To open any account, an agreement with a bank is required.
At the same time, a banking institution must have an appropriate license to carry out operations of this kind. The agreement between the bank and the client prescribes the mutual rights and obligations of the parties. The law does not limit the number of bank accounts for one entity, although a credit institution has the right to establish certain restrictions. As a rule, such accounts as personal and settlement are most popular. Most often, in the understanding of ordinary citizens, a current account and a personal account are one and the same. Despite some similarities, their intended purpose is somewhat different.
Transfer to an account. This option is not suitable if you do not have a personal account with the Bank - for this you need to use option 2. With this withdrawal option, regardless of whether your account is called “Personal”, “Settlement” or “Card”, you indicate it in the "r / s" field.
If your card is attached to a personal account, then you should make a transfer only according to this option.
Any funds received on the Personal Account will automatically be available on the card attached to this account.
The personal account and the recipient's account are the same
This word is indicated by the client himself when filling out an application for issuing a plastic card.
- Personal special account - assigned to each card individually.
Third party access to this information is strictly prohibited.
How can I find out my checking account? When receiving a bank plastic card at a branch of Sberbank, the client is given an envelope with a code, as well as a copy of the contract for servicing a current account. This account is a combination of 20 digits. It is provided to partners who are expected to receive a money transfer. There are several ways to find out your current account if you cannot find this data in a copy of the agreement with Sberbank.
How to find out the settlement and personal account of a Sberbank card
Most card users that Sberbank offers to its users do not think about the fact that their credit or payment card is linked to a regular account in a financial institution. If you use the card only for settlement transactions, then it is not necessary for its owner to know the full details of the card. But in the event that a transfer of funds needs to be made to the card, the recipient must provide the sender with the full details of his card account.
In such situations, it is required to present the so-called personal account of the Sberbank card. Money transfers are often carried out precisely using these details, since direct transfers that are made from one card to another are not available to Sberbank customers in all cases.
What is a personal account?
The personal account consists of 12 digits. It is in an envelope with a PIN card. The user receives this envelope along with the card. It is on the personal account that funds are received for subsequent storage. This attribute is not required during most operations, so most users are not even aware of its existence.
How to find out your personal account?
There are several ways to find out the account number of a Sberbank card:
- When issuing a card, an envelope is attached to it. Inside this envelope is a 12-digit personal account number.
- At a financial institution. A client of a credit institution personally comes to the office and confirms his identity with the relevant documents.
- You can find out the account number by calling the bank's hotline. The operator will provide all the information of interest to the client after he correctly names the keyword. This word is indicated by the client himself when filling out an application for issuing a plastic card.
- Through the Sberbank Online system on the Internet without leaving home.
Personal special account - assigned to each card individually. Third party access to this information is strictly prohibited.
How can I find out my checking account?
When receiving a bank plastic card at a branch of Sberbank, the client is given an envelope with a code, as well as a copy of the contract for servicing a current account. This account is a combination of 20 digits. It is provided to partners who are expected to receive a money transfer. There are several ways to find out your current account if you cannot find this data in a copy of the agreement with Sberbank.
- During the execution of payment transactions at an ATM, the monitor displays data on the account number with which financial transactions are performed.
- If a service called "Mobile Bank" is connected, then the current account number of a particular card is displayed on the user's personal page after the passwords have been entered in advance.
- By calling the hotline of your bank. In this case, the user must answer several questions. And only after the correct answers, the operator will provide all the information of interest to the client.
There are cases when, in order to carry out foreign exchange transactions, it is not enough to know the personal and current account of the card that was received at the branch of Sberbank. This information is supplemented by the details of the financial institution. Finding out the details of Sberbank is actually quite simple. To do this, just go to the official website. A link titled "bank details" will appear on the left. And if you need to find out the details of a particular regional branch, then in this case you can call the hotline, or ask the employee directly at the branch.
Correspondent and current account - what is it and what is the difference
When generating a payment order in favor of a counterparty, you can see a current account and a correspondent account in the document. The difference between them is significant, but many do not know about it. The first is necessary for servicing legal entities and individual entrepreneurs, and the second is required for related activities between different banks.
