## Zoho Payments Documentation Index

Access the complete documentation index at:
https://www.zoho.com/in/payments/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available documentation pages before proceeding.

# Creating Virtual Accounts and Getting Paid

Zoho Payments allows you to generate virtual accounts to collect payments from your customers and track payment status in real time from the Collect module.

*   [Create Virtual Accounts](#Create-Virtual-Accounts)
*   [Share Virtual Accounts](#Share-Virtual-Accounts)
*   [Getting Paid via Virtual Accounts](#Getting-paid)

## Create Virtual Accounts

You can create a virtual account and start collecting payments immediately. When a virtual account is created, it is automatically marked as **Active**.

To create a virtual account:

1.  Go to the _Collect_ module and click **\+ New Virtual Account.**
2.  Enter a **Description**\* for the payment. This field is mandatory to create the virtual account. To add more details, follow the steps below.
3.  Search for and select a **Customer** to collect payment from a specific individual.
4.  Click **Show Advanced Options.**
5.  Enter a **Reference**, such as an order number or any unique identifier, for easy tracking.
6.  Set a **Minimum** and **Maximum** payment amount.
7.  Set an **Account** **Expiration Date.**

**Notes:**

*   Payments outside the allowed amount or after expiry will fail. Ensure customers pay within limits and before the virtual account expires.
*   If no expiry is set, virtual accounts expire automatically after 1 year of inactivity.

8.  Click **Create Virtual Account.**

[![Create Virtual Account](/in/payments/help/collect/create.png)](/in/payments/help/collect/create.png)

Your virtual account will be created and you can share it with your customers to receive payments.

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## Share Virtual Accounts

Once a virtual account is generated, you can share it with your customers and collect payments in two ways:

*   **Share via Email** **or** **WhatsApp**: Select the virtual account, click the **More** icon on the top-left corner, and select **Share** from the dropdown. Enter the customer’s **Email ID** or **Phone**, then preview the template from the right panel. Select the channel and then click **Share**. The account details will be sent to your customer via email.
    
    For WhatsApp, you’ll be redirected to the app to share account details directly with your customers.
    
    [![Share Virtual Account](/in/payments/help/collect/share.png)](/in/payments/help/collect/share.png)
*   **Copy and Share Account Details:** Select the virtual account, click the **Copy** button next to the account number, and share it with your customer through any messaging platform you prefer.
    
    [![Copy and Share your Virtual Account](/in/payments/help/collect/account-details.png)](/in/payments/help/collect/account-details.png)

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## Getting Paid via Virtual Accounts

Once you share a virtual account with your customers, they can make bank transfers using NEFT, RTGS, or IMPS.

To make a bank transfer, your customer should:

1.  Log in to their online banking portal using their credentials.
2.  Add the account as a **Beneficiary.**

**Note:** Payments to a new beneficiary are subject to bank cooling-period guidelines.

3.  Select their preferred transaction type, NEFT, RTGS, or IMPS, and complete the payment.

**Note:** Refunds are not supported for payments received via virtual accounts. You will need to process refunds offline for your customers.

Once the payment is completed, it may take 3–4 hours for the transaction to reflect in Zoho Payments, depending on your bank’s processing time. You can view the payment in the Payment History tab of the virtual account or in the Payments module.