1 (855) 812-4430
Company Overview
Venmo is a personal cash transfer service owned by Braintree Payments and PayPal. Launched in June 2012, the service enables users to make direct bank (ACH) transfers or card payments to one another using a mobile phone app. Bank and debit transfers are free through Venmo, but the service charges a per-transaction fee on credit card payments. Additionally, as of 2021, Venmo has added a feature that allows a buyer to flag a purchase as “goods and services,” which will allow the buyer to enroll in a purchase protection plan and which adds a charge of 1.9% to the seller’s end of the transaction. Venmo is similar in many ways to Square Cash or PayPal, but its easy-to-use app and free transfer service make it one of the best mobile apps for sending money to people. Venmo has also recently launched a feature that enables businesses to accept payment from Venmo users within those businesses’ mobile apps, and users can now pay with Venmo in places that have a PayPal button.
Additionally, it became news in 2022 that Venmo (along with other online payment processors) must report transactions to the IRS if someone sends over $600 a year. This may heavily affect those using Venmo for business.
Is Venmo Holding Your Funds Right Now?
Thousands of users have had their payments frozen by Venmo. If you’re one of them, then you might find these resources helpful:
- How To Make Your Payment Processor Release Your Money
- Best Mobile Apps for Sending Money
- Best Mobile Credit Card Processing Apps
Venmo Payment Processing
The process for sending funds through Venmo is simple. First, the user opens the app using either a biometric scan or PIN and enters the username, phone number, email address, or Twitter handle of the person they wish to pay or charge. The user then specifies the type of transaction via a Pay/Request button. Then, the user enters the amount to be paid or charged and provides a brief note describing the transfer (similar to the “Memo” line on a paper check). After the user initiates the payment, the money is sent, and confirmation is sent via email to both parties. As with its parent company PayPal, Venmo users will need to manually transfer the Venmo funds from the app to their personal bank accounts in order to withdraw them as cash.
Venmo is available for iPhone and Android, and the service may also be accessed through the company’s website.
Location & Ownership
Andrew Kortina and Iqram Magdon-Ismail are listed as the co-founders of Venmo, whose headquarters are located at 159 W 25th St, Fl 9 New York City, NY 10001 while other sources list it at 95 Morton St, Fl 5, New York City, New York, 10014. It also lists 2211 N 1st St, San Jose, CA 95131 as a headquarter location on its Better Business Bureau profile, though this appears to be a PayPal office. Dan Schulman is the president of Venmo.
Venmo Comparisons
Many merchants find themselves debating between Venmo and PayPal for their payment service needs. We welcome our readers to check out the PayPal vs Venmo section of our PayPal review.
Table of Contents
- Costs & Contract: Offers free peer-to-peer bank transfers, but it…
- Complaints & Service: Has received more than…
- BBB Rating: Has an “A” rating and has received 2,768 complaints and 351 reviews in…
- Sales & Marketing: Fully discloses its…
Venmo Reviews and Complaints
Here's What Their Clients Say
Complaint Summary
|
Total Online Complaints
1,000+
|
Live Customer Support
Yes
|
Most Common Complaint
Fund Holds
|
Frozen Funds a Major Issue
We have found more than 1,000 negative Venmo reviews on various consumer protection websites, some of which accuse the company of being a scam. The vast majority of complaints are related to sudden, unexpected fund-holds placed on users’ Venmo accounts, typically as a result of payment activity that Venmo flagged as fraudulent. In many cases, it is clear that users did not understand that their funds could be held, or that they engaged in prohibited transactions in defiance of Venmo’s terms of use. While we don’t fault Venmo for taking steps to prevent fraud in its system, it does seem that users could be made more aware of why Venmo holds funds before they start using the service.
Other Venmo Complaints
To a smaller degree, other users claim that their payments were lost or delayed as a result of account setup errors or unauthorized use of their account. Venmo is intended primarily for personal use in its current form, so users should not try to conduct large-scale or regular business transactions through the personal app. Other complaints include annoyance with the app’s social media integration and isolated customer service issues. Venmo offers phone and email support to all users, but it is likely that these customer service lines are managed by either Braintree or PayPal.
Venmo Lawsuits and Fines
In March of 2018, Venmo settled an FTC complaint brought against them alleging that the company failed to disclose material information about the availability of consumers’ funds. In addition, the lawsuit challenges aspects of the company’s privacy and security practices. The proposed settlement requires Venmo to make clear disclosures about certain business practices.
In 2021, the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau announced an investigation into Venmo’s collection practices. According to the Wall Street Journal, “The company has threatened to dispatch debt collectors on users who overdraw their accounts, even when those users are victims of scams.” We will update this review as the investigation’s findings are reported.
2022 saw a class-action suit for $58 million brought against Venmo backer Plaid. This suit was brought due to alleged information collection that went against the law.
Venmo Customer Service Options
The Venmo website lists dedicated phone and email contact information for customer support. Given the fact that the company is showing complaints regarding its customer service, especially with resolving fund-holds, we have given it a “B” in this section and must exclude it from our list of the top merchant account providers for customer service.
We have located a single Venmo customer service phone number:
(855) 812-4430 – Toll-Free Customer Service
Venmo also offers live chat and a customer support form on its website as well as a customer service email address at [email protected]
Venmo BBB Rating and Report
Our Better Business Bureau Profile Assessment
BBB Summary
|
Product & Service Complaints
2,059
|
Billing & Collection Complaints
607
|
Advertising & Sales Complaints
27
|
|
Guarantee & Warranty Complaints
5
|
Delivery Complaints
71
|
Note: We have adjusted this company’s BBB rating according to our own standards. To better understand why we adjust BBB ratings, please see our Rating Criteria.
More Than 2,700 Complaints
An accredited business with the BBB since 2016, Venmo has an “A” rating from the Better Business Bureau and has received 2,768 total complaints in the past three years. This is a major uptick from the 1,279 at the time of a recent review and is cause for concern. 2,059 of the complaints were due to a problem with a product or service, 607 were billing or collections issues, 27 were due to advertising or sales problems, 5 were issues with a guarantee or warranty, and 71 were issues with delivery. Only 1,434 of these 2,769 complaints were resolved by the company to the satisfaction of the merchant. The remaining 1,335 were resolved to the dissatisfaction of the merchant or received no final response. According to the details of most of these complaints, many of the complainants attempted to use Venmo for business transactions and found that their accounts were frozen as a result.
What Users Say
Venmo has also received 351 informal reviews from users, with only 2 reviews being positive in tone. Again, this is a large increase from the 172 reviews at the time of a recent post. One recent complaint comes from a user who had their funds held:
Venmo froze my acct with all my money in it That money is meant to pay the attorney and to travel to save my 4 year old from an abusive father. Venmo said it will take 4 to 5 business days to unfreeze the acct. Venmo’s incompetence and lack of caring may have a negative impact on my sons life. Highly recommend to not trust your money with them. Stay away. I would have given them negative stars but that is not an option
Customer service is an important component of any merchant account provider. However, Venmo primarily serves peer-to-peer monetary transactions. This review makes it difficult to gauge the quality of Venmo’s customer service for merchants.
A “C” Performance Overall
Although Venmo has seen a large increase in BBB complaints over the last year, it has also grown in popularity by a comparable amount. Furthermore, many complainants appear to be in violation of Venmo’s terms of agreement by their own admission. Even taking these factors into account, it is hard to ignore the negative trend on Venmo’s BBB page. In light of the company’s complaint total and resolution ratio, we have adjusted the BBB’s rating to a “C” for our purposes.
