Creating Stripe Dashboard Transfers

This guide walks you through how to send funds (create a transfer) from your platform's Stripe balance to one of your connected Stripe accounts, entirely through the Stripe Dashboard. No coding or API calls are required.

Transfers move money from your platform's available Stripe balance into a connected account's balance. From there, the connected account receives the funds as a payout to their bank account or debit card, according to their payout schedule.

Before You Begin

Make sure the following prerequisites are met before attempting a transfer:

Requirement	Details
User Role	You must have Administrator privileges on the platform Stripe account. Other roles (e.g., Analyst, Developer) cannot initiate transfers.
Two-Factor Auth	Two-factor authentication (2FA) must be enabled on your Stripe account. Enable it at Settings > Security.
Sufficient Balance	Your platform must have enough available funds in its Stripe balance. Pending funds cannot be used. Stripe does not retry failed transfers if your balance is insufficient.
Platform Profile	Your platform profile must be approved. Check status at Connect > Settings > Platform profile.
Same Market	Your platform and the connected account must be in the same market, or the connected account must have a recipient service agreement.

Option A: Transfer via the Balances Page

This method lets you create a transfer from the main Balances section of your Stripe Dashboard. It is the most direct route.

1

Log in to your Stripe Dashboard

• Go to dashboard.stripe.com

• Sign in with your administrator credentials.

• If prompted, complete two-factor authentication.

2

Navigate to the Balances page

• In the left-hand sidebar, click on Balances (under the "Balance" section).

• You will see an overview of your platform's available and pending balances, along with recent payout activity.

3

Open the Transfers tab

• On the Balances page, look for the tabs near the top of the page.

• Click the Transfers tab.

• This tab shows a list of previous transfers to connected accounts (if any).

4

Click "New" to start a transfer

• In the Transfers tab, click the New button.

• A dialog box will open prompting you to enter the transfer details.

5

Fill in the transfer details

• Connected Account: Search for or select the connected account you want to send funds to. You can search by account name, email, or account ID.

• Amount: Enter the amount you want to transfer (in your platform's currency).

• Description (optional): Add a note or reference for your records.

6

Confirm and send the transfer

• Review all the details carefully.

• Click the Send or Confirm button to execute the transfer.

• The funds will be deducted from your platform's available balance and credited to the connected account's Stripe balance.

Option B: Transfer from a Connected Account's Detail Page

You can also initiate a transfer directly from a specific connected account's detail page. This is useful when you're already reviewing a particular account.

1

Navigate to the Connected Accounts page

• In the left sidebar of your Stripe Dashboard, find the Connect section.

• Click Accounts to open the Connected accounts list.

2

Open the connected account's detail page

• Find the account you want to send funds to. You can use the search bar to search by name, email, or account ID.

• Click on the account to open its Account details page.

3

Find the Balance section

• On the account's detail page, scroll down to the Balance section.

• Here you'll see the connected account's current balance breakdown.

4

Click "Add funds" or "Send funds"

• In the Balance section, click the Add funds button (it may also appear as Send funds depending on your account configuration).

• A dialog will open where you can enter the amount to transfer.

5

Enter the amount and confirm

• Enter the amount you want to transfer to this connected account.

• Review the details, then click to confirm the transfer.

• The funds will move from your platform's available balance into the connected account's balance.

Adding Funds to Your Platform Balance

If your platform's available balance is insufficient for the transfer, you'll need to add funds first.

1

Go to the Balances page

• In the left sidebar, click Balances.

2

Click "Add to balance"

• Click the Add to balance button.

• Select Payments balance — this is the balance used for transfers to connected accounts.

3

Verify your bank account (first time only)

• If this is your first time, you'll need to verify your bank account.

• Stripe will send two small microdeposits (with the description "ACCTVERIFY") to your bank account within 1–2 business days.

• Once you see them on your bank statement, return to the Balances page and enter the two deposit amounts to complete verification.

4

Enter the top-up amount and confirm

• Enter the amount you want to add.

• Select your payment method (bank debit or bank transfer).

• Click Add funds to initiate the top-up.

Settlement Timing by Method

Region	Method	Estimated Time
USA (USD)	Wire Transfer	1–5 days
USA (USD)	ACH Credit	1–3 days
USA (USD)	ACH Debit	5 days
EU (EUR)	SEPA Credit	1–2 days
UK (GBP)	Faster Payments	2 hours – 1 day
UK (GBP)	BACS	2–3 days

What Happens After the Transfer

Once the transfer is confirmed:

• The transfer amount is immediately deducted from your platform's available Stripe balance.

• The funds are credited to the connected account's Stripe balance (initially as pending, then available based on their payout schedule).

• The connected account will receive the funds as a payout to their linked bank account or debit card according to their payout settings.

• You can view the completed transfer in the Transfers tab on the Balances page.

Important Notes

• No automatic retries: If a transfer fails due to insufficient funds, Stripe will not retry it automatically. You must add funds to your balance and then manually initiate the transfer again.

• Currency: Transfers are made in your platform's default currency. Cross-currency transfers may have additional requirements.

• Negative balances: If a connected account has a negative balance, you cannot send payouts to their bank/debit card until the balance is positive. However, you can still transfer funds to their Stripe balance to help clear the negative amount.

Troubleshooting

Issue	Resolution
"I don't see the Transfers tab"	Make sure you have Stripe Connect enabled on your account and that you have Administrator access. The Transfers tab only appears on accounts with Connect functionality.
"Insufficient funds" error	Your available balance is too low. Add funds using the steps in the "Adding Funds to Your Platform Balance" section above, wait for them to settle, then try the transfer again.
"I can't find the connected account"	Use the search bar on the Connected accounts page. You can search by name, email address, or Stripe account ID (acct_...).
"Permission denied" or grayed-out buttons	Only users with Administrator privileges can initiate transfers. Ask your account owner to upgrade your role at Settings > Team.

Helpful Links

• Stripe: Managing Individual Connected Accounts

• Stripe: Understanding Connect Account Balances

• Stripe: Add Funds to Your Platform Balance

• Stripe: Payouts to Connected Accounts