---
title: Understanding Scaleway Account
description: Understand how your Scaleway account and Organization work, including account types, login and security options, support plans, and data protection.
tags: account organization owner console
dates:
  validation: 2026-09-04
---

Your Scaleway account is the entry point to the Scaleway ecosystem. It gives you access to the [Scaleway console](https://console.scaleway.com) and the [Scaleway API](https://www.scaleway.com/en/developers/api/), from which you create, deploy, and manage your cloud resources. This page aims to give you an overview of how your account works, and explains some of the terminology and processes in a logical and chronological order.

## Your account and Organization: the basics

### Your Organization

When you create a Scaleway account, an [Organization](/iam/concepts/glossary/#organization) is automatically created, of which you are the [Owner](/iam/concepts/glossary/#owner). As Owner, you have full access and rights to all resources within your Organization, as well as to Organization management features (support plans, abuse tickets, and more), billing, and IAM features.

<Message type="note">
  If you were invited to join an existing Organization, you can be added as a [Member](/iam/concepts/glossary/#member). Your permissions in that Organization depend on the policies set for you by the Organization administrator. A personal Organization is still automatically created for you when you sign up, even in this case.
</Message>

An Organization Owner can also transfer ownership to another Member. See [How to change the ownership of an Organization](/organizations-and-projects/organization/change-ownership-organization/) for detailed instructions.

### Account types

When you sign up for a Scaleway account, you choose between the following use cases: **Corporate**, **Startup**, **Consultant or Freelancer**, and **Personal Project**. Selecting Corporate, Startup, or Consultant/Freelancer sets your account to the **Corporate** type, while Personal Project sets it to the **Personal** type.

<Message type="important">
  Switching from a personal to a corporate account is permanent. You cannot switch back to a personal account once the conversion is complete. See [How to switch from a personal to a corporate account](/account/setup-lifecycle/switch-account-to-corporate/) for more information.
</Message>

See the [Account - Quickstart](/account/quickstart/) to create an account and add your first resources.

## Access and secure your account

### Log in

You access your account through the [Scaleway console](/account/concepts/glossary/#console), using your login information (the email address your account is registered to, and its corresponding password), an authentication code sent to your inbox, or Single Sign-On (SSO) with a Google, Microsoft, or GitHub account. IAM Members use a username and password they received from their Organization administrator, together with the Organization ID, to log in.

See [Log in to the console](/account/login-credentials/log-in-to-the-console/) for detailed instructions on each method.

### Secure your account

Multifactor Authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of security to your account. In addition to your first authentication factor, you must provide a second one, such as a one-time password (TOTP) or a passkey, before you can access your account. Scaleway recommends enabling MFA to protect your account, which provides protection even in the event of a leaked password.

See the [Use Multifactor Authentication (MFA)](/account/login-credentials/use-2fa/) documentation for details on how to set it up.

### Verify your identity

Know Your Customer (KYC) is the process Scaleway uses to verify a client's identity. Depending on your account and usage, Scaleway may ask you to provide an ID document, such as a passport, driver's license, or identity card. See [How to verify your identity](/account/setup-lifecycle/verify-identity/) for more information.

## Get support

Scaleway provides the following support plans: Basic, Advanced, Business, and Enterprise. Your support plan determines the level of service, dedicated assistance, and guaranteed response time you have access to for your support requests.

See [Understanding support plans](/account/support/understanding-support-plans/) to compare plans, and [How to configure support plans](/account/support/configure-support-plans/) to set one up. Once you have a support plan in place, you can [open and write a support ticket](/account/support/open-a-support-ticket/) whenever you need assistance.

## Protect your data

Scaleway processes personal data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). You can request a copy of your personal data or ask for its erasure at any time. See [How to manage your personal data](/account/profile-preferences/manage-my-personal-data-gdpr/) for more information.

Scaleway never asks for your password or payment details by email or phone. See [Protecting yourself against phishing and fraud](/iam/security/protecting-yourself-fraud-phishing/) to learn how to recognize and report suspicious activity.

## Close your account

Every account has an associated Organization, which you own as its creator. Closing your account deletes your Organization, all its resources and backups, and any Members you created.

<Message type="important">
  There is a delay of up to 10 days between the time you close your account and the time the system deletes your resources. Scaleway recommends manually deleting all the resources of your Organization before you close your account. Contact [Scaleway Support](https://console.scaleway.com/support) to reopen your account afterward.
</Message>

See [How to close an account](/account/setup-lifecycle/close-account/) for detailed instructions.