Venmo Fees and Rates
A Closer Look at the Contract
Cost Summary
|
Debit/Bank Transfer Rate
Free
|
Credit Card Transfer Rate
3%
|
Early Termination Fee
None
|
|
PCI Compliance Fee
None
|
Equipment Lease Terms
None
|
Debit Is Free, But Credit Costs 3%
Venmo is simple to install and use, and it allows users to send debit payments to one another for free (credit card payments cost 3%). It processes transactions within one business day, and it enables users to maintain a Venmo Balance if they’d prefer not to cash out their funds immediately after receiving them. Venmo is available to anyone, and its mobile app is compatible with most modern smartphones. The initial processing limit on Venmo payments for an unverified user is $299.99 per week, but this can be increased to $2,999.99 per week if the user provides either the last four digits of their SSN or an attached Facebook account. Overall, the app is exceedingly simple to use and free for most payment types, though it should again be noted that the new “goods and services” tag can result in a 1.9% fee on the receiver’s end.
Businesses Pay Braintree’s Rates
Venmo’s business pricing is the same as Braintree’s Discover-card pricing, which varies depending on the merchant’s business type. The company’s business program does not charge any monthly or annual fees, although its enterprise pricing could possibly include additional fees in some cases. Venmo for business is currently only available to merchants who have a mobile e-commerce website or a mobile app for iOS or Android and who wish to accept phone payments from Venmo users. This relatively advanced feature helps Venmo and Braintree compete with other payment processors for web developers.
Instant Transfers
While Venmo can take 1 to 3 business days to transfer money from its app to a bank account for free, the company also has an instant transfer option. This allows merchants and other users to instantaneously their funds. However, a 1% fee is attached to these transfers, with a minimum of $0.25 and a maximum of $10.
Only As Secure As You Make It
Although Venmo encrypts payments and processes them on its own secure servers, the app is technically only as secure as a user’s phone and Venmo PIN. As a precaution against theft, Venmo allows users to remotely deactivate their accounts on devices that they believe to be compromised. The app’s processing limits also restrict potential damages to either $299.99 or $2,999.99 for a fraudulent transaction.
Fund-Holds Are a Real Risk
Some users report issues with Venmo’s hold policies, claiming that the company holds uncommonly large transactions or shuts down accounts without sufficient explanation. Venmo users should be sure to read and understand all hold policies and prohibited uses for the app before sending large amounts through it.
We also encourage merchants to check out our list of the providers of the best merchant accounts.
Venmo Jobs and Employment
Hiring Standards and Ethical Marketing Assessment
Key Points
|
Employs Independent Resellers
No
|
Advertises Deceptive Rates
No
|
Discloses All Important Terms
Yes
|
Full Disclosure
Venmo currently markets itself through conventional advertising and via PayPal/Braintree’s vast network of users. The service does not charge its users to send debit payments or direct bank transfers, and it makes its 3% fee for credit card payments clear on its website. Venmo also explains on its website that business users will receive Braintree’s per-transaction pricing, which is competitive when compared to other top merchant accounts for e-commerce. Venmo’s pricing model leaves little room for misleading rate quotes or hidden fees, and there are no complaints about the way the company markets itself at this time.
This compares favorably to our list of best credit card processors.
Venmo Review Summary
Our Final Thoughts and Opinions
Simple and Free, But Not Perfect
Considering its low cost, easy installation, widespread compatibility, short transfer time, and generally positive reviews, Venmo is a clear frontrunner among peer-to-peer payment services. The service’s only potential security issues are limited to instances of device theft, and Venmo can remotely disable an account at a user’s request. Venmo has seen increased complaints related to fund-holds and frozen accounts, but many of these complaints appear to be filed by people who knowingly misused the app. Venmo is not intended as a way for businesses to accept in-person payments at this time, but the company is said to be investigating possibilities for launching a POS system for retail businesses.
If you found this article helpful, please share it!
Carrie Chisolm
This place is an absolute joke! Someone fraudulently stole $300 from my our account! I have never heard of this app until tonight when I looked into our account as I do regularly through the day. I contacted them via chat and was on hold 4 different times for them to inform me nothing they can do and there isn’t any way they can give me information on the user who took the money due to security protection issues! Ummm hello you dumb A**** what about my security purposes! So you all allow people to fraudulently use your app to steal money from others! I am sick to my stomach about this and I am pursuing charges! I contacted my bank as soon as we seen the transaction and will be contacting the police in the am. I hope you all feel good about condoning people using this app for fraud!
This post will help: Best Mobile Apps for Sending Money to People
-Phillip
Alice
I absolutely regret that I ever downloaded this app. My daughter used my card on her account and when we realized it, we had her remove it from her account. I tried to add to the Venmo account I had just created and it wouldn’t allow me. At that point it wouldn’t allow me to add any cards my bank nothing. So I had $135.00 that I couldn’t access. I called customer service spoke to Krystle who was lacking in customer service skills. Our call was disconnected and although she had all of my information she didn’t bother to call me back. I tried to call back emailed her …..no response. Finally, I get Carrie on the phone and she tells me once a card is deactivated they can’t override it and get your money back to you. You’d have to try to add a bank and in about 3 days you will get it back. Which DEFEATS the whole purpose of Venmo….at least for me. I hate that I tried to use this app. Don’t use it if you need money fast it’s a gamble. One hiccup and your screwed. All you can do is look at your funds sitting there. I’ll stick with ApplePay!!!!
This post will help: Best Mobile Apps for Sending Money to People
-Phillip
Melissa Johnson
DO NOT USE VENMO!! They have terrible customer service. They said they were going to look into a claim for me and literally 5 minutes later I get an email saying they had concluded their investigation and “unfortunately” there was nothing they could do to refund my money. 5 FUCKING MINUTES!
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-Phillip
Jay money
They banned me and all it said was violated their policy. No real reason. All I have done is buy tshirts and food. What did I do? No reply from Cust. Serv. I hope this company fails. And I will actively bad mouth their service any chance I get.
This post will help: Best Mobile Apps for Sending Money To People
-Phillip
Kayla Smith
VENMO SUCKS!!! My account froze weeks ago and I’ve been calling over and over to figure out how because how does a venmo account freeze??? I haven’t been able to let my friends pay me back because they literally can’t. Fuck you Venmo and return my calls and actually do your job next time.
This post will help: Best Mobile Apps for Sending Money
-Phillip
KENNETH W COOK
I think they are a fraud as well. I sent 100 via transfer Venmo for a product. I never heard from anyone I tried to contact them but got no responce.
This post will help: Best Mobile Apps for Sending Money
-Phillip
Nickcole Taylor
My nephew told me about this site. He sent me over $300 to purchase his Southwest Airlines ticket.
All I get is and error message. Money never transferred. Fucking scam!!
The damn sell on the tickets ends tonight. I am so damn pissed off. Do not use this site! Cash App or Paypal
This post will help: Best Mobile Apps for Sending Money
Marissa
Personally I wouldn’t recommend venmo to ones that are more patient than others end the end you will have none when your trying to fight to get your own money unfrozen, first time user wouldn’t even call myself a user on venmo I received my first payment and immediately my account was frozen now permanently deactivated, with no explanation I mean not even a slight detail, you cant call them because account specialist do not talk to humans on the phone.. honestly I don’t that I am emailing a human due to their vague response.. I also believe that is the main reason why so many people hate venmo you can’t talk to anyone, but yet anyone from venmo can take and “freeze” your money… Do not verify your Facebook nor identity..it doesn’t matter they still won’t unfreeze your account… I have sympathy for the ones who depend on payments received on venmo,… Take heed to every single review that is listed.. DO NOT USE VENMO
This post will help: Best Mobile Apps for Sending Money To People
-Phillip
Todd
I have had a horrible experience with trying to use the app from day one. I verified and linked everything as required. I even applied for and received the venmo debit card. So I try to transfer $ to my debit card. Won’t work. No one can tell me why. So I try to withdraw funds from ATM with my Venmo debit card at a location on their list of participating atm vendors. It won’t work. Again, no one can tell me why. So I do a bank transfer. Guess what? Funds being held. So now my money is in cyberspace somewhere & again no one can tell me why? This app is a joke. Do not use it!!!