How one type of account differs from another, we will analyze in more detail in our article. You will also find out what transactions are carried out on both accounts.
What is a checking account
To make non-cash payments, you need to open a current account. It is a combination of numbers, which is unique and is indicated in the details during transfers. A current account can be opened by any legal entity or individual entrepreneur for doing business.
The law establishes a limit on cash payments. If the transaction amount in the contract is more than 100,000 rubles, then the entrepreneur is obliged to receive money to the current account, and not in cash.
A variety of operations are carried out on the current account:
- money transfers in favor of counterparties or government bodies (for example, payment of taxes);
- cash deposit (entrepreneurs can deposit funds from the cash desk to a current account);
- withdrawal of money for business needs, and in the case of individual entrepreneurs, for personal expenses.
Payment account- This is a kind of storehouse of businessman's funds. The money is in one place under the protection of the bank, but at any time they can be used. All settlement operations are carried out on the basis of the instructions of its owner.
Each legal entity or individual entrepreneur can have several accounts at the same time in different banks or in one. Moreover, each account is a unique combination of numbers that cannot be repeated. Very often, among those who have just opened a bank account as a legal entity, the question is asked: “ My account number is a current or correspondent account? This account is just a settlement account, which is intended for doing business.
What is a correspondent account
Banking organizations, as well as legal entities or individuals, need accounts. They also need to carry out various operations in connection with the specifics of their activities. For these purposes, a correspondent agreement is concluded between different banks.
Moreover, this agreement can be signed with another credit institution or with the Central Bank. Commercial banks resort to the services of the latter in order to preserve their own funds, since many banks leave the market, and the money of account holders is lost along with them. A correspondent account is a so-called bank account. It is necessary for the transfer of funds from banks and is issued in other credit institutions.
There are three types of correspondent accounts:
- nostro(that is, one bank opens an account in another);
- loro(when a bank registers accounts with other banks);
- vostro(when a bank draws up accounts for other foreign banks. In Russian practice, this name is rarely used, more often this type is referred to as loro).
A correspondent account is required for one bank to fulfill the requirements of other banks. For example, if an account in another bank is indicated in the payment order by the addressee, then a correspondent account in it is required for the bank that sent the payment.
True, not all payments require a correspondent account. For example, if the transfer is made within the same bank, even to another branch, there is no need for a correspondent bank (the correspondent bank is one of the parties to the correspondent agreement).
There can be several parties to an agreement in a correspondent agreement. These are not necessarily two banks, there can be many more. It all depends on the specifics of the payments made.
What's the Difference
Although the current and correspondent accounts have the same specifics, they are still different. You can see this in the following table.
Personal and current account: what's the difference?
When using banking services, the client is faced with terms such as personal and current account. Contrary to popular belief about the identity of the definitions, they have a number of differences.
What is the essence of a checking account?
The first thing to start with is to consider what is a bank account. This is a service that provides financial transactions (receiving or receiving payments), as well as replenishing or withdrawing money from a deposit using RBS. The numbers of such an account are registered in the details of a banking institution when making transfers and are registered with the Bank of Russia.
- Conducting transactions and payments (for individual entrepreneurs and legal entities).
- Making transactions (for individuals) - replenishing or withdrawing money from a deposit, conducting financial transactions (for example, transferring funds to an account of another individual).
Remote maintenance is one of the main features that allow you to classify an account as a settlement type. Thanks to RBS, a client of a financial and credit organization operates with funds as needed.
What is a bank account in fact? This is a unique number (20 digits) that is used by the client to:
- Translations.
- Carrying out transactions.
- Storage of funds.
- Receiving money from others.
- Payment for bank services.
From a cost standpoint:
- For legal entities and individual entrepreneurs, the service is paid. Banks charge funds for transactions and account maintenance.
- The service is free for citizens. It is opened, as a rule, to receive wages or save money.
What is the essence of a personal account?
To highlight the difference, consider, what is a bank account. This is an account (digital number) that an individual receives after completing the established procedures and concluding an agreement. Purpose - analytical accounting of monetary transactions that are carried out in cooperation with counterparties.
To transfer money to this account, the account number is written in the details, and only after the money is received, the banking institution credits them to the front.
Also, a personal account means:
- Part of the current account (from 14 to 20 digits).
