---
title: "External accounts"
---
External accounts are accounts outside Gravv, such as bank accounts and mobile money wallets, that you pay out to. You link an external account to a customer, then use it as the destination for [external transfers](/platform/transfers/external-transfers) and [international transfers](/platform/transfers/international-transfers).

> 📘 Note
>
> Every external account must be associated with a customer.

## How it works

1. For a global bank or mobile money payee, [look up the institution](/platform/external-accounts/retrieve-supported-institutions) to get its `institution_id`. US bank (ACH or wire) and SEPA payees skip this step.
2. [Add the external account](/platform/external-accounts/add-an-external-account) with the payee details.
3. [Verify the external account](/platform/external-accounts/verify-an-external-account) before sending funds.
4. [Retrieve external accounts](/platform/external-accounts/retrieve-external-accounts) to list a customer's linked accounts.

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Add an external account" href="/platform/external-accounts/add-an-external-account">
    Link a bank account or mobile money wallet as an external account.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Verify an external account" href="/platform/external-accounts/verify-an-external-account">
    Confirm an external account before sending funds.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Retrieve external accounts" href="/platform/external-accounts/retrieve-external-accounts">
    Fetch a customer's linked external accounts.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Retrieve supported institutions" href="/platform/external-accounts/retrieve-supported-institutions">
    Look up the `institution_id` for global bank and mobile money payees.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>