This post will help: How to Make Your Payment Processor Release Your Money
-Phillip
Jack
If you use Venmo, be aware of their service and the potential to have your account banned quickly with no explanation.
I just had the most nonsense experience and even questioned if it was a well-designed scam. Venmo sent a series of emails to me saying someone who had transactions with me stole money from them somehow. It was vague and no matter what I said they refused to clarify, which looked really suspicious. They were pretty abrupt and hostile to then say my account was permanently banned, and they act as if it’s my problem they had a security breach. I still don’t know what “terms of service” I broke. All of my transactions have been just fine and normal, in fact I only used the service for a few months among friends and acquaintances for the usual trades.
I even offered to help, if someone I know stole money I could just confront them. How conveniently, Venmo “couldn’t give any info”. Funny how they didn’t think to tell me the date of the transaction or the number, considering I know my own account and they don’t need to give any private info. How convenient for them. I literally did nothing wrong and this popped up in only a few emails.
Feel free to try Venmo for yourself, just be forewarned their customer service can be weird, suspicious and hostile with no explanation.
This post will help: Best Mobile Apps for Sending Money
-Phillip
David Heinemann
Junk. “There was an issue with your payment. Try again later.” BS. That helps me how? Was it the bank, a network error, or Venmo’s own bungling? (I’m going with the latter, and they aren’t exactly answering my request for help). You have ONE JOB – send money from point A to point B. I followed all instructions, it says my account is linked, I have enough money, the amount is under my limit. Go out of business already…
This post will help: Best Mobile Apps for Sending Money
-Phillip
BRIAN P ODDY
Horrible customer service and very inconvenient transfer length times. Dont ask a question about your missing money. You’ll be put in your place quick and told to wait. After initiating the transfer it says you should see your money 00/00/00 next busines day was my date both times. Both times it took just shy of a week with nothing more than answers read off the venmo help from ignorant cust service.
This post will help: How to Make Your Payment Processor Release Your Money
-Phillip
Joseph L
I talked to Brittney A in Customer support and I had one of the worst customer service provided to me. I have been using Venmo for years and contacting Venmo for a month to get their lazy feet to do something but they are unwilling to help you in any point and lets out nonsense disclosures nowhere to be found in their policy. When I actually provide them a policy to get them to do anything, they were so full of themselves and firm to take my $200. Guess that was my fee for using Venmo for years. Now I’m saying bye to this thief app and moving on. I would give this Venmo customer service a negative review if I can.
This post will help: Best Mobile Apps for Sending Money
-Phillip
Sheila
Used this for the first and last time today
I needed a small amount of money moved today
I gave my bank and debit info I submitted twice to make sure it was done
Hours later I saw it never showed up
I started a chat and was told this could take 3 days. 3 days???!!!! Wow
Many more ways to take care of your business in one day
What a waste of time I do not revomend this service. What a joke
This post will help: Best Mobile Apps for Sending Money
-Phillip
Taylor Morong
I love the venmo app in general, makes handling money much simpler. However, I was unaware there was a sending limit, so my transfer was stopped to pay my rent. I contact support and it took them over a day to even respond the first time, then hours later they said they were “looking into it.” So I gave them a call, their phone system is just a list of automated options basically telling you that they can’t help you and to look a the FAQ. Once I gave up and had to pay my rent late waiting for the transfer, THEN they responded saying “I see you resolved the issue.” WORST customer service i have ever received.
This post will help: Best Mobile Apps for Sending Money
-Phillip
Lauren M
Venmo is absolutely terrible. Their customer service is a joke and there is no such thing as zero fees. I lose $10/ month anytime I have to use this joke of an app. Please just is checks and give your friend, room mate, date, whoever the full amount. Don’t let Venmo line their pockets with your hard earned cash, friends.
This post will help: Best Mobile Apps for Sending Money
-Phillip
Kierra Bisch
They have frozen my account without explanation. Said it will take 7 business days for someone to reach out to me via email from the recovery department. There’s no one to speak to about the issues cause customer service can’t explain why the account is frozen. They said someone will reach out to me via email then I guess I will contact them at that point. It’s horrible when your payroll check is going thru this app and your unable to receive it. Not only did they freeze my account but my boss account as well. So now he’s paid out money from his account that’s gone but I can not receive. Now I wish I would had used the other cash app instead. They still have a great deal of work to do on this app. I’m reading comments from years ago (2014) that’s similar to the same exact thing I’m going thru right now. Note to self read reviews before!!!
This post will help: Best Mobile Apps for Sending Money
-Phillip
Brandon s
Venmo is a SCAM! I repeat a SCAM! You can use for a few days, then locks your account and WILL NOT give you your funds! I’ve been trying to access my funds for 4 days and no response, and can’t get to my money! I advise NOT using this app! Also talked to customer service and Aaron I’d # 53838, tells me he OWNS venmo and cannot help me and has taken my money! Over $500! USER BEWARE!
This post will help: How to Make Your Payment Processor Release Your Money
-Phillip
Dis Satisfied
Company is a joke. They actually wanted me to send the last 4 of my social, copy of license or passport and utility bills through encrypted email to verify I was “me”. This after transactions were already done, not before. I give them a year or less before they are breached and all your plain text data is stolen, makes me wonder how they treat their Database information.
This post will help: Best Mobile Apps for Sending Money
-Phillip
Matt
I would not recommend to anyone. Absolutely zero customer service as they only try to solve problems via email. I had a nightmare experience, but understand it was probably on the low end of the spectrum. Having said that I would not recommend the app due to customer service, and problem solving being a massive issue.
This post will help: Best Mobile Apps for Sending Money
-Phillip
William
This is an absolute crime. They use their own judgement, nothing legal or criminal, just what they deem to be suspicious and its unacceptable
This post will help: Best Mobile Apps for Sending Money
-Phillip
Melissa Adams
This card is horrible. I was getting my direct deposits twice per month and they kept questioning how my card was being loaded and kept shutting it off. The deposit was clearly comiyfrom my employer. Each time they shut it off I was stuck with no money for days. They made me feel like a criminal. I have a JOB that was depositing money. I eventually got sick of it and cancelled my account. Do yourself a favor and don’t get this card.
This post will help: Best Mobile Apps for Sending Money to People
-Phillip
Jacob Emerson
I AM EXPECTING RESPONSE PLEASE:
Good Morning,
I have used Venmo in the past and enjoyed the ease of transferring funds to my family and friends through the app. I recently had a larger amount of money ($1,075) transferred into my Venmo account from my wife and wanted to instant transfer to my personal verified bank account. IT WAS DECLINED! It was declined at various dollar amounts for the instant transfer. This money was intended to be in my account so that we can cover a check written for our rent. Since I had to do a standard transfer, my money will not appear in my account for 1-3 business days. I was not even able to transfer the money back to my wife, so that we could retrieve the money from the bank account. I will more than likely now have my rent check reversed, causing me a $35 reversal fee, a $25 check reversal fee from my landlord and a ding on my rental payment history. All thanks to VENMO! To add more salt to my wound, VENMO has no capability of overriding their system in situations like this. I could have provided my social security number, bank accounts, card accounts, etc. I could have provided any level of personal information to satisfy any security measure. Not happy and will never use Venmo again! I will also speak poorly about Venmo to whoever I can. And, I interact with a lot of people as I am in the casino industry for one of the largest casino corporations in the world. When on the phone with Venmo, I was also told that I could voice my complaint at the end of the call. Well that didn’t happen. The customer service rep was empathetic, but I was told that I could submit a complaint through a survey at the end of my call. One last thought, “You never mess with people’s money!”.
