# Manage payment methods for connected accounts

Create and update payment method configurations for use by your connected accounts.

Payment method management for connected accounts depends on the charge type and *merchant of record (MoR)* (The legal entity responsible for facilitating the sale of products to a customer that handles any applicable regulations and liabilities, including sales taxes. In a Connect integration, it can be the platform or a connected account). For charges where the connected account is the MoR, including *direct charges* (A charge type where customers transact directly with a connected account, which is always the merchant of record. With each payment, the connected account pays fees to Stripe and, optionally, to your platform) and *indirect charges* (A charge type where customers transact directly with your platform instead of with a connected account. Indirect charges include destination charges and separate charges and transfers) that have `on_behalf_of` set, the payment method must be enabled on the connected account. For charges where the platform is the MoR, including *indirect charges* (A charge type where customers transact directly with your platform instead of with a connected account. Indirect charges include destination charges and separate charges and transfers) that don’t have `on_behalf_of` set, the connected account’s enabled payment methods don’t matter. The payment method must be enabled on the platform.

If you explicitly specify payment methods for each payment, you need to make sure that those payment methods are enabled. The charge type determines whether they must be enabled on your platform or on the connected account. Stripe recommends that you instead use [dynamic payment methods](https://docs.stripe.com/payments/payment-methods/dynamic-payment-methods.md).

If you use dynamic payment methods, you configure which payment methods your connected accounts accept on the [Payment methods](https://dashboard.stripe.com/settings/payment_methods/connected_accounts) page of your Connect settings. The Payment methods settings page includes two sets of [payment method configurations](https://docs.stripe.com/payments/payment-method-configurations.md):

- **For your connected accounts**: These configurations apply to *direct charges* (A charge type where customers transact directly with a connected account, which is always the merchant of record. With each payment, the connected account pays fees to Stripe and, optionally, to your platform) and to *indirect charges* (A charge type where customers transact directly with your platform instead of with a connected account. Indirect charges include destination charges and separate charges and transfers) that have `on_behalf_of` set. They define the default availability of payment methods. For certain payment methods, you can override these configurations for specific accounts or account countries.
- **For your platform account**: These configurations apply to *indirect charges* (A charge type where customers transact directly with your platform instead of with a connected account. Indirect charges include destination charges and separate charges and transfers) that don’t have `on_behalf_of` set and to charges on your platform that aren’t related to Connect.

Each set includes a default configuration that’s used for any payments where you don’t specify a different configuration. You can create additional configurations to use instead in certain payment scenarios. For example, you can create a configuration for use with subscription payments or with payments that exceed a certain amount.

To edit a payment method configuration, select a configuration set and then click the configuration. To add a configuration, select a configuration set and then click **+ Create**.

For information about managing the payment method configurations for your platform account, see [Payment method configurations](https://docs.stripe.com/payments/payment-method-configurations.md). The rest of this document applies to the payment method configurations for your connected accounts.

> #### Changes to connected account payment method configurations
> 
> Because updating these configurations can affect all of your connected accounts, saving any changes requires you to review them in a confirmation dialog.

## Configure default payment method availability

Each payment method configuration that you configure on your platform for your connected accounts defines the default payment method availability for payments where you specify that configuration. The `Default` payment method configuration defines the default payment method availability for any payment where you don’t specify a different configuration.

You must use the Dashboard to configure these payment method configurations on your platform. You can’t use the Payment Method Configurations API. However, you can [use the API to override these configurations for individual connected accounts](https://docs.stripe.com/connect/multiple-payment-method-configurations.md).

