A growing number of banks are starting to see disbursements; not as the end of a process, but the start of a relationship. At the center of this shift is a powerful new strategy — virtual accounts. More than just a modern payment tool, virtual accounts give banks the ability to rewire how payments create value, turning one-time payouts into always-on financial relationships. Shifting the focus from virtual accounts as a tactic to virtual accounts as a strategy is important to driving momentum against that shift. Because virtual accounts allow banks to move beyond simply sending money to a recipient’s existing account at another financial institution or FinTech digital wallet. Instead, they offer the chance to issue a branded digital account to those receivers instantly and at scale. And they can do that where funds are deposited, and this is where the opportunity for new engagement around that account begins. For financial institutions, traditional disbursements often generate little future value beyond the corporate account that wants to move the money to a recipient. Thinking about virtual accounts as a strategy flips the economics. Instead of seeing static money, recipients gain faster access to funds, financial management tools, and even rewards. Banks gain new revenue streams, behavioral insights, and lasting customer relationships. For banks under pressure to innovate and differentiate, this strategy offers a powerful competitive edge. The magic of virtual accounts is in their ability to close the loop inside of an existing bank ecosystem. Funds don’t just exit the bank. They stay in branded environments where they can be spent, transferred or saved.