Zelle and Venmo are popular P2P transfer apps and reliable tools for sending money to friends and family. While they might be competitors, people might still want to know can you send funds from Venmo to Zelle?
Can Venmo send it to Zelle? Venmo can’t send to Zelle. Zelle is designed to transfer money between bank accounts, and because Venmo is not a bank, there is no direct way to send money from Venmo to Zelle.
As the world continues to steer towards paperless transactions, P2P apps (like Cash App) have increased to accommodate more and more people.
Venmo and Zelle are among the widely recognized companies.
Even though they are only usable in the U.S, they have amassed millions of users in the recent years and show no signs of slowing down.
Table of Contents
Can You Send Money From Venmo to Zelle?
With the variety of payment services available to people currently, friends might find themselves not using the same service for transactions.
So, it might lead to a dilemma when you’re trying to do something like split a bill among friends.
In this case, one might be using Venmo while the other is on Zelle.
So, is there a way you can send money between the two?
Sadly No.
As mentioned earlier, the two are competitors, and so the possibility of that happening is unlikely. But, that is not even the main reason behind it, since it all comes down to what the payment services were designed to do.
Venmo is linked to a user’s bank account, and transfers are typically completed within minutes.
The challenge here is that Zelle is designed to facilitate transactions between bank accounts. So, because Venmo is not a bank, direct transactions between the two are impossible.
However, there is a workaround that works for sending money from Zelle to Venmo.
All one has to do is send the amount they intend to the recipient’s Venmo-linked bank account.
Thus, all they will have to do is transfer from their bank account to their Venmo balance.
Who can Venmo Send to?
Venmo is designed for people to make and request payments from people they already know and authorized businesses.
For it to work, both users need to have Venmo, so you cannot directly send it to people using other P2P payment apps.
Apple Pay, on the other hand, is designed to work with Apple devices and allows direct payments to people without them needing Venmo or any other app.
Comparison Zelle VS Venmo
Since transactions between the two are not easily possible, users probably have to choose between the two. So, we have compared them for you to decide which App suits you better. They do have various similarities, but there are unique features for each that set them apart.
We have chosen to analyze factors such as;
- Speed
- Fees
- Security and safety
- Distinct features
Speed
In terms of speed, Zelle is a faster option. Zelle to Zelle transfers are instant regardless of the amount you are sending. However, they may take longer if the recipient does not have Zelle and the sender is sending it to their bank account.
Venmo is a bit slower when it comes to standard payments since their transfers work like old ACH or online check deposits. Transfers may take up to 3 days.
Fees
One of the largest selling points for Zelle is that transactions are free. Zelle was designed by banks that own it, and it was meant to be a free service for funding transfers between friends, trusted people, and businesses. But, it does not mean that a customer will not incur fees in general. Zelle doesn’t charge for transfers, but the linked banks might charge their own fees for using the service.
With Venmo, standard transfers are also free, but there is an option to pay a fee for your transfer to be instant. The only challenge here is that when sending money on a Friday, the recipient will have to get it on a Monday unless the Monday is a bank holiday, in which case they will have to wait four days for the funds.
Safety and Security
Venmo is somewhat reliable in terms of security since it uses encryption to protect client data. It also allows users to add pins to secure the account further.
While SSN is not required to sign up for Venmo, users are encouraged to enter SSN in order to verify their identity. This allows them to send more money per week and prevents account limitations.
Account monitoring is also standard for both services.
Since banks own it, Zelle’s has security features like transaction authorization and monitoring. However, unlike Venmo, there is no Chargeback protection since Zelle does not have a credit card.
Distinct Features
Venmo allows users to use credit cards for payments, while Zelle does not have a credit card. Furthermore, you can keep a balance in a Venmo account, another feature that Zelle does not have.
However, a unique feature that makes Venmo stand out from other P2P payment Apps is its social feed feature. Venmo users can see when their friends make transactions to people, and there is even a global social feed to see transactions between people you don’t know. The good news is, you can alter what other people see about your transactions in their privacy settings.
Zelle does not have a social side, but it has one major characteristic over its competition: it is FDIC insured. When using Zelle, funds do not sit in a third-party location, and you cannot leave a balance on the App. Thus, your finds are safer. With Venmo, your money is not insured, and you could lose your balance in the off chance Venmo went bankrupt.
Final Thoughts
Deciding between the two comes down to the person’s need. The features you need determine what App is better suited for you. Both Venmo and Zelle are great tools, and there is nothing preventing users from having both to make up for each other’s shortcomings.
Both tools are recommended for sending money to people you know and trust. Venmo is great for splitting bills and short day-to-day payments, while Zelle might be the better solution for larger bank transfers. So, choose according to your needs.
Finally, users need to beware of fraud and scammers. Phishing is the most common type where scammers might try to steal your information by falsely impersonating the companies via text and urging users to click on dangerous links where they can steal personal information while you enter it.
