# Tell me about Venmo **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 28, 2024, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-venmo/1003451 "2024-06-28T17:08:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2024, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-venmo/1003451/21 "2024-06-28T23:44:25Z")
PayPal has owned Venmo for over ten years. There’s also CashApp. They all work more or less the same. Venmo is the most ubiquitous for things like food trucks or buying something at an art fair or tipping a street musician, at least around here. Edit: I’ve also used Venmo to buy shroom capsules and gummies on line. This wasn’t some dark web thing. I was introduced to the producer via a mutual friend who vouched for both of us. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2024, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-venmo/1003451/22 "2024-06-28T23:51:12Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > PayPal has owned Venmo for over ten years. I also hate PayPal. But they don’t require my bank account information. I charge my credit card and they are not billed as cash advances. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2024, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-venmo/1003451/23 "2024-06-28T23:52:44Z")
That makes perfect sense. It’s a major difference. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2024, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-venmo/1003451/24 "2024-06-29T00:26:36Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > One thing they do is they broadcast your purchases to all your “friends.” I’m sure you can disable the feature but they activated it automatically without consulting me. Yeah, you can turn that off. It’s bizarre to me that people want to advertise to whom they are paying money as a kind of social media sort of thing, but, hey, when I log in, I see stuff like “Jane paid Jill for pizza” and “Joe paid Bill for bachelor party” and stuff like that. I have a Venmo account, but I prefer to go through Zelle because it just goes straight into my bank account, without me having to take the extra step of telling Venmo to transfer my money to my bank. I’ll use it if somebody doesn’t Zelle for some reason, but I far prefer Zelle transactions. ---
**Author:** ![liirogue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dbc845/32.png) [@liirogue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liirogue)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2024, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-venmo/1003451/25 "2024-06-29T16:10:36Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Yeah, you can turn that off. It’s bizarre to me that people want to advertise to whom they are paying money as a kind of social media sort of thing, but, hey, when I log in, I see stuff like “Jane paid Jill for pizza” and “Joe paid Bill for bachelor party” and stuff like that. I use Venmo pretty regularly, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve paid a friend for “hookers and blow” much to the recipients horror and amusement. I find Venmo easy to use, and the other alternatives aren’t widely used in my circle. I even pay my rent by Venmo and have done for years with no issues. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2024, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-venmo/1003451/26 "2024-06-29T16:14:44Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Credit unions are much spottier about being part of the Zelle network. That would explain why it didn’t recognize my CU routing number the one time I tried to install it on my phone. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2024, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-venmo/1003451/27 "2024-06-29T16:45:05Z")
I continue to use debit card, credit cards, cash, and the occasional check. At this stage of the game my eyesight and fat fingers have difficulty with phone transactions. When I travel I bring some local currency cash and my credit cards/debit card. Works fine for me. Some countries (Aruba) still have some cash only transactions - mainly the taxis. At some point I may use Zelle but only on my desktop which is easier for me visually. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2024, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-venmo/1003451/28 "2024-06-29T17:29:23Z")
That’s what makes Venmo so easy. To pay you just have to scan the QR code. The numbers you type to pay are huge. Venmo is very user friendly. Quicker than fishing cash out of your pocket. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2024, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-venmo/1003451/29 "2024-06-29T17:34:56Z")
I use Venmo quite often. Never an issue. I’ve heard or been warned on IG that there are scams with unknown persons sending a stranger money, but they then claim it’s was to the wrong party so can you please “send it back”? Don’t do it. PSA- That’s two separate transactions. The first was probably with a stolen cc, and the second will come out of your bank. The stolen $$ will probably disappear from your account once the issuing bank realized there was fraud. If you voluntarily send a scammer money you might be SOL. So either let the unsolicited funds sit there or notify Venmo. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2024, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-venmo/1003451/30 "2024-06-29T17:39:49Z")
I have gotten multiple texts claiming to be from Venmo and asking me to follow a link to fix a problem. That’s not a problem with Venmo. It’s just a run of the mill phishing scam. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2024, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-venmo/1003451/31 "2024-06-29T18:01:29Z")
True. Just a word of caution for any users of transaction apps. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2024, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-venmo/1003451/32 "2024-06-29T18:31:00Z")
