Do You Venmo? A straightforward solution to ship and obtain cash

Venmo is a fee app that makes sending and receiving cash simple. And with over 80 million customers and two million retailers, it’s tremendous handy too. 

However, like all fee apps, Venmo has its downfalls.

For instance, there are charges for some transactions, and it may be troublesome to cancel funds. And like different fee apps, customers have to concentrate on scams.

Is Venmo best for you? With so many fee apps accessible, it’s robust to know what’s finest. 

On this article, we’ll have a look at what Venmo is, the way it works, its charges, and extra – so you may resolve if it’s match for you. 

A Venmo Overview

Venmo is a peer-to-peer cellular fee app designed to ship and obtain cash from household, pals, and approved retailers.

It’s a handy solution to cut up payments with pals or ship cash to household. So long as an individual is a Venmo consumer, you may pay or request cash from them. Plus, you need to use it to purchase gadgets from permitted retailers.

As soon as your Venmo account is ready up, you may make funds out of your checking account, debit card, or bank card. And you may switch the cash you obtain on to your checking account.

The excellent news is Venmo doesn’t cost recurring month-to-month or annual charges. However some transactions have prices, like bank card funds and on the spot financial institution transfers.

The social part of Venmo units it aside. Like social media platforms, customers can add pals. And for every transaction, you may like, remark, and message one another.

Funds may also seem on a public feed, although this function is elective in privateness settings.

How does Venmo work?

Venmo is a mobile-only app that works on Android and iOS smartphones. When you obtain the app, it’s simple to arrange and user-friendly.

To get began with Venmo, obtain the app and arrange your account. Then, hyperlink Venmo to your checking account, debit card, or bank card.

When you’ve accomplished this step, you may instantly ship or obtain cash.

Utilizing Venmo to ship and obtain cash

Sending and receiving cash on the Venmo app is intuitive.

Use the Pay/Request button on the backside of the house web page of the Venmo app. Subsequent, seek for or enter the opposite get together’s e mail, Venmo username, or cellphone quantity – or scan their Venmo QR code.

Lastly, add the greenback quantity and full the fee or request.

You should use your Venmo account stability, checking account, or bank card to ship cash. However for those who pay with a bank card, there’s a price.

Once you obtain cash, you may maintain it in your Venmo stability or switch it to your linked checking account.

Common transfers are free and often take one to a few days. However on the spot transfers carry a price. It’s additionally essential to grasp your bank card firm might deal with a majority of these funds as money advances.

Venmo charges

Opening a Venmo account is free, and there aren’t any recurring charges. Many forms of transactions are free as nicely.

For instance, making funds together with your Venmo stability, debit card, or checking account is free. And there aren’t any charges for transferring cash from Venmo to your financial institution for those who select a customary financial institution switch (1-3 days). 

But, some transactions carry charges:

• Bank card charges. Once you pay with a bank card, there’s a 3% price.

• Prompt Switch charges. In case you immediately switch your Venmo stability to your checking account, there’s a 1.75% price (minimal $0.25, most $25).

(Venmo additionally costs permitted retailers a 1.9% price + $0.10 for every transaction.)

Different Venmo options

The app’s major features are sending and receiving cash and paying permitted retailers. 

However different lesser-known and used options embody:

• Direct deposits into your Venmo account
• Money-a-check deposits
• Shopping for or promoting cryptocurrency (you may’t use crypto to make purchases)

Direct deposits to your Venmo account don’t price something, however charges apply to examine deposits and crypto transactions.

Is Venmo protected?

Any on-line cash app will be susceptible to safety points and scams. Venmo is not any exception, however they’ve safety features in place to forestall issues.* 

Venmo makes use of encryption to maintain customers’ data and accounts protected. And the app has built-in safety features, like multi-factor authentication.

Additionally, privateness settings enable customers to make their transactions personal quite than public.

But, like all on-line platform, Venmo customers ought to take further safety precautions. Listed here are some strategies:

• Pay attention to frequent scams
• Maintain privateness settings on “personal”
• Safeguard password and private data

• Switch cash out of Venmo frequently
• Solely make transfers with individuals you recognize and belief
• Use multi-factor authentication and a PIN

*In 2016 and 2018, the Federal Commerce Fee (FTC) settled on safety and privateness points with Venmo and its mother or father firm, Paypal. Because of this, Venmo is at present audited by a 3rd get together for safety and privateness points.

