Deposit account

A deposit account is a savings account, current account or any other type of bank account that allows money to be deposited and withdrawn by the account holder. These transactions are recorded on the bank's books, and the resulting balance is recorded as a liability for the bank and represents the amount owed by the bank to the customer. Some banks may charge a fee for this service, while others may pay the customer interest on the funds deposited.

Major types

Legal framework

Subject to restrictions imposed by the terms and conditions of the account, the account holder (customer) retains the right to have their money repaid on demand. The customer may or may not be able to pay money into or out of the account by cheque, internet banking, EFTPOS or other channels, depending on those terms and conditions.

The banking terms "deposit" and "withdrawal" mean a customer paying money into, and taking money out of, the account. From a legal and financial accounting standpoint, the term "deposit" is used by the banking industry in financial statements to describe the liability owed by the bank to its depositor, and not the funds that the bank holds as a result of the deposit, which are shown as assets of the bank.

Offshore bank

An offshore bank is a bank located outside the country of residence of the depositor. Typically, an individual or company will use an offshore bank in a low-tax jurisdiction (or tax haven) that provides financial and legal advantages. These advantages typically include:

While the term originates from the Channel Islands being "offshore" from the United Kingdom, and while most offshore banks are located in island nations to this day, the term is used figuratively to refer to any bank used for these advantages, regardless of location. Thus, an "offshore banks" include Swiss banks and those of other landlocked nations such as Luxembourg and Andorra.