# Stripe accounts

Learn how to activate and manage your Stripe account.

Immediately after you create a Stripe account, you can use your account in testing environments. In a *sandbox* (A sandbox is an isolated test environment that allows you to test Stripe functionality in your account without affecting your live integration. Use sandboxes to safely experiment with new features and changes), simulate transactions and use all of Stripe’s features without moving any money. To accept real payments, you must activate your account to use live mode. If you haven’t already, [create a Stripe account](https://dashboard.stripe.com/register).

Stripe generates an ID for your account. This ID is different from your account’s name and uniquely identifies your account. You can find your account ID in your [Account](https://dashboard.stripe.com/settings/account) and [Personal details](https://dashboard.stripe.com/settings/user) settings.

## Get started

[Activate your account](https://docs.stripe.com/get-started/account/activate.md): Activate your Stripe account and keep it safe.

[Create and manage multiple accounts](https://docs.stripe.com/get-started/account/multiple-accounts.md): Create multiple Stripe accounts to unlock a number of additional benefits, including separating tax and legal entity information.

[Take your Stripe account live](https://docs.stripe.com/get-started/account/checklist.md): Complete Stripe’s account checklist to ensure best business practices.

## Manage your account

[Start a team](https://docs.stripe.com/get-started/account/teams.md): Invite members of your team to access your Stripe account.

[Set up a custom domain](https://docs.stripe.com/get-started/account/email-domain.md): Send emails such as invoices, receipts, and failed payments, from a custom domain.

[Migrate sensitive payments data](https://docs.stripe.com/get-started/data-migrations/pan-export.md): Securely move customer and payment details to your Stripe account.

[Create multiple Stripe accounts](https://docs.stripe.com/get-started/account/multiple-accounts.md): Create and manage multiple separate Stripe accounts.

[Manage linked external accounts](https://docs.stripe.com/get-started/account/linked-external-accounts.md): Manage your linked external accounts.