For those so inclined, here is a list of participating FIs that use Zelle. There are a small number of CUs, but I’ve also found that many small banks are not yet part of this network. > **[Get Started With Zelle | List of Bank Partners and Credit Unions |](https://www.zellepay.com/get-started)** > > Safely send or receive money using Zelle. To get started, search for your bank or credit union to see if you already have Zelle in your bank’s mobile app or online banking. You can also download the Zelle app to send and receive money quickly. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2024, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-venmo/1003451/33 "2024-06-30T01:03:34Z")
As I suspected, my bank is not in Zelle’s list of supported banks. I don’t know if I’d call it a “small” bank; they have 68 branches. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2024, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-venmo/1003451/34 "2024-06-30T01:12:59Z")
You can still sign up for Zelle, but there is a $500 weekly sending limit. > **[What if my bank or credit union doesn't offer Zelle®?](https://www.zellepay.com/faq/what-if-my-bank-or-credit-union-doesnt-offer-zelle)** > > What if my bank or credit union doesn't offer Zelle®? > **[Is there a limit to how much money I can send or receive?](https://www.zellepay.com/faq/there-limit-how-much-money-i-can-send-or-receive)** > > Is there a limit to how much money I can send? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2024, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-venmo/1003451/35 "2024-07-02T18:30:19Z")
I use Venmo several times a week and it sucks ass. It has done things like broken basic functionality, pays double (despite not double tapping, I made sure of it. But that shouldn’t happen anyway). Puts random people as my “top 3” and it’s not easy to fix. I use it because other people do, but it’s not enjoyable. Paypal too in general, for a Fortune 500 company they use some archaic and broken functionality. That requires an entire pit thread. Poor customer support and bad documentation. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2024, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-venmo/1003451/36 "2024-07-02T19:03:35Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > For those so inclined, here is a list of participating FIs that use Zelle. There are a small number of CUs, but I’ve also found that many small banks are not yet part of this network. I’m not sure how or if this is relevant but I paid some guy for yardwork using Zelle. He’d never used it before but somehow he got the money by me entering in his phone number. I’m not sure if they sent him a link or what. Did he have to be using a participating bank, or just me? Or both of us? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2024, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-venmo/1003451/37 "2024-07-02T19:15:03Z")
My guess is that he was signed up for it and didn’t realize. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2024, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-venmo/1003451/38 "2024-07-02T21:35:12Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > I’m not sure if they sent him a link or what. Did he have to be using a participating bank, or just me? Or both of us? > [@hajario](#): > > My guess is that he was signed up for it and didn’t realize. As a general matter the banks at both ends need to subscribe to Zelle. If you try to send money to a phone number or email that Zelle recognizes as already signed up, the money is simply ACHed from your account to theirs immediately. With no account info on either end being shared with either person. The banks know; the people don’t. If you try to send money to a phone or email Zelle does _not_ recognize, the money is pulled from your account immediately and held by Zelle. Zelle sends a text or email to the recipient saying "Bob is trying to send you money. Click here to join Zelle by providing your banking details, or go to your financial institution website / app and sign up for Zelle there. If the recipient responds timely (12 hours?), the transfer goes through as soon as they’ve established their account. If they never bother to respond, or they find their bank/CU is not part of Zelle, then the transaction is unwound and your money reappears in your account. By design, the process of recruiting new counterparties into the Zelle ecosystem is real easy. If only it was so easy for new small banks & CUs to get involved. Also, the signup process is rather more secure than my explanation makes it sound. It’s not “Text your routing and account number to us; we’re trustowrthy! REALLY! Cue giggling in Nigerian.” ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2024, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-venmo/1003451/39 "2024-07-03T15:35:43Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > If only it was so easy for new small banks & CUs to get involved. It’s been years since I tried to use Zelle, so I just went to their page and checked. Nope, my bank isn’t on their list. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2024, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-venmo/1003451/40 "2024-07-03T16:22:43Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > As a general matter the banks at both ends need to subscribe to Zelle. No. As I said previously in this thread you can sign up directly with Zelle, but there is a $500/week sending limit. > **[What if my bank or credit union doesn't offer Zelle®?](https://www.zellepay.com/faq/what-if-my-bank-or-credit-union-doesnt-offer-zelle)** > > What if my bank or credit union doesn't offer Zelle®? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-venmo/1003451.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-venmo/1003451.md?page=3)