- An account opened by an individual (on demand or savings).
- Account with the possibility of remote service. Suitable for individuals, but without the right to conduct transactions with counterparties.
What is a bank account in terms of opportunity? It allows:
- Transfer funds to legal entities (including a banking institution).
- Keep personal savings.
It cannot be used for doing business (commercial activities).
What is the difference?
If we consider the difference in services, it is worth highlighting a number of points:
- Facial:
- Not suitable for transactions involving the transfer and receipt of funds from other persons.
- It is used to solve personal problems - payment for communications, utilities, money management on other accounts.
- Opened by individuals.
- Estimated:
- Necessary for carrying out operations related to business activities.
- Allows you to send and receive payments from other bank accounts.
- Designed for legal entities and individual entrepreneurs.
- It can be used as a personal account - to pay for services, goods or store funds.
- It is opened only in a bank, while a personal account is often assigned to a client in other organizations (insurance companies, mobile operators, and others).
What common?
A personal account and a current account have much in common:
- Front - part of the settlement account (from 14 to 20 digits).
- Personal accounts used for transactions using RBS are often called settlement accounts.
- Can open in a bank.
In this way, current and personal account- different services that only occasionally intersect with each other in banking practice. When studying the proposals of a banking institution and choosing the appropriate option, this point should be taken into account
In the field of entrepreneurial and economic activity, each legal entity, in connection with the opening of a bank account, applies to a bank institution. A bank account equally predisposes an account that a bank forms for both legal entities and individuals for direct non-cash money transactions. Meanwhile, the accounts are divided into the following categories:
- Payment account.
- Foreign currency account.
- budget account.
- insured account.
- Personal account, etc.
To understand the difference between the accounts, you should consider a couple of accounts separately.
Payment account
This account means the account of a legal entity, owning a bank balance. This account predetermines the storage of funds, the implementation of non-cash procedures with other individuals and legal entities. The main criterion is that it is not used to make a profit and store funds, in other words, a current account is created so that the client can access and manage funds at any moment (transfer funds to a counterparty, deposit a certain amount to an account, or its removal).
Consider opening a checking account. It should be noted that the current account is formed only in ruble currency, for foreign currency, accounts of a different nature are opened. So, to open a current account in the selected bank, the following package of documents is provided:
- Card with samples of signatures and seals of executives.
- Information about the absence / presence of debt from the tax office.
- A document proving the identity of those persons who will have access to the current account.
- Copies of constituent documents previously certified by a notary.
- A completed contract for opening a current account, an application and a questionnaire.
Account decryption. In its composition, the current account contains 20 digits, which are divided into 6 groups:
- Group #1 covers the initial 3 digits (digits) indicating the purpose of the account (accounting for capital, fund, income and losses of a credit institution, storage procedure, interbank transactions).
- Group #2 includes the following 2 digits after group 1, namely the numbers 4 and 5. This group thoroughly decodes the indicators of the first group.
- Group #3 performs the function of an indicator of the currency in which non-cash transactions are carried out.
- Group #4 includes one single digit, which is a control parameter calculated using a complex formula, and intended to test the accuracy of given accounts when performing operations.
- Group #5 includes 4 digits indicating the number of the head office or branch of the bank.
- Group #6 covers the last 7 digits, which are the account number.
personal account
The concept of a personal account means accounting register, which is maintained by a specific person or a specific organization. Depending on the type and its function, various types of information can be displayed in the personal account.
Types of personal account and purpose. Consider the types of personal account, namely:
- Employee personal account(typical form). This register is used in personnel records. This register contains data on payroll, bonuses, allowances, benefits, financial assistance, etc. For an employee, a personal account is the fundamental documentation for recording wages.
- Bank personal account captures all the relationship of the bank with the client. In the institutions of the bank, operations are divided by type, therefore, for a separate client, for each type of operation, the bank opens several personal accounts.
- Taxpayer's personal account. This register is also formed for each taxpayer. This account is opened at the time of registration of a person in the tax office as a taxpayer. Here, accruals and fees are kept in accordance with the approved budget systematization, where each item is assigned a unique code.
- Personal account of shareholders. All data about securities belonging to an individual or legal entity is displayed here.