This post will help: Best Mobile Apps for Sending Money to People
-Phillip
Charles B Lee
This is by far, one of the most unscrupulous companies I can remember. After my Nephew used their service to send me two payments, my account was frozen b/c I was out of town and unable to verify my account. I could understand their reasoning IF they hadn’t already made 2 small deposits to my account only to withdraw them later: thus verifying my account. Once I realized I’d be unable to meet their guideline, both myself and my Nephew asked them to just rescind the transaction and return the money to the original sender. Of course this made No Sense to them, so the funds have been held by Venmo for over six months. They are the worse at what they do: True bottom dwellers.
This post will help: How to Make Your Payment Processor Release Your Money
-Phillip
Joshua Lee Lutinski
3 Days ago I awoke to alerts from my bank involving three $500.00 Transfers from my back account from three different accounts on Venmo stealing money directly from my bank account. After a few hours of opening disputes through my bank I proceeded to contact venmo, after multiple calls in wait only to be hung up on, and chat lines in hours of waiting I still to date have not been in touch with them. Their accountability to the customers is absolutely avoided their securities are extremely low. They should truly be held accountable for everyone going through this.
This post will help: Best Mobile Apps for Sending Money to People
-Phillip
Tynisha Sheffield
This app is horrible. My daughter sent me money on February 27th and they said I’d get it March 1st, I still haven’t got it yet and they said I’ll have to wait until March 5th
This post will help: How to Make Your Payment Processor Release Your Money
-Phillip
Rivka
It is a great tool if there are no issues such as fraud on your account. If you do need to deal with something they have the Worst customer service. I’ve waisted hours dealing with the same issue.
This post will help: Best Mobile Apps for Sending Money to People
-Phillip
Natalie
DO NOT USE VENMO, EVER. Ever. Stand on the shoulders of my mistake and don’t even get involved with them. SAVE YOURSELF the time, money, and aggravation. This company, and their service (if it can even be called that), is so riddled with problems that I can scarcely begin to fit them into this review. There are actually a ton of red flags that Venmo is doing shady business or, for one reason or another, trying to pull the rug out from under the very customers they claim to serve. But instead of typing here an
exhaustive list of all the hurdles I’ve been through with them (and to be clear, I STILL have not gotten my money, which was payment for editing a book prior to publishing), I’ll just describe the main one to you: ***VENMO REQUIRES THAT YOU EMAIL THEM A COPY OF YOUR PHOTO I.D. BEFORE THEY WILL EVEN <> YOUR ACCOUNT, ISSUE, OR PROBLEM.*** Yes, you read that correctly. Unless you take a digital picture of your driver’s license or passport and email it to them, they refuse to discuss anything about your issue with you … even if that issue is, you’ve been paid using Venmo and you can’t seem to get your money.
I am not one for conspiracy theories. But THIS — this, my friends — is one of the shadiest things I’ve ever encountered in business. Why the f#@k would they EVER need your photo ID. Think about it: if this was standard protocol for lots of reputable companies out there, that would be one thing. Say, for instance, Apple, Microsoft, Cox, Google, Amazon, etc etc etc. But it ISN’T !!!! Never in my life, even dealing with tech startups and all kinds of different companies in New York City, have I ever been asked over the phone in customer support to send them a copy of my photo ID. This is a seriously suspicious practice, especially with the rise of facial recognition software out there. The lady on the phone with me at Venmo kept insisting, redundantly, that it was to “verify” my “email address” and that the name I’m giving her “over the phone is in fact the name on the account.” But as you, reader, probably know, they can •absolutely• achieve that verification through other avenues. Namely, emailing me some kind of arbitrary code, say, six digits, and then when I open up my email, simply having me READ that verbally over the phone to her. There is unquestionably no reason that Venmo needs my photo ID, nor does it assist them in verifying ANYTHING about my account. Note that your ID isn’t required to sign UP for Venmo, so why should it be required to get your money???
Beware. Truly.
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– Phillip
Penelope
Worst service ever. All the people I called were no help, they were rude. They froze my account and the person giving me the money. They won’t give either of us the money back. They won’t give it to me because I don’t have a visa. They are no help, I can’t get my money or the other person can’t get the money back. Don’t use this app its Is not good. They are rude will not help.
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– Phillip
Dwayne
I typed a friend to send money. Same name but wrong person. Lost of hard working money to help a friend with cancer. RIPOFF
From The Editor
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BRIAN P CARPANI
Not worth it. Obviously don’t get paid on the funds in account and more importantly you can only have 1 account linked to a certain checking account. Therefore, if you and wife want venmo you cant use the checking account on both accounts so hard to get money out. annoying.
From The Editor
This Post Might Help: Best Mobile Apps for Sending Money
David M
I completed all the information and opened the venmo account. I added a bank account and it told me it was unable to add it, that I had entered incorrect information. I tried two more times, knowing the information was correct. Got the same stupid message. Checked my bank account and there were three inquiries showing from venmo. They can’t add my account, but somehow they’re in my account three times. A little bit too sleazy for my taste. Account closed!
From The Editor
This Post Might Help: Best Mobile Apps for Sending Money
Albert Andrew Zuest
My client sent a payment using venmo. I have not used this service before.
I set up my account. After many error messages and not receiving the funds I contacted Mike at Venmo 855-812-4430
He wanted me to reinstall the app and add my banking info. ( Red flag #1 )
I told him I am not comfortable with giving my banking info. He told me then to photograph my drivers license and send it to him. ( red flag #2 )
All I wanted was for them ( venmo ) to be aware that as the recipient of said funds, I do not wish to use this service and, that the funds should be returned to the sender as the transaction never worked.
I have taken some time to read the reviews on this company and, in my opinion they are NOT to be trusted.
My client is still trying to get his funds returned to him. I WILL NOT give banking info to this company.
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Shawnette Unknown
I signed up for Venmo and used it maybe once. After a few months I attempted to sign in again, but found my password wouldn’t work. I requested a new password but they locked my account. I contacted support, and they DEMANDED a photo id. I don’t send my photo id to anyone- that is very dangerous. So I asked them to just close the account. “Maddy H.”, the support person, refused to close the account unless I sent them a photo id. Unbelievable. So I can’t log in and check for illicit activity, and can’t close the account.
From The Editor
This Post Might Help: Best Mobile Apps for Sending Money
Jessica Walker
Was using Venmo for instant transfers to and from my daughter in college. Thursday night around 10pm she transferred $20 to me and it wasn’t instant. The email said it would be deposited Monday. I will not use a service that lies in their advertisement and doesn’t even give a warning when they decide to change the rules of the game in the middle of the game. Use Square Cash instead.
From The Editor
This Post Might Help: Best Mobile Apps for Sending Money
Natasha Kay
I used this app once before 2 years ago.Went to use last night and even though banking info all the same it kept saying “lost connection to bank, delete info and renter.” Frustrated, I finally deleted and reentered my info. I will not use venmo again, very sketchy and unnerving.
From The Editor
This Post Might Help: Best Mobile Apps for Sending Money
Megan Dirkes
Venmo has closed my account when I brought attention the fraudulent account that is using my checking account info and debit card. This is not a reputable company. Do not use or trust.
From The Editor
This Post Might Help: Best Mobile Apps for Sending Money
alexis
Useless customer support. Someone else was using my phone number and it took so many messages and screenshots to prove it’s not me. Yet someone could use my phone number easily while I’m jumping through hurdles to remove it. Thanks for nothing.
From The Editor
This Post Might Help: Best Mobile Apps for Sending Money
Justin turner
Absolutely fraudulent. They allow you to send money but can freeze the receivers account for absolutely no reason. We contacted them and they said they didn’t have to give a reason and to try again later. WTF.
