Do you get drained from tasks requiring you to enter data manually? Do you desire easier control over your spending? The solution lies in the virtual account.
Virtual accounts are online bank accounts created electronically that can be used to transfer money directly to each individual. Virtual accounts are a great option for businesses searching for a straightforward, secure, and economical method to manage their money. According to a recent Grand View Research study, the global market for virtual accounts is anticipated to reach $5.8 billion by 2027, with a cumulative annual growth rate of 22.6%, highlighting the growing significance of virtual accounts in the financial environment.
In this blog, we’ll examine the workings of virtual accounts, their benefits for money administration, and some of their uses.
Disadvantages of Traditional Transaction Banking
The following are the disadvantages of the traditional approach:
1. The traditional transactional banking method handles the currency through the demand savings account, necessitating extensive upkeep and division for a particular region.
2. As businesses expanded, monetary deposits were dispersed among various bank accounts. As a consequence, each entity has a complex account system.
3. Cash administration is costly and time-consuming due to hand reconciliation and various reporting methods.
4. Additionally, the chances of error are high due to the complex structure.
Hence, a virtual account transaction processing system was needed, which could overcome the above disadvantages.
How do Virtual Accounts Work?
By using virtual accounts, transactional information is stored in an organized format. Here is how:
1. A virtual account is an online bank account that can be set up with a few basic details like name, mail id, and mobile number.
2. It consists of a unique ID known as a Virtual account number used to identify each transaction for multiple users automatically.
3. Virtual accounts work by identifying and utilizing these unique numbers to allocate transactions to a ledger, a storage area within a physical account.
4. Opening and ending amount reports are also kept for each virtual account.
5. When money is received, it is transferred to both an actual account and a virtual account that corresponds to it.
Key Features & Functionalities of Virtual Accounts
Features of virtual accounts include the following:
1. Opening a virtual account is simple and doesn’t require a real bank location.
2. It is a fantastic option for complicated financial flows and can be used for particular deals to facilitate easy cash movement.
3. You can customize your virtual account according to your preferences thanks to the user-friendly, uncomplicated user UI that is provided by many virtual account companies.
4. There are several different kinds of virtual accounts accessible, such as payment handling virtual accounts that let companies control bills and expenditure management virtual accounts that let them keep track of and reconcile expenses.
Benefits of Virtual Accounts in Managing Finances
Virtual accounts are becoming increasingly common among companies due to their numerous advantages. Here are some of the primary benefits of using virtual accounts for your money management needs:
1. Virtual accounts streamline the entire treasury system, which allows treasurers to concentrate more on activities like predicting future cash requirements and managing interest rates.
2. The use of virtual accounts helps to automate many time-consuming tasks, thereby saving a lot of cost and effort.
3. Using two-factor authentication and real-time tracking, virtual accounts can increase security. This protects companies from possible financial harm.
4. A business can better control its cash flow thanks to the financial transparency that virtual accounts give it.
5. It simplifies liquidity management by centralizing currency and increasing fund access.
6. It eliminates the requirement to maintain multiple bank accounts for businesses. As a result, it allows easier administration of accounts.
7. Virtual accounts provide a detailed cash report within an organization, i.e., zip code level, product level, etc.
Virtual Account Use Cases
Virtual accounts have a wide range of use cases because of their versatility in catering to companies of all sizes. Here are some of the key use cases related to virtual accounts:
1. Virtual accounts for international transactions: Virtual accounts are easily used to perform cross-border payments. Features like multi-currency support and real-time currency exchange rates are being offered, making them a valuable tool for businesses with global operations.
2. Virtual accounts for expenditure management: By streamlining the accounting of expenses, virtual accounts make it easier for businesses to keep track of their spending. These accounts allow supervisors and employees to rapidly submit invoices for approval or rejection. You can save a ton of time and effort this way.
3. Virtual accounts for payment processing: With the aid of virtual accounts, it is possible to handle customer, debtor, and merchant funds right away. It can also be customized according to region, funding mechanism, currency, etc. In this way, it is the finest tool for handling complex transfers and real-time transaction reconciliation.
Virtual Accounts vs. Other Financial Tools
Some of the key differences between virtual accounts and other popular financial tools are:
1. Virtual account vs. credit cards: Virtual accounts offer greater control over payment flows and expenses than credit cards. Features like real-time monitoring and set transaction limits for fraud prevention make it a better choice. Credit cards, on the other hand, have greater costs and interest rates.
2. Virtual accounts vs. e-wallets: E-wallets like PayPal provide a simple way for companies to send & receive payments. Compared to e-wallets, virtual accounts provide better control and security. E-wallets charge higher fees on transaction size and frequency. Hence virtual accounts are preferable for users.
3. Virtual account vs. prepaid cards: Prepaid cards can be used to pay taxes and other expenditures if you don’t have cash on hand, as compared to a virtual account. It is similar to virtual accounts but with a certain amount restriction. Depending on their categorization, currency, and region, payments made through virtual accounts can be changed.
Parameters to Choose a Virtual Account Provider
A few of the parameters to consider for choosing a Virtual Account Provider are:
1. Customizable Solution: Virtual accounts offer solutions per the customer’s financial management needs.
2. Enhanced Security: Improved safety features like encryption, two-factor authentication, and real-time monitoring are offered to protect data.
3. Integration: Consider how well the provider’s virtual account platform integrates with your existing accounting software and other financial tools.
4. Support: Choose a provider that offers responsive customer support, including live chat, phone, and email options.
5. Cost: Compare different virtual account providers’ pricing structures and fees to find the one that best fits your budget.
Conclusion
Virtual accounts offer a smooth and cost-efficient solution for companies to manage their finances. Earlier, the traditional way of bank transactions involved a complex payment structure and was subjected to a lot of mistakes since performed manually. To overcome that, virtual accounts were introduced wherein one can easily do transactions without any bank account. Companies that use this technology can better handle their financial processes and remain ahead of the competition. With Fidypay as your virtual account provider and payment method option, you can access a comprehensive platform that suits your financial management requirements while also assisting your company in thriving in the digital era. So, why delay? Begin exploring the potential of virtual accounts today to propel your company forward.