Checking account is a phrase often used in banking, accounting and business circles. It is usually found in the details or company card and is more often used in abbreviated form as "r / s". What is a current account, how does it differ from a personal, correspondent or recipient account? What are the benefits for legal entities and individual entrepreneurs? How to open or close it, what documents will be required for this? We will talk about all this and more in our material.
A current account is a bank account that is opened for legal entities and individual entrepreneurs (hereinafter referred to as IP) for the purpose of conducting financial transactions: cashless payments, for example, purchasing goods from a supplier, issuing invoices to other legal entities in order to pay for your services, accounting and storage of funds.
A current account allows an organization or entrepreneur to:
- Make non-cash payments, for example, for renting premises, transport services, purchasing goods, etc.;
- Issue invoices to other legal entities to pay for their own services;
- Make currency transfers to counterparties from other countries;
- Keep records and storage of funds;
- Conduct collection of funds, followed by crediting to your account and converting cash into a non-cash form;
- Receive interest on the balance of funds held on the account;
- Use additional banking services, such as, lending,;
- Pay employees wages by transferring non-cash funds to bank cards as part of the "Salary Project";
- Participate in tenders on the State Procurement website or take part in bankruptcy auctions for legal entities and individuals;
- Pay taxes, contributions to the Pension Fund and the FSS.
In the details, the current account is a unique 20-digit set of numbers that allows the bank to identify the client.
By the way, the concept of "settlement account" in the legislation of the Russian Federation is absent. Information can be obtained only in clause 2.3 of the Instruction of the Central Bank dated May 30, 2014 No. 153-I “On opening and closing bank accounts, deposits (deposits), deposit accounts”.
Both an individual (in this case the account is called a current account) and a legal entity can open a current account. Organizations and individual entrepreneurs use it strictly for commercial activities, and the obligation of legal entities to have a current account in Russia is enshrined in law.
For individual entrepreneurs, there is no such strict restriction, it is possible to conduct activities without a cash account, but in some cases this will be problematic. More on this below.
Settlement account for individual entrepreneurs
The legislation does not oblige entrepreneurs to open settlement accounts. You can use bank accounts and cards opened for an individual. But, as practice shows, it is difficult to conduct a successful business using them.
There are not so many cases when you can conduct business without using a current account. All of them relate to retail trade and the provision of personal services.
So, for example, if you sell fruits/vegetables in the market and accept cash payments from buyers, then most likely you will not need a checking account.
By the way, at the direction of the Bank of Russia (clauses 5 and 6 No. 3073-U of October 7, 2013), cash payments between individual entrepreneurs and legal entities are limited to the amount of 100,000 rubles. under one contract. Let's explain this rule with examples.
Example #1: Market trading
Suppose you pay rent for a place in the market by transferring money to the current account of the organization that owns the market. The lease agreement is usually concluded for 11 months. If the rental of your seat officially under the Agreement is, for example, 20,000 rubles. per month, then a limit of 100,000 rubles. will come in 5 months. This means that from the sixth to the eleventh month you will need to make the rest of the rent payments by bank transfer, that is, without a current account in any way.
When you purchase fruits/vegetables from a legal entity under the Agreement, there is also a limit of 100,000 rubles. To avoid this, some entrepreneurs break such contracts into several. True, not all organizations and legal entities willingly agree to this.
Example #2: Home manicure services
Let's consider another example: a girl opened an IP on a Patent and provides manicure / nail extension services at home. He accepts payments from clients in cash, does not pay rent, and does not interact with legal entities. In this case, the current account can not be opened.
However, not all customers will be comfortable paying for services in cash. According to , the number of bank card transactions in 2017 increased by a third compared to the same period in 2016. In total, there were 24 billion transactions totaling 63.4 trillion rubles.
As Olga Skorobogatova, First Deputy Chairman of the Bank of Russia, said: “Over the past few years, the trend towards increasing the use of bank cards in the payment system for goods and services has been increasing and the amount of cash withdrawn from cards has been decreasing.”
In such a situation, in order to improve the quality of service, it is more expedient for an individual entrepreneur - a manicurist to start a terminal for accepting card payments. And then, for the full-fledged operation of such a terminal, she will need a bank account ..