They need to be investigated by the attorney general and FTC.
If I walked into a store and took an item walked out without paying I’d get arrested. Venmo/PayPal can do this without any reprocussions.
Rediculous!
KHAMPTON
VENMO STRIKES AGAIN… MY ACCOUNT IS FROZEN AGAIN… I have been waiting 5 days for a response, sent them my ID’s multiple times, bank statements, copies of credit cards and they still haven’t fixed my issue. Why have a company where you can send money to and from your family in an emergency situation and then they freeze your account and you can’t access it AND you can’t get your “account specialist” to respond to you. Customer Service told me just now that I will just have to wait for them to email me and my “Account Specialist” has other customers. Are you kidding!?!? She basically told me that my issue doesn’t matter and there is nothing she could do about it. After I retrieve my money (if that ever happens), I will NEVER use VENMO again! Horrible experience. MY BEST SUGGESTION IS TO RUN, DO NOT GIVE THEM ANY OF YOUR $.
JOSH
This service is horrible. They held my funds captive with no explanation. My instant transfer kept being denied. When I spoke to a customer service rep they said your acct has been red flagged. I asked why and they told me they can’t tell me that. I had to refund the money or wait 3 business days for a regular bank transfer. Completely ridiculous. I would definitely stay away from this product as they have a lot of serious bugs to work out
Carol
FRAUD. WATCH OUT. Sent money to my daughter who can’t receive it because they froze her account. They keep telling us they will send the money back to me but they don’t!!! Don’t waste your money!!
LJ
You should revise this rating to be much lower. Venmo drained my friend’s bank account and silently siphoned off hundreds of dollars out of my account. When I caught them at it and asked them if there were other occurences, they refused to respond.
Otter
Horrible customer service. The claim of “talk to a human” is 100% bogus with the experience I had. I asked a very simple straightforward question and got some vague bull crap answer. I tried the chat function, and it took 15 minutes for someone to even acknowledge that I was waiting for them to respond! So very disappointed. And to top it all off, instant transfer isn’t working and nobody will tell me when it will be fixed. Very disappointed with this particular app. Not happy.
Alex
Venmo has completely changed sense being bought by PayPal and I mean that in the worst way possible. They are now unreliable now and have no concern for customer loyalty. Don’t use Venmo unless your willing to loose whatever funds are in your account. They will allow transactions to go threw then freeze your account without reason when you attempt to pull out the funds.
Lourdes garcia
It’s the worst service ever, I needed the money for an emergency, and they kept lying about it and they kept the money for many days, than I cancelled and they said it was going to take an extra 5 days to get it back, we still haven’t gotten the money back and ended up having to do it Walmart to Walmart but the money she put into VENMO we haven’t got it back
Timothy J Lustig
Money was taken out of my account without my authorization and facilitated by Venmo to a third party. Now neither will assist me in any type of refund. This is very fraudulent behavior and unacceptable thievery from a silicon valley company. Do NOT trust this company with your private banking and credit information. They will abuse it for their own gain.
Robert W Carey
I would not Recommend VENMO to anyone. It’s difficult to conclude whether it’s designed For complete Dummies or NOT because the Navigation is so terrible–giving you something you must do to proceed then NOT giving a clear direction or i8nstruction of WHAT to Do to achieve this, HOW exactly to accomplish whatever the ‘thing’ you must do actually is. And they are severely lacking in notivfications to let you know, or Confirmation, that whatever procesS or procedure you are attempting to follow-through on or imagine you ARE DOING SUCCESSFULLY is, in fact, achieved and completed successfully, Navigation on VENMO is utterly stupid and questionable
SV
This company does not realize they are dealing with people’s money. They are full of miscommunication. do not use this unless you want to deal with either three hours of customer service conversations or just letting your money go down the drain. Use paypal instead, it’s trusted.
kevin
i just opened the account with venmo got some friends to send me money and when i tried to get the money they froze my account and then they canncelled it with 598 in the account
Heath
Venmo is the absolute worst company I’ve ever had the displeasure of working with. They allowed a payment of mine go to a frozen account and then didn’t let me reclaim my funds. They told me the money is now theirs and they have to return it. That is a terrible policy and it hurts me to lose as much money as I did in the way I lost it. PLEASE USE SQUARE CASH OR GOOGLE PAY/APPLE PAY
Tina
I’m sorry to hear this company did this to you! It’s just not right!! I just read a lot of reviews about Venmo and it sounds like they are scamming people out of money. I’ll be sure to pass the word around…..
Amanda
I also have had TERRIBLE customer service and and am currently out $500 because my account is frozen due to some “security issues”. I’ve sent them all the documentation needed and guess what? Its been 3 weeks and it is STILL frozen! I’m considering contacting my lawyer.
Jesse Greenidge
Venmo is not user friendly when it comes to a legitimate
transaction. Scammers are using this loophole to steal from Venmo users. Venmo will send you a notification that the money was transferred but its clearly not and they should fix that immediately. Venmo doesn’t guarantee that the transaction is complete so they send you a notification that it was successful. PLEASE DO NOT USE VENMO AS A WAY TO EXCHANGE MONEY WITH PEOPLE IT, ISN’T SAFE.
Z Hu
They froze my account with no reason. They refused to provide any explanations citing “privacy issues”. I have $1000 balance inside, then they permanently closed my account. The custom support said they will not help me unless my lawyer contacted them directly. WTF.
jay slosar
nothing but hassles and run around can’t sign in or transfer money
Skip johnson
Our card was used in a fraudulent transaction. They offer absolutely no way to stop a pending transaction. We were out 1400 bucks for 2 weeks. They seem to be the perfect vehicle to complete credit fraud.
Neelam Tranam
I used venmo to pay back my mom for car repairs. I sent her the money and then she transferred it to her bank. Next think I know, my venmo account is suspended, she didn’t receive the bank transfer, and venmo already deducted $2600 from my bank account!!!!!!!!!!! I called their customer service which is garbage. Basically they told me I have to reply back to the email that said I was suspended and they *MIGHT* email me back. I have a balance in my venmo account which I can’t even transfer to my bank since my venmo is suspended. I’m now out $2600 and I have no way of getting my money back from this scamming company.
W Isbigar
Like others – Venmo froze my account because the transfer was over $999. They stated I need to provide drivers licence, copy of bank statement, SS#, and all kinds of information.
They will not let you speak to the dept in control of unfreezing. They will not make any promises about when it will be handled. They request sensitive information over email which is an unsecure delivery method WAITING to be hacked and taken advantage of. Wait for venmo to be the next Equifax security risk.
I suspect they freeze funds and are slow to let them go because this adds money into their accounts with which they can use for investments and earn more $$$ at your expense.
Stay away from this site. The parent company is better (paypal) but, considering they are in control of this company – it makes me question that one too.
Stay AWAY!!!!
Trevor blaszczyk
This app fucking sucks. They took my money. Now won’t transfer it to my bank and I’m fucked for my bills this month. Thanks. Oh. And the phone number? Yea. They won’t help for shit. No help at all. Worst app ever. Use squarecash
Donna
I just paid the wrong person (honest mistake) and now Venmo won’t return my money for 3 days. This is completely ridiculous! I made an honest mistake and as a result, I’m being punished. Chris B. claims they need to ‘protect the parties involved’. This is such BS. You aren’t protecting me. You’re holding my money hostage.
Aaron Goh
worst company ever… they are now holding my payment because I am not in the US when I made the payment… even now after my payment has been canceled they are still not willing to refund me asked me to call my bank to dispute which i did and then i tried to contact Venmo again but now they are ignoring me… i dont even know if i will see my money again…
Tanya Larson
I was looking for an alternative to the fiasco that is PayPal….but low and behold….Venmo is owned by PayPal, so it’s more of the same and the reviews show it to be. I granted PayPal the right to stick their tentacles into my bank account and they decided to help themselves, costing me hundreds of dollars in NSF charges. No thanks! I’ll send a check in the mail the old school way. If you don’t take cash, I don’t need your product or service.
