# Connecting a new Payout Account in Violet Connect

This guide explains how to connect or switch your payout account during the Violet Connect onboarding flow. Violet Connect is the merchant onboarding experience that allows you to set up your store connection and payment settings with a Channel.

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If you've already completed onboarding and want to manage your payout accounts from the Merchant Dashboard, see [Connecting a new Stripe Account for Payouts](https://merchant-help.violet.io/interacting-with-violet/getting-paid/connecting-new-stripe-accounts).
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## When to Use Violet Connect for Payout Setup

You'll use Violet Connect to set up or change your payout account in these scenarios:

* **Initial onboarding**: When first connecting your store to a Channel through Violet
* **Adding a new Channel**: When connecting to an additional sales channel that requires its own payout account
* **Switching accounts during setup**: When you need to change the payout account before completing onboarding

Each Channel (app) connection has its own dedicated payout account. You can have different payout accounts for different Channels, or use the same account across multiple Channels.

## Setting Up Your Payout Account in Violet Connect

When you reach the payments step in Violet Connect, you'll be prompted to connect a Stripe account for receiving payouts.

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**Choose Your Stripe Account Type**

You'll see two options for connecting your payout account:

1. **"Don't have a Stripe Account?"** - Select this to create a new Stripe Express account
2. **"Already have a Stripe Account?"** - Select this to connect an existing Stripe Standard account

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Some Channels may only support Stripe Express accounts. If Stripe Standard is unavailable for your Channel, you'll only see the option to create a Stripe Express account.
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**Complete the Stripe Onboarding Flow**

After selecting your account type, you'll be redirected to Stripe to complete the setup:

**For Stripe Express accounts:**

1. Select the **country** where your bank account is located
2. Complete the **KYC (Know Your Customer)** verification process
3. Provide your banking details for receiving payouts
4. Click **Submit** to finish

**For Stripe Standard accounts:**

1. Log in to your existing Stripe account
2. Authorize the connection to the Channel
3. Review and confirm the permissions

Once complete, you'll be redirected back to Violet Connect.
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**Verify Your Payout Account Status**

After returning from Stripe, your payout account status will be displayed in Violet Connect:

* **Active**: Your account is fully set up and ready to receive payouts
* **Pending**: KYC verification is in progress; you may need to provide additional information
* **Action Required**: Additional steps are needed in Stripe to complete verification

![Connected Stripe Express Account in Violet Connect](https://res.cloudinary.com/violet/image/upload/v1749584759/docs/violet_connect/VC-Stripe-Express-Account-2.png)

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If your account shows "Pending" or "Action Required", click **Go to Stripe** to complete any remaining verification steps.
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## Switching to a Different Payout Account in Violet Connect

If you've already connected a payout account during onboarding but need to switch to a different one, you can do so directly from Violet Connect:

1. Navigate to the **Payments** step in Violet Connect
2. Click **Create New Payout Account** below your existing account
3. Follow the same steps above to connect a new Stripe account
4. Once the new account is verified, click the status indicator and select **Make Active**
5. Confirm the switch in the modal that appears

{% hint style="info" %}
The previous account will become inactive but remains linked to your merchant profile. You can reactivate it later from the [Merchant Dashboard](https://merchant.violet.io/settings/payouts) if needed.
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## Understanding Payout Account Ownership

* Each Channel connection has exactly one **active** payout account at any time
* You can have multiple payout accounts per Channel, but only one receives payouts
* Switching accounts does not affect historical payment records—past distributions remain tied to the original account
* Refunds for orders placed before switching will be processed through the original account

## Next Steps

After completing your payout account setup in Violet Connect:

* Continue with the remaining onboarding steps to complete your Channel connection
* Review your payout settings in the [Merchant Dashboard](https://merchant.violet.io/settings/payouts)
* Learn more about [Understanding Payouts and Distributions](https://merchant-help.violet.io/interacting-with-violet/getting-paid/understanding-payouts)