Well, if your activity is tied to working with large enterprises and there are substantial amounts in circulation, then there is nowhere without a current account. Even if it is less economically profitable, your potential customers will give preference to those counterparties who have a current account.
You can open several settlement accounts for different purposes, which allows you to more clearly account for cash flows. To optimize the cost of accounting, entrepreneurs use remote banking services, getting the opportunity to automate business processes.
Only at first glance, it may seem that the numbers in the current account are selected randomly. In fact, they all have their own meaning. It is not necessary to memorize at all, but it is useful to know about the possibility of decoding. For example, you can always check whether the counterparty provides you with reliable information about himself. For clarity, we divide a certain account into semantic blocks:
- 408 - the first three digits indicate who opened the account. For example, 408 - individuals and individual entrepreneurs; from 411 to 419 - government organizations; from 420 to 422 - legal entities and so on.
- 02 - these figures show the type of activity of the person who opened the account. For example, 40802 is an account opened by an individual who is an individual entrepreneur. 40702 - the account is opened for a legal entity, an open or closed joint stock company.
- 810 - account currency. 810 is the Russian ruble for transfers within the country, 643 is the ruble for international transfers, 840 is the US dollar, 978 is the euro.
- 4 - a check digit by which the bank determines whether the account is recorded correctly and whether it is currently valid.
- 3000 - the number of the bank branch in which the account was opened (not to be confused with other details -).
- 0024501 - the number of the client who opened the account in this bank division.
A complete list of the values of the account numbers can be found in Appendix No. 1 to the Regulation of the Bank of Russia dated February 27, 2017 N 579-P
By the way, in order to completely avoid errors when transferring funds, the bank identification code (BIC) and the correspondent account of the bank are indicated in the details along with the current account number.
What transactions can be carried out on a current account
The following actions are allowed on the current account:
1 Top-up. If your company provides services using cash, then replenishment is made through the bank's cash desk or through an ATM/terminal.
In general, banks are cautious about such operations, and if you try to “pump” millions of banknotes into your account every day in this way, the security service of the credit institution will have questions. They will quite reasonably try to find out how legally these funds were obtained. Therefore, you should carefully save all reporting on cash transactions - with large turnovers, the bank may request it.
2 Withdrawal of cash from the account. Banks are also not very fond of such operations: draconian commissions are often set for withdrawing large amounts. As a rule, it is possible to systematically withdraw significant funds only through the bank's cash desk.
3 Transfers to legal entities and individual entrepreneurs. Payment for deliveries, services rendered, work performed - in order to make such settlements with counterparties, you must create a payment order. You can issue a payment order in an accounting program, such as 1C, print it out and bring it to the bank. But this method is more expensive and is rarely used by entrepreneurs. Most modern banks that provide settlement and cash services allow you to create payment documents remotely (from home or office), which is much more convenient and faster than running around bank branches and standing in lines.
4 Mandatorypayments to the Tax, PFR and FSS. The online services of many banks allow you to generate payments to government agencies. They usually do not charge a commission for transfers.
5 Transfers to individuals. If you are an individual entrepreneur without employees, then using this type of payment you can transfer the money you earn to a card issued to you as an individual. In most banks, it is cheaper than cashing money at the cash desk. Just don’t try to engage in cash-out adventures - the account will be blocked instantly.
6 Receiving non-cash payments from individuals and legal entities. Funds to the account come from payments made through the bank's cash desk, acquiring pos-terminals and from ordinary payments made according to payment documents.