Lorrie LeVac
This is awful! Not intuitive and after two days still cannot send $
Got some stupid security email that venmo froze my account well after it should have been a completed transaction. Still no response to THAT email which I responded to and complied with request. AWFUL!!!!!
Pamela Williams
Bad experience, no one knows where my money is when I transferred it to my bank. 100 percent loss. Bank says not there..and all venom can say is call your bank…I am not pleased at all and will never use again
Susan Kremer
I give this a F can not get any help and can not get my money back. First time using and last!!! Do not recommend no one will help you!!!!
Susan Kremer
Can not get anyone to help me! Was told that area does not take calls will get email in 2 days. That was five days ago call and get no help same story! I just want the transaction cancelled and my money back. Terrible service!
Perry Pham
I emailed Venmo from the beginning of March because when I signed in to the app, it needed to send a confirmation number, but I had gotten a new phone. We emailed 5 or 6 times and they kept trying to give me a code that should’ve worked but none of them did. I just wanted to know if I had money on the account and they couldn’t tell me that. Then they asked if I wanted to delete the account, which would’ve defeated the whole purpose of me trying to get my account back… On March 21st I got an email outside of the conversation, from Venmo, saying the issue was resolved, asking me to take a survey. The issue was never resolved until today, April 12, where they probably lied to me and said there were no funds so they’d delete it for me. They couldn’t tell me that 18 emails back though, which makes me believe they lied. I asked to speak to a higher-up representative or manager in email 14, and this guy completely ignored that and kept typing random suggestions and codes we had already gone over. Their customer service is terrible, they don’t read what you type, they don’t know much anyways, and they lie to you to get you out of their hair. I hate Venmo and you all need to know this.
Michael Ortiz Cruz
They credited money into my account without checking that the other person has sufficient funds. It was only when I called to check on the amount tranfered to my bank that they inform me he didn’t have the funds. Because of this, the rent which was due had not been paid and it cost me another month while I evicted him.
Maybe don’t credit money into an account and have it available for transfer before you’ve taken it out of the originators account.
This is used for fraud
Sherry Allen
Venmo is new to me, I fist saw the word when I was checking my Bank Account and there they were two amounts taken from my account both over 100.00. I am not a rich woman and keep track of all my funds. Please do not feel free to serve yourself with my bank account.
Jessie smith
Not much too say but I never recommend venom to no one, I filed cfpb complaint about them. Poor business practices and deceptive methods to get you sign up then hold hostage of your fund or freeze them without cause or warnings.
Dorene Macias
I am having an extremely negative experience with this VENMO thing, since last weekend I created an account because a family member recommended it and since then it has been frozen since I tried to transfer a lump sum of money from venmo to my bank account initially it stated Bank transfer initiated estimated arrival January 10,2017 and my account since then continues to be frozen, Ive been going back and forth via email with the support team and was notified I needed to send a color copy of my drivers license and my most recent bank statement ??????? even after verbally speaking with a support member (James) and giving him information that confirmed the account is actually mine they are still not transferring my $2,000 from venmo to my bank account also they are asking my cousin for the same information from him. I will be speaking to a lawyer.
Robert
The freeze your account after verification and cannot give you details while your money just sits there. Not everyone has extra money to just be placed on hold while Venmo Customer Service does a mediocre job at responses. This is ridiculous!
Wiphaphorn
I just got to used the venmo and I got paid for my bag $2,999. in my venmo account it’s said the person paid me and I did transfer the money to my bank account it was suppose to arrive with in 24 hrs and the next day I got email that my account is “frozen ” and the transaction was canceled and the money will be back to my venmo account. Since then I never see my $2,999 in my venmo account nor my back account. And I did email and call many time and the email never reply me and the call never can help me. They just said its my fault. So now I lost $2,999 which I don’t know what happens.
is anyone can help ?
Thank you.
Jim Edwards
Involved in a recent incident where my phone was hacked and a user had transferred over $2,000 to themselves without my knowledge. Filed a complaint with Venmo but they came back saying there was no sign of unauthorized activity after getting a different version of the story from the thief. After asking Venmo for the thief’s version of the story, they continue to be unresponsive as all responses must go through email instead of the phone. Needless to say, I am done with them and will have to sort it out with my bank.
ann
Fails as simple processing tool – Requires way too much access to your detailed personal information across multiple platforms and devices to process a payment.
Rich
DO NOT USE VENMO. This is deceptive marketing at it’s worst. I signed up and made my first transaction. The sender sent the money and we both received confirmation that the transaction was complete. I also received confirmation that the funds were sent to my linked checking account. The nest day I get an email (not a phone call) that my account is frozen and I need to send copies of my ID and my banking statements (which I did). Several emails were ignored until I finally got on the phone with them. The rep told me everything was fine that they are just “behind” and it may take several days to resolve. She told me that I cannot speak to the people handling the issue because, “they don’t take phone calls”. Then she tyells me that the person sending me the payment had to send the same info as I did. As if someone sending the money is a crook or something and if they didn’t send that info I would not get my payment. She then asked me to contact the sender and have him send them the info. Unbelievable! DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY. DECEPTIVE!
Jackie
Venmo is holding 2999.99 from my husband who was trying to pay a contractor and with no excuse. Each time he calls they say there is nothing they can do and that it is being investigated by a group of people he can not talk to. It has now been 5 days including 3 business days that they have held almost 3000.00 dollars. Be careful with your money don’t use venmo for large amounts. They may keep it and hole it.
Leyla
Called venmo customer support yesterday in order to try to resolve some issues I had with my account, and it was absolutely the worst experience I have ever had with customer support services. The girl on the phone was terribly rude and didn’t even bother to try to answer politely. Absolutely horrible experience that makes me want to never use the services again. Deeply disappointed and surprised that venmo somehow still rated with 4 stars here.
Lynn
Very upset with my experience with Venmo. I needed to transfer money to my son in order to help him pay bills. A friend suggested I use Venmo. I sent the money last Wednesday, it is now the following Monday and we have no idea where the money went. On top of that Venmo made two small deposits to my son’s account and then withdrew them after he had already gone into NSF status. A .12 cent withdrawal triggered a charge to my son of $29.50. Of course now all of his bills have long since come in and he is currently over $130.00 in the hole because the deposit did not go in. He called today and they told him it would be a least two more days before the money could get returned. That will be to his Venmo account, still not the bank. This was a disaster, so I do not recommend you use Venmo. Also, my Venmo account was locked almost immediately after the transaction. When I contacted Venmo they could not even find my account on file. Very shady…beware.
Lynn
I posted to this site on 11/21/16, it is now 11/28 and still no money. When my account was locked I received an email to send my personal information. I sent what was requested. Four days later I got an email I did not send everything, which I did. At the same time Venmo asked my son (person money was going to) to send my personal information to them. What if this person was not family? We are almost two weeks past the initial transaction and no resolution. I reported and received a claim from the Better Business Bureau, but nothing has come from that. I am going to have a nervous breakdown over this because I just have no idea when or if we will ever receive this money and Venmo tells us nothing, but 48 more hours. If you read this DO NOT use Venmo it is not safe.
Julie kirk
This app is no help it has taken me days to get my money and I still haven’t got it and no one at the call center can help me. I would advise not using this app for big money transfers $2200
Steven
I Just signed up today and received money from a friend. I tried Transferring the money to my Bank Account. A day later they Freezed my account and canceled the transfer to my bank account. I am unsure where the money went since it is not in my venmo balance..? Not sure how a company can just let $1250 go missing from the books.
