> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.teel.finance/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Payment methods

> How your funding sources and recipient payment methods differ

## Two kinds of payment methods

Teel has two distinct concepts that are easy to confuse:

* **Your payment methods** — the accounts you fund payouts *from*. Configured in the **Teel dashboard**, not via the API.
* **Recipient payment methods** — the accounts your recipients receive funds *into*. Managed via the API, as part of [creating a recipient](/guides/recipients).

|                    | Your payment method             | Recipient payment method                                             |
| ------------------ | ------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Purpose**        | Fund outgoing payouts           | Receive incoming payments                                            |
| **Configured via** | Teel dashboard                  | API — `POST /recipients` and `POST /recipients/{id}/payment-methods` |
| **Belongs to**     | Your organization               | The recipient                                                        |
| **Example**        | Your company's USD bank account | A vendor's EUR IBAN                                                  |

## Your funding payment methods (dashboard)

Your funding sources are set up in the Teel dashboard, during or after onboarding. Partner API keys (`sk_live_…` / `sk_test_…`) are scoped to operational endpoints (recipients, quotes, payouts, webhooks) and **cannot** create or list your funding payment methods — those endpoints are dashboard-only and reject partner keys.

<Note>
  To add or change a funding source, use the dashboard. If you need programmatic access to your funding configuration, contact **[support@teel.finance](mailto:support@teel.finance)**.
</Note>

When you execute a payout, the source of funds is your dashboard-configured funding — you don't create or pass a funding payment method through the public API.

## Recipient payment methods (API)

The accounts your recipients receive into are created through the recipients API. See [Managing recipients](/guides/recipients) for:

* Creating a recipient with one or more payment methods
* Adding a payment method to an existing recipient
* Removing a payment method

Requirements vary by currency and rail — for example, ACH transfers need a routing number while SEPA transfers need an IBAN. Fetch the dynamic schema from `GET /recipients/requirements` and render it as a form rather than hard-coding fields.