What documents are needed to open an account
| Document type | Entity | IP |
| Mandatory Documents | Charter of LLC, CJSC, PJSC, NAO | Passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation or other document proving the identity of an individual entrepreneur:
|
| Certificate of registration of a legal entity, an extract from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, received no earlier than a month | Application in the prescribed form (filled in the bank) | |
| Certificate of registration issued by the tax office before 01/01/2017 (if any) | ||
| A document confirming the authority of the head (appointment order, minutes of the meeting of shareholders, participants, decision or other documents) | Entrepreneur signature card (filled in at the bank) | |
| Order / power of attorney, if the director delegates to the employee the right to dispose of the organization's non-cash funds | IP registration certificate or USRIP record sheet on IP registration | |
| Sheet from the department of statistics with the codes of the organization's activities | Tax reporting for the last period (if the activity is carried out for more than 3 months) | |
| Sample signatures and seals certified by a bank specialist or notarized | ||
| Licenses and permits, if the type of activity of the organization requires it | ||
| A power of attorney, if the documents are not submitted by the head of the organization. | ||
| Company information sheet | ||
| Documents that the bank may require additionally) | Confirmation of the real existence of the legal address (document of ownership of the premises or lease agreement). | You may need to provide data on the main counterparties (including prospective ones if the activity is just starting) - these are the requirements in some territorial branches of Sberbank |
| Certificate of goodwill (recommendation letter from one or two counterparties) | ||
| Confirmation of financial solvency (accounting statements, tax return, certificate of absence of overdue debts) | ||
To open a settlement (current) account, an individual simply needs to present a passport and sign an application that will be generated by the operator.
If an organization or individual entrepreneur provides false information about themselves, they may be denied opening a current account. Refusal may follow in other cases, and the bank is not obliged to explain the reasons.
The algorithm for opening an account is approximately the same for both legal entities and individual entrepreneurs.
Step 1. Bank selection
When choosing a bank to open a current account, we recommend that you adhere to the following criteria:
1 The needs of your company. You need to make a list of the services you need and determine which of them are most important (for a regular store - inexpensive cash collection, for an online store - the speed of online payments, and so on).
2 Tariff plan. Explore the packages offered by several banks. Given that marketing promotions are a way to lure a client, you should not rush to the first offer to open an account for free. Look at the cost of other services: monthly service, payment order commission. Inexpensive cash collection may well be combined, for example, with a huge commission for withdrawing funds to accounts of individuals - such a tariff plan would not be profitable to use for paying salaries to staff. The most correct thing is to make a table, in one column of which there will be the services you need, and in the other - the amount that this or that bank will charge. By comparing the final data, you can easily make a choice. An example of such a table with data from real banks can be found here.
3 Feedback from other users. Check the reviews on the Internet about the bank you are interested in. If there is a lot of negativity on the selected bank, then perhaps you should not rush to make a choice.
4 Where your key counterparties and partners are served. If your counterparties have current accounts in one bank, then it makes sense to open a current account in the same bank. Your transactions will be processed faster.
5 The mode of bank branches and the operating day of the bank.
6 Number and location of service offices, ATMs. How convenient is it to get to the bank office, does it have many ATMs and branches around the city.
7 Bonuses. Does the bank offer bonuses for loyalty and long-term cooperation (loans at a reduced rate, other services at a reduced cost, and so on).
8 The quality of technical support.For example, clients v Tinkoff bank, Alfa-bank, Sberbank there is an opportunityget advice from a bank specialist,by calling the hotline, or by writing to the chat, which is sometimes more convenient, allowable when you don't have the opportunityhave a conversation on the phone, you ride the subway or do some important work at the same time. And there are Soviet banks that provide support only by email and answer only to official requests submitted through the secretary. You can expect answers from them. several days which is inconvenient in our time of rapid technological progress.
Step 2. Collection and execution of documents
Above, in the relevant chapter, there is a list of documents that banks require necessarily or may request in addition to the main ones. Prepare better for both.
Step 3. Submission of documents to the bank, filling out an application
In many banks, by submitting an online application, the entrepreneur immediately receives the details, which allows him to instantly issue invoices to counterparties to pay for the services provided. The only limitation is that it is impossible to withdraw the money received and make transfers to other organizations until an agreement with the bank is concluded. It is currently possible to conclude it either at the office of a financial institution, or at a meeting with its representative. A bank specialist with a set of necessary documents for concluding an agreement can come to your office or home. This service is provided by Tinkoff Bank, Alfa-Bank, Tochka, Modulbank, Sberbank*
* - in some regions only in the office; to clarify this point, go to the Sber website and select your region. If you see the icon “Open an account in your office” in the list of services, it means that the service “Field client manager” is available to you).
To conclude a formal contract, you will need the originals of all the documents listed above.