Jessy
Venmo is very unreliable, out of all my transactions I’ve made I’ve lost damn near a thousand dollars. They tell you to contact customer support and then customer support just never gets back to you, ever. This app is bullshit and I wouldn’t recommend that anyone use it
natascha snellman
Very frustrating. I added my credit card on my phone and tried to pay someone back, I got a bounce fee from my bank because Venom charged my checking. Not happy, but i realized i must have not looked closely enough on my phone. (annoying and a waste of my money)So a week later I made the effort to log on from my laptop to ensure that the money i was paying my babysitter was coming from my credit card and not my bank account. (i am a new mom and am very careful with my money and knew i did not have enough in my checking) I clicked my credit card as the payment option. a few days later i receive a bounce notice! WTF! I call and am on hold for 15 mins. I call back an hour later and after waiting 20 mins and someone answers. I tell her all of this. She responds there is a tiny box i should have clocked that says “if venmo balance is not enough pull from this account” and that venom will not help me with either bank charge. As a user, that is not obvious or user friendly. I specifically chose my credit card to be used and it was not clear at all to click that box. I told her that i will no longer promote Venom, which i did all of the time and i thought Venom was very useful until i added my credit card. She said i should use whatever service i like. The conversation was not very helpful and she was very casual about everything. Those bounce fees are my grocery money, i don’t take it lightly and when i made the effort to log on my laptop to be diligent and still got a bounce, i’m actually pissed. Not obvious or user friendly. I’ll keep using paypal because at least i know my funds will withdraw out of the correct account with out any tricky boxes to click.
wpw
Terrible thing this venmo they take the money then put it in hold hostage till you prove that you are you why not do that first took two weeks to get my money back
Phil
There is no customer service the site says chat 24 hours a day. Not true. IT SUCKS!
Eric Parker
Venmo gives Pay Pal a bad look. i cant believe a company owned by A reputable company like Pay pal would not have the same level of customer service, security, and professionalism. i was recently instructed to download and use Venmo to receive funds to pay for non personal items by people i work for. The money $487.00, was paid to the wallet and i transferred it to my bank account. the next day the money should have been deposited. instead i have an email from Venmo saying the account was frozen with out an explanation and the money was removed from the wallet. you would think that if there was issues with my account they would leave the money in the wallet so you can send it back to the original sender. Not so with Venmo! i emailed them back with a response that i need to send them a copy of my ID and a bank statement via email. I was extremely hesitant. That kind of sensitive info should not be shared via email, especially when you do not knoe the person on the other end. i thought about it for a while but time was of the essence, so i did it. i heard nothing back for hours. I looked in the app for the customer service number. there wasnt one. i searched on line and found the dead end number that they call customer service. the agent “Michael basically told me that there was nothing that he could do and id have to wait for a response from the account specialist, which should be today. i waited for hours more no response. i ended up having to pay for everything out of pocket which cost me 500.00. Expecting a resolve i woke the next morning with nothing. i called several times and spoke with two more agents named michael. i think they each them to use the name michael for complaints or only one guy works there. He seem to think my situation was comical because i clearly heard him put me on speaker during our conversation and people snickering in the background. three days later and numerous emails and phone calls i still have not been reimbursed. There is no way to talk anyone that has any bearing on your problem. i went online looking for there corporate info and found out that they are owned by Pay Pal. Ive never had any issues with paypals customer service or handling of money. pay Pal needs to scrap Vemno move the service to their site and fir all the customer service pricks that are currently handling their phone calls……
Abused User
DO NOT USE VENMO!!!!! THEY ARE THIEVES!!!
I transferred money to a friend and THEM Venmo asked for account verification and FROZE both accounts. I completely understand needing to verify someone’s identity, but that should be done before money is taken out of someone’s account! My friend didn’t feel comfortable with the amount of information Venmo was requesting, so I asked for my money back. They held over $2000 for 2 WEEKS!!! Every time I would email them (No phone number to call), I would get a response telling me I had to email ONE SPECIFIC REP who is supposedly my personal account manager. BULLSH!T!! I DID respond to the correct emails and kept being pushed off to someone else and someone else and someone else. I started sending email after email after email to the one and only email address they email from telling them to RETURN MY MONEY!
Finally, I got the money back, again, after 2 WEEKS!! I also got some BS emails from one specific rep, MARIA B, who I apparently pissed off, asking me what I think of her service along with a summary of the many emails I sent repeatedly. It was a jab and that was obvious.
Now, I have fraudulent charges on my bank account which I linked to Venmo. THEY ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO COULD’VE MADE THE CHARGES!! They STOLE!!!!
DO NOT USE VENMO!!!
Natalle
Same exact thing happened to me when my own roommate sent me money for rent and venmo froze my account for NO REASON!!!! They will never tell you why or what will happen. Since there is no call center to help you any further (which defeats the purpose of calling themselves a “support center”)
I’ve been shooting emails, chats every way possible to reach out to this company to find out where they took my money to right before they cancelled/froze my account. What company doesn’t investigate further or involve the person before they take your money away!? Atleast notify me what and how you’re going to take my money away so I atleast know what’s going on!!!!
The only responses I get from these people are “this department of our support team does not have any further information about your account”, “you will receive another email shortly”. That doesn’t make people feel at ease at all!
I WILL NEVER USE VENMO AGAIN!! I would rather PayPal with safety and reassurance!
DO BETTER VENMO
Gina
SCAM ALERT!!! They will keep your money. I used this app once to send a friend $200 and it acted like it went through but a few days later they froze my account and required I send in all these documents. I needed to pay my friend still so I opened Facebook messenger and immediately paid my friend who received the money in his bank in 3 days, no hassle. Back to Venmo, I email them saying I don’t know they and I’m not going to send in those documents and to just reverse the transaction (in fact the email asking for the documents state that if I don’t send it in 14 days they’ll reverse the transaction). Almost a month later and I’m still fighting for my money back. They refuse to reverse the transaction.
John Strauss
Venmo stole my money. I had $1133.00 transferred to me from a third party through Venmo. Venmo confirmed the receipts and my later instructions to transfer the funds to my bank account. The next day they said that my account was frozen for some unspecified security issues. They asked me a couple of questions that I immediately answered. The funds were due into my bank account yesterday but they have yet to arrive. Venmo now says that my account has been permanently deactivated. I have received no explanation of any detail and I have received no explanation of where my money went. It seems as though they have seized it for their own account.
Bayard
Venmo has stolen $900 from me. I transferred $900 from my venmo account to my bank account. Estimated arrival time promised 24-hours later.
On the following day, I received an email stating that my Venmo account has been FROZEN. I do understand it requires SSN to transfer more than $299.99 but there is no any reason to freeze my account. There is NO customer call center, so the only way to contact Venmo is via Email. Each day since, I’ve shot countless emails and reached out in all forms of communication. Yet, no one has gotten back to me.
I’m recommending all of my friends, family, and World Wide Web to NOT do business with a company of such low caliber.
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Kashawn C
After reading everyone else’s story I feel it is only right that I share mine as well. This past weekend was the championship game for many Fantasy football players around the nation. I somehow miraculously pulled through with a one point when in the final game of the regular season to allow me to win my league championship. The person in charge of paying out the winners Live seven hours away. So I was directed that I should open an account with this app. After opening an account and verifying my bank account to be able to send and receive money, I sent a request to be paid the amount I was owed which was nearly $2600. After receiving the money it appeared in my Venmo account so the next thing I did was ” transfer to bank “. I then received an email confirming that the deposit to my bank account would happen the next day which was January 6. At 2:00 AM I received an email stating that my account has been frozen. The $2600 no longer appears in my Venmo or as a pending transaction in my bank account. I sent an email to the support team in which they responded that it may take up to 12 hours to hear back from them in which I haven’t. I then proceeded to chat with a person by the name of Sean using the help center chat line on the Venmo app (via text). After explaining what happened I received a response stating that the support team unfortunately cannot help with my request and that the issue was being forwarded to “another team”. I then proceeded to send a message asking who I will be receiving contact from, when or how it will happen. I haven’t heard from anyone at Venmo yet. If anyone in the past has had an issue with Venmo in got it resolved I would greatly appreciate if you reached out to me to help me resolve my issue as well because at this point I feel helpless and there is no other way for me to contact this company.