Is Venmo best for you? The professionals and cons

Utilizing Venmo for funds has its benefits and drawbacks. Take a look at the professionals and cons beneath to assist resolve if it’s best for you. 

Execs

• Fast funds. Funds often arrive in a recipient’s account instantly. However it may well take one to a few days for transfers.

• Straightforward to make use of platform. Venmo’s cellular app is intuitive and simple to arrange.

• Free companies. No recurring charges, and it’s free to ship and obtain cash for those who don’t use a bank card or on the spot switch.

• Broad consumer base. It’s a preferred fee app with over 80 million customers.

• Use to pay retailers. A number of web sites and retailers, like Uber Eats, Poshmark, and CVS, settle for Venmo funds.

• Test deposit & financial institution switch options. Deposit checks and switch cash into your Venmo stability, and it’s FDIC insured. Charges apply to examine deposits. (Be aware: funds made to you’re not FDIC insured.)

• Venmo gives its personal rewards credit score and debit playing cards. Money-back playing cards are linked to your Venmo account.

Cons

• No fee safety. There’s no fee safety for those who pay for an merchandise or service and are dissatisfied or don’t obtain it.

• It’s troublesome to cancel funds. In case you mistakenly pay the fallacious individual or the inaccurate quantity, you get your a refund provided that the recipient agrees to return it.

• Solely accessible within the U.S. No worldwide transactions are allowed. Customers should stay within the U.S. with a U.S. cellphone quantity and U.S. checking account.

• No earned curiosity. Venmo doesn’t pay curiosity on account balances.

• Transactions could also be public. Test the default settings within the Privateness Settings. If set to “public,” anybody can see your transactions; different choices are “personal” and “pals.”

• Test deposit charges. You pay charges for examine deposits.

• Cellular-only. You’ll be able to signal into your account on Venmo’s web site from a desktop or laptop computer. However you may solely ship and request cash on the cellular app.

My Expertise with Venmo

I get pleasure from utilizing Venmo to ship and obtain cash with family and friends. And I take advantage of it to pay distributors at small, native companies.

I prefer it most for its comfort—it’s tremendous simple to ship and obtain cash, and the funds are usually obtained immediately. 

Plus, I really like that Venmo is free. I by no means pay charges since I don’t use them for enterprise functions, and I don’t pay with a bank card. Additionally, I solely use customary (1-3 day) financial institution transfers.

Venmo is tremendous helpful for paying somebody again or for issues like splitting a restaurant invoice.

And, since I not often have money, I additionally like with the ability to pay with Venmo at small companies. On this regard, I usually use it on the farmer’s market, espresso retailers, and even roadside stands.

I maintain my transactions within the “personal” setting for safety functions. And once I ship cash, I double-check it’s going to the right get together since there’s no recourse for errors.

To protect in opposition to getting my account hacked, I take advantage of a pin and face ID and maintain my Venmo account stability at $0 more often than not.

And if one thing appears bizarre or completely different, I Google it to see if it’s legit or a phishing rip-off.

Sadly, for those who make a mistake or get scammed on Venmo, they provide little consumer safety. And that is the world the place it might use essentially the most enchancment.

Since I solely use Venmo’s primary pay and request possibility, I can’t evaluation the examine and direct deposit options. Additionally, I don’t have a Venmo credit score or debit card and don’t use it to purchase or promote cryptocurrency.

In my expertise, Venmo is a superb app for sending and receiving funds with individuals you recognize. It’s additionally helpful for transactions with trusted companies. 

I admire that it’s easy, quick, and free – and very best for these instances once I don’t have money.

Closing ideas

Of all of the fee apps on the market, Venmo is a best choice for many individuals. Its comfort, ease of use, and free companies stand out among the many different choices.

So, for those who’re conscious of and guard in opposition to Venmo’s pitfalls, it’s value contemplating.

Subsequent: Credit score Card Rewards Program Errors [+ how to avoid]

Article written by Amanda

Amanda is a staff member of Girls Who Cash and the founder and blogger behind Why We Cash. She enjoys writing about happiness, values, cash, and actual property.