A personal account is an account for use by an individual for that person's own needs. It is a relative term to differentiate them from those accounts for business or corporate use. This is also a type of account offered by banks to customers, that is consumers rather than businesses, intermediaries and institutions. The distinction is made between personal accounts and other accounts in banking and accounting because different account types have different implications and treatments.

For a personal account, there should only be one person depositing and withdrawing money and therefore security measures will be in place to make sure the right person is accessing the funds.

The customers of personal banking services and products are commonly the general public that includes adult individuals, retirees, students, children who may be citizens, residents and non-residents depending on the requirements of the country or bank. While affluent individuals may also use personal banking services, they may also be offered private banking services by banks which can include more sophisticated services and investments.