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Julian jones
I’m currently in the same boat as you as I let a friend borrow 2000 for rent because he was being evicted. And when he sent it back our accounts were frozen. Has your problem been solved yet?
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Yanmiao Zhuang
my Venmo account is frozen while I DID NOT use my account for sale or exchange any Bitcoin. My boyfriend transfered money to me via Venmo on Jan 31 and Venmo needed ssn to transfer to my bank account. I do understand it requires ssn to transfer more than $1000 but there is no any reason to freeze my account. I contacted you on Venmo app with merely no response. I’m enough with no service!!!
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Are you with Venmo? Learn how to resolve this complaint.
Sam
I’m still a little hesitant to use venmo and link my bank account to it. They don’t have a customer service number. As a customer, I’d like to reach the company immediately if there are any issues and talk to a live person. I’ve had experiences before where I had to email back and forth with someone and it took way too long to get a simple issue resolved.
With so many sophisticated hackers out there now, I’m very wary of third-party apps that contain my personal information, especially my bank account and permission to send wires.
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Are you with Venmo? Learn how to resolve this complaint.
Angelia
I keep trying to contact Venmo and I never get an answer back concerning the 300$ transfer that was sent to me since the 23rd…Smh they will say it should be in your bank account one day and it never shows…Since then my account has been overdrawn and everything is a disaster…I will never use their service again…
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Are you with Venmo? Learn how to resolve this complaint.
James Crowther
I WOULD NOT do business with VenMo. The first time I heard abut them is when one of their “customers” broke into my bank account and stole money. There is nno phone number to contact them. I contacted via email, the only way to contact them and they had the nerve to ask me to email my banking info via emai. Let me get this right, YOU ALLOWED YOUR CUSTOMER TO COMMIT FRAUD and now you want my banking info? No way.
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Are you with Venmo? Learn how to resolve this complaint.
Ira Curry
Venmo has stolen $514.00 from me. I transferred $514.00 from my venmo account to my bank account. Estimated arrival time promised 24-hours later.
Shortly, I received an email stating I needed to confirm my identity. Immediately, I did so and provided the needed documentation. That was well over a week ago.
Each day since, I’ve shot countless emails and reach out in all forms of communication. Yet, no one has gotten back to me.
I am in the process of filing a law suit and recommending all of my friends, family, and World Wide Web to not do business with a company of such low caliber.
Ira Curry
[REDACTED – personal contact information]
Julian jones
Has your problem been solved yet? If so how long did it take? I’m currently in the same boat as you except for 2500 dollars.
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Are you with Venmo? Learn how to resolve this complaint.
Ira
Yes. Took About 2-3 months. I wrote BBB. And we went back and forth. Until finally, they let up.
John Lew
This article says, “The service’s only potential security issues are limited to instances of device theft.”
Not true. Venmo has some major security holes, leading your bank account open to theft. Just google “venmo hacked”.
Scary to see this article not even mention these security issues, especially since this article was updated after major security issues were in the news. Even without the news, no security issues are ever limited to a client device (e.g., a phone). If the data is somewhere, like on a venmo server, there can be unlimited security issues. Flashy, new businesses don’t have the safety of longer, well-established businesses. Please correct the article.
Phillip CPO
Hi John,
Thank you for the comment. I believe that we all understand the implied risk of our data getting hacked from third-party servers/systems nowadays. Every credit card and bank account you have shares the same risk. Paper checks have your account and routing number printed directly on them. Venmo is an extremely popular service and there will always be fringe cases of people’s accounts getting compromised, just as there will be with any other type of financial service. We don’t go into this in the Venmo review because it would be mostly conjecture to do so. However, from a user standpoint, we cover the controllable risks and precautions.
Diana Anderson
BEWARE!!! My son recently transferred money from his Venmo account to his sisters Venmo account, which she then transferred to her bank account to help with her fall school expenses. All looked to be fine (quick and easy), until the money due in her account on a Monday, never showed up. After they both complained, he finally (read one week later) received a notice that his account had been frozen with a request for full financial data. He was not happy to give his personal financial information out, but, promptly complied with the request. After another week, they unfroze his account. The unfreezing was over a week and a half ago, and still neither of them have access to the money. He can’t take it back, and she cant get it out. She has sent multiple emails to Venmo, and they simply don’t reply. Finally, with my help, she filed a complaint with the BBB who contacted Venmo almost a week ago. Apparently, Venmo doesn’t respond to the BBB either, they are still waiting. It would have been so much easier to just have sent a check via snail mail. I will never do business with this company, and i’d advise you to pass as well.
Gabriel
Same thing has happend to me. On September 27, my mother sent me funds for my rent after my squatter roommate was evicted. I haven’t heard anything from Venmo and now my rent will be late. My account is frozen and no one from Venmo has responded. After a roommate nightmare ended, I now have a Venmo nightmare to continue to make my life miserable. Makes me want to fly out to Venice, CA and find these people for taking my money hostage. My frustration level has already redlined.
If you want to try Venmo, I suggest you try it first with a small transaction where neither party will need the money for 2 weeks. After a few successful tries, then you can increase the maximum. I think they froze my account because I requested the money sent into my bank account too quickly, even after Venmo had successfully verified my bank account.
Luis
Venmo is no good. I tried to cash out weeks ago and this transaction is still pending to this day. Emailed them. Whole bunch of times and nothing yet. They deducted the bank account from the person who sent me the money,:yet the transfer to my bank account is still pending.
Susan
HORRIBLE. HORRIBLE. HORRIBLE. Customer service is Email only……..things are being screwed up by Venmo because I cannot TALK to anyone. They have screwed up two people’s accounts now and won’t let either of us back on. Now they want my SSN…..I don’t think so!!
Grant Stern
Venmo is a horrible company. They froze my account after a $1000 transfer for time sensitive tickets and went on Xmass vacation. I’ve already filed a complaint with the NY DFS and suggest you do the same, when they screw you, because inevitably, they will.
Kristen
What happened after you involved NY DFS?
They froze mine for a $1250 transfer as well and are not responding.
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Are you with Venmo? Learn how to resolve this complaint.
Grant Stern
Nothing sadly. I did get my ticket situation fixed, but I lost $500 on the sale. Not cool.
Grant Stern
Ironically, not a day after I replied, the NY DFS response arrived. NADA too.
joe mustang
Venmo will freeze your account for no good reason. They froze my account, cancelled two transactions, and never notified me of this. When I finally got through to them by email (took weeks), they first stated they wanted additional identification, which I gladly sent them. Finally, I received an email from their fraud department telling me that the transactions seemed “business” in nature, and therefor raised all types of red flags. The transactions were in fact sent from a friend.
Customer service is non-existent. They have no telephone number. And honestly, they seem to have a lot of bugs to work out. I will gladly pay the 3% that PayPal charges to save me the headache from having to deal with a low rate company. I guess it’s true that you get what you pay for.
keith harrinton
how did this get resolved?
Nancy Giduck
there are fraud problems with my account and it is now frozen…therefore I can not cancel the account…nor can I get anyone to respond to my e-mails…Venmo can ruin your credit and NEVER explain why! I will bring them down like a house of cards!