Step 4. Signing the contract
After the security service checks your documents, you or your representative will be invited to sign a settlement and cash service agreement (CSS), or, as mentioned above, a bank representative will come to you. At the same time, cards with samples of the signature and seal of the organization will be issued (for an individual entrepreneur working without a seal, only signatures).
In some banks, issuing a card with sample signatures is a paid service. These samples are needed in case that if suddenly you will not be able to transfer payment documents through your personal account on the bank's website, you will need to close the account or you will need to pay a visit to the bank branch to process any other documents.
Forms of contracts in different banks may differ, but in general they are standard. The set of RKO services and their cost is individual. According to the agreement, the bank undertakes to open a current account and provide a range of services for its maintenance.
The term of the contract is one year (most often with the possibility of automatic.
Step 5. Getting Started
After signing the contract, your current account is ready for work. Together with the package of documents, you will be given access to the online bank and all the necessary instructions for using it. In some banks, a USB Token is required for the correct operation of the online bank. This is such a special key on a flash drive with which secure operations are performed (payments, transfers, etc.).
It is mandatory to inform the bank about all changes in the constituent documents, details, legal and actual addresses.
You do not need to inform the tax office about opening an account now - the bank will do it for you.
How much does it cost to open an account
By itself, the cost of opening an account without prices for other operations within the framework of cash management services does not say much, but it happens that this is a matter of principle. Here is what the leading Russian banks offer:
| Bank | The cost of opening and maintaining an account |
| Sberbank | Free (minimum balance - 10 rubles) |
| Tinkoff | From 0 to 1000 rubles (when opening an account at a bank office) |
| Alfa Bank | From 0 rubles (minimum balance - from 1 ruble). |
| LocoBank | From 0 to 1300 rubles |
| UBRD | From 0 rubles |
| Dot | From 0 rubles |
| ExpertBank | From 0 rubles |
How to close a checking account
The account can be closed at the initiative of both the bank and the client himself. Let's consider the first option first.
The bank may block and then close your current account if:
- Zero balance on the client's account for 2 years.
- No transactions have been made on the account for 2 years.
- The bank found signs of violation of federal law No. 115-FZ (“On counteracting the legalization (laundering) of proceeds from crime and the financing of terrorism”). The account is closed if, on the basis of this Federal Law, incoming and/or outgoing transactions were blocked twice during the year.
For the first two reasons, the bank must notify the client of the upcoming closure of the account 2 months in advance by registered mail. On the third ground, the bank may terminate the cash settlement agreement without warning.
If you decide to close the account yourself, you must do the following:
- Submit an application to the bank to close the account and terminate the cash settlement agreement.
- If any bank services remain unpaid, pay off these debts.
- Hand over a checkbook and plastic cards (if they were issued) to the bank.
- Withdraw to another account or receive cash balances from the account being closed.
- Obtain a certificate from the bank about closing an account.
By law, the procedure takes no more than 7 days. To speed things up, withdraw the maximum possible amount of funds from the account in advance, leaving only to pay commissions, if any are expected (usually the bank closes the account for free, but other conditions may be set in small credit institutions).
Another option is to close the account in case of bankruptcy of the company, in this case, the bankruptcy trustee is in charge of everything.
Read more about bankruptcy
Frequently asked Questions
LLC registered. How long does it take to open a checking account?
According to Russian law, the founder of an LLC decides when to open a current account, no deadlines have been set. It is logical to do this at the same time as the start of operations. If you receive cash from buyers, they must be collected in order not to have problems with the tax office. By the time the funds are transferred by counterparties by bank transfer, you must have a current account number.
Can a bank refuse to open a current account?
Article 846 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation does not give the bank the right to refuse to conclude an agreement to open an account with a client, except in cases where this cannot be done for internal reasons (for example, a credit institution is in the process of bankruptcy or does not work with individual entrepreneurs, and this is enshrined in the relevant documents). In case of violation of this requirement, take a letter from the bank explaining why you were refused (Decree of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation No. 4760-U dated 30.03.2018). With this document, you should contact the Internet reception on the website of the Bank of Russia (cbr.ru) or submit an application by mail with the documents that you previously sent to the bank. Your application must be considered within 20 days. If a decision is made in your favor, the Central Bank of the Russian Federation will force the bank to conclude an agreement with you (previously it was required to go to court, starting in 2018, the procedure for handling complaints was simplified). Just think first: do you need a bank that does not want to see you as a client?