For most payment methods, you can select one of the following default statuses from the dropdown.

|  |
| **On by default** | By default, your connected accounts accept this payment method during checkout. You can’t select this setting for certain payment methods that your connected accounts with *access to the full Stripe Dashboard* (Platforms can provide connected accounts with access to the full Stripe Dashboard or the Express Dashboard. Otherwise, platforms build an interface for connected accounts using embedded components or the Stripe API) must activate in their own settings page. |
| **Off by default** | By default, your connected accounts don’t accept this payment method during checkout. If you allow your connected accounts with *access to the full Stripe Dashboard* (Platforms can provide connected accounts with access to the full Stripe Dashboard or the Express Dashboard. Otherwise, platforms build an interface for connected accounts using embedded components or the Stripe API) to manage their own payment methods, they can turn it on. |
| **Blocked** | Your connected accounts don’t accept this payment method during checkout. If you allow your connected accounts with *access to the full Stripe Dashboard* (Platforms can provide connected accounts with access to the full Stripe Dashboard or the Express Dashboard. Otherwise, platforms build an interface for connected accounts using embedded components or the Stripe API) to manage their own payment methods, they can’t turn it on. |

Some payment methods can only be enabled for individual accounts. They display **Configured per account** instead of the default selection dropdown.

Some payment methods also allow you to set different defaults for different countries. If you expand a payment method, and it displays a list of countries with status dropdowns, you can set its default for each country to **On**, **Off**, or **Blocked**. If you change the payment method’s main default status, it also sets all of the country defaults.

If you change a payment method to **On by default** or **Off by default**, it doesn’t affect connected accounts that have explicitly turned that payment method on or off. It only affects connected accounts that still use that method’s default setting.

If a payment method supports [availability rules](https://docs.stripe.com/payments/payment-method-rules.md), you can configure its default rules by clicking its overflow menu ⋯.

## Allow connected accounts to manage payment methods (Recommended)

You can allow certain connected accounts to view and update their own payment methods. Accounts can do so if they have access to the *full Stripe Dashboard* (Platforms can provide connected accounts with access to the full Stripe Dashboard or the Express Dashboard. Otherwise, platforms build an interface for connected accounts using embedded components or the Stripe API) or to the [Payment method settings](https://docs.stripe.com/connect/supported-embedded-components/payment-method-settings.md) embedded component. Their default payment methods match the defaults that you set, which they can override (except for payment methods that you’ve blocked).

You control this access separately for each payment method configuration. To enable it, select the payment method configuration, then find the **Account customization** section and turn on **Allow connected accounts to customize their own payment methods from the Dashboard**.

## Manage payment methods for individual connected accounts

For connected accounts without access, or if you don’t allow payment method self-management, you can manage a connected account’s payment methods from its details page.

1. From the [Connected accounts page](https://dashboard.stripe.com/connect/accounts) in your Dashboard, click the connected account and then select the **Payment methods** tab.
2. Hover over the desired payment method and click the **View details** tooltip.
3. Deselect **Inherit from platform settings**.
4. Click the current status and select a new one from the dropdown. If the payment method requires the connected account to activate the payment method capability themselves, you can’t select **Enabled**.
5. If the payment method supports [availability rules](https://docs.stripe.com/payments/payment-method-rules.md), you can override its default rules by clicking **Customize**.
6. If you enable a payment method with a corresponding capability, and it isn’t enabled by default, you must also [request the capability for the connected account](https://docs.stripe.com/connect/account-capabilities.md#creating).

## Payment method eligibility

Some connected accounts might not be eligible to accept certain payment methods. Neither you nor owners of those accounts can turn on those payment methods for them. Some of the reasons for payment method ineligibility include:

- The account hasn’t fulfilled the [requirements](https://docs.stripe.com/connect/required-verification-information.md) for the payment method’s capability.
- The payment method prohibits the [merchant category code (MCC)](https://docs.stripe.com/connect/setting-mcc.md) used by the account.
- The account is a payee or recipient only, and doesn’t accept payments.
- Stripe has flagged the account for fraud risk and has blocked its capabilities.

To check which connected accounts are eligible to use a payment method:

1. From the **Settings** > **Connect** > **Payment methods** > [Connected accounts](https://dashboard.stripe.com/settings/payment_methods/connected_accounts) page in the Dashboard, select a payment method configuration containing the payment method.
2. Expand the payment method to view its details. Most payment methods display a list of the number of accounts in each status per country:
   - **Missing info:** Accounts that have outstanding requirements.
   - **Ineligible:** Accounts that aren’t eligible to accept the payment method because of reasons such as a prohibited MCC or unsupported country.
   - **Eligible:** Accounts that are eligible to accept the payment method, but don’t have it enabled. These accounts can accept the payment method when it’s explicitly included in a transaction.
   - **Enabled:** Accounts that are eligible to accept the payment method and that have it enabled.
3. Click **Download account list** to export a CSV list of specific connected accounts and their statuses for the selected payment method.

