What is a stored-value account?¶

A stored-value account records value within a provider for later spending, transfer or withdrawal. Its balance and structure differ from a conventional bank account.

Value can enter and leave through several routes¶

Funding may come from cards, banks, cash loads, wages, refunds, gifts or other users. The provider may hold underlying funds collectively while its ledger allocates customer entitlements. Internal payments need not create bank transactions.

Balances can include pending, promotional or non-withdrawable value, and accounts can be shared, compromised or multi-device.

Trace the provider ledger¶

Preserve account ID, balance history, funding, transactions, endpoints, access, authentication and withdrawals. Establish what each balance represented and map external funding, internal spending and cash-out.

Report provider-recorded value, funding source, holder and operator separately.