How many current accounts can one organization have? Is it allowed to have accounts in different banks?
According to Article 30 of the Federal Law No. 395-1 dated December 2, 1990 “On Banks and Banking Activities”, customers have the right to open the required number of settlement accounts in any currency in any banks of the Russian Federation (with the exception of restrictions established for state and some other organizations).
Some company mistakenly transferred money to our current account. Back does not require. How to proceed in this case?
According to the general rules established by banks for current accounts, if an erroneous transfer of funds is detected, it is necessary to inform the bank about this no later than 10 days later. It is impossible to appropriate other people's money - this can be considered as theft with all the ensuing consequences.
Is the current account and the beneficiary's account the same thing?
The payee's account is the same as the current account, if we are talking about individual entrepreneurs working using a bank card issued to an individual entrepreneur. This account (formally it is a regular, 20-digit one) can be used both for settlements and for storing funds. Legal entities open such accounts to receive payment for services rendered to a wide range of people.
How is a current account different from a correspondent account?
If a current account is opened by a legal entity and an individual entrepreneur, then a correspondent one opens one bank for another. Banks interact on the basis of a correspondent agreement. Commercial banks, the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, clearing companies can act as parties. If you, as an individual entrepreneur or LLC, instruct your bank to transfer money from your settlement account to a counterparty to an account in another bank, it is not without reason that you are required to provide details in which, along with the addressee's current account, a correspondent account is also indicated. The transfer is sent to a correspondent account in another bank, and from there it goes to the settlement account of the counterparty. This method allows you to keep records and control the movement of funds between credit institutions, and also allows banks to use the settlement system of the Central Bank or larger commercial banks.
There are several types of correspondent accounts - depending on the purpose:
- the bank opens correspondent accounts of other banks for carrying out debit transactions of clients to pay for services;
- the bank opens its correspondent accounts in other banks;
- A Russian bank opens a correspondent account for a foreign bank.
The first two types of correspondent accounts are used frequently, the third - rarely.
How is a personal account different from a checking account?
It all depends on the context in which the concept of a personal account is mentioned. Their main task is the identification of a particular client in the bank. For convenience, it is customary to call a current account a bank account opened for an individual entrepreneur or a legal entity, and a personal account - a bank account opened for an individual.
The screenshot below shows the bank details of an individual who has issued a regular debit card at Sberbank to receive child benefits.
As we can see, a 20-digit account is no different from an account that is assigned to an entrepreneur or some LLC. In addition to the account, the BIC, correspondent account and other details are indicated.
An individual can perform all the same operations as a legal entity: transfer money to another person or organization, pay for goods and services, withdraw cash from his account, etc.
But if the concept of a personal account is mentioned in relation to any organization, then here the context will be different. For example, when we enter into an Agreement for the provision of mobile services, a personal account is opened with a mobile operator in our name, to which all our funds will be credited to pay for the services used.
The essence is the same as in banks - the identification of a specific client, so that the operator's accounting department understands in whose name the funds received should be credited.
Conclusion
A current bank account is intended for financial transactions and storage of funds of commercial firms and individual entrepreneurs. It allows you to send and receive money by bank transfer, collect cash, transfer staff salaries to plastic cards, organize acquiring, and so on.
Any company or individual entrepreneur can open any number of current accounts, banks have no right to interfere with them.
In order to open an account, you need to calculate your needs, select a bank with the most favorable rates for settlement and cash services, collect a package of documents and apply to the selected credit institution. Most banks now allow the remote provision of documents in order to speed up the opening of a current account as much as possible.
The cost of opening an account is a conditional indicator, it must be considered in conjunction with other tariffs for cash settlement services. For marketing purposes, many banks provide the service of opening a current account for free, compensating for this with increased commissions for incoming and outgoing transactions.
You should also close your account wisely. To do this, you need to withdraw funds from it, pay off debts for bank services and submit an application. In some cases, the account may be closed at the initiative of the bank or as part of the bankruptcy procedure.
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