The CSV list doesn’t include accounts that have no payment activity in the past 90 days, unless the account is less than 30 days old.

For payment methods with an associated capability, enabled accounts show the status of the capability instead of `Enabled`:

- `requested_active`
- `requested_inactive`
- `requested_needs_info`

## Payment method capabilities

Most payment methods have an associated capability that must be activated for a connected account before that account can enable the payment method.

If you set a payment method to on by default, Stripe automatically requests the capability for all eligible connected accounts that need it and that have already fulfilled its requirements. If a connected account doesn’t meet the requirements, requesting the capability might cause the account to display (Restricted) in the Dashboard. In that case, you can manually request the capability in the Dashboard or using the API.

When you create a connected account with a payment method that’s on by default, Stripe automatically requests that payment method’s capability if it doesn’t add any new requirements to the account.

Most payment methods have the same verification requirements as the `card_payments` capability, with some restrictions and exceptions. The [payment method capabilities table](https://docs.stripe.com/connect/account-capabilities.md#payment-methods) shows which payment methods have additional requirements.

#### Dashboard

[Find a connected account](https://docs.stripe.com/connect/dashboard/managing-individual-accounts.md#finding-accounts) in the Dashboard to edit its capabilities and view outstanding verification requirements.

#### API

#### Accounts v2

To identify a connected account’s requested and active capabilities, retrieve the `Account` object and inspect its [merchant capabilities](https://docs.stripe.com/api/v2/core/accounts/retrieve.md#v2_retrieve_accounts-response-configuration-merchant-capabilities).

```curl
curl -G https://api.stripe.com/v2/core/accounts/{{CONNECTEDACCOUNT_ID}} \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <<YOUR_SECRET_KEY>>" \
  -H "Stripe-Version: 2026-07-29.preview" \
  -d "include[0]=configuration.merchant"
```

To request a capability, [update the Account](https://docs.stripe.com/api/v2/core/accounts/update.md#v2_update_accounts-configuration-merchant-capabilities) and set that capability’s `requested` property to true.

```curl
curl -X POST https://api.stripe.com/v2/core/accounts/{{CONNECTEDACCOUNT_ID}} \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <<YOUR_SECRET_KEY>>" \
  -H "Stripe-Version: 2026-07-29.preview" \
  --json '{
    "configuration": {
        "merchant": {
            "capabilities": {
                "ach_debit_payments": {
                    "requested": true
                }
            }
        }
    },
    "include": [
        "configuration.merchant",
        "requirements"
    ]
  }'
```

There can be a delay before the requested capability becomes active. If the capability has any activation requirements, the response includes them in the `requirements` arrays.

#### Accounts v1

To identify a connected account’s requested and active capabilities, retrieve the `Account` object and [list its capabilities](https://docs.stripe.com/api/capabilities/list.md).

```curl
curl https://api.stripe.com/v1/accounts/{{CONNECTEDACCOUNT_ID}}/capabilities \
  -u "<<YOUR_SECRET_KEY>>:"
```

To request a capability, [update the Account](https://docs.stripe.com/api/capabilities/update.md) and set that capability’s `requested` property to true.

```curl
curl https://api.stripe.com/v1/accounts/{{CONNECTEDACCOUNT_ID}}/capabilities/us_bank_account_ach_payments \
  -u "<<YOUR_SECRET_KEY>>:" \
  -d requested=true
```

You might see a delay before the requested capability becomes active. If the capability has any activation requirements, the response includes them in the `requirements` arrays.

## See also

- [A guide to payment methods](https://stripe.com/payments/payment-methods-guide#choosing-the-right-payment-methods-for-your-business)
- [Payment method and product support](https://docs.stripe.com/payments/payment-methods/payment-method-support.md#product-support)