When it comes to your finances and online transfers, you can never be too safe. Apps like CashApp and Venmo have dominated the mobile money transfering market and make it easy to send money to anyone across the country. Their simplicity, ease of use, and well-known names are all attractive attributes to consumers, though they may not be the most secure option for your mobile banking. Both Venmo and CashApp store your personal and financial information within their databases, making this information vulnerable to exposure in the event of a hacking attack. Zelle, a peer-to-peer digital payment network, is just as easy to use as its competitors, free of charge, and developed from a financial technology background that users can trust.
Sending Money With Zelle
Zelle is integrated with many online banking apps, meaning it does not need to be downloaded or store your banking information separately from the account itself. Because your information is only being stored in one place, with the additional security via your online banking app, Zelle users are considerably less susceptible to hackers. Thanks to its integrated system, Zelle offers faster payment transfer service than its competitors. You can conveniently send money into or receive money directly from a bank account instead of using a stand-alone app, allowing transactions to enter or leave your bank account within minutes as opposed to days.
Because of its competitors’ notoriety, few consumers know just how easy it is to use and access Zelle. Many banks and credit unions across the country offer Zelle within their banking app, typically found in the “Transfers” section. If you cannot find where Zelle is found within your app, you may ask your bank for assistance. If your bank does not offer Zelle within your banking app, you can still download the Zelle app separately where it will operate as a peer-to-peer money transfering app.
Venmo
Similar to Zelle, Venmo is free to use and offers quick and convenient payment options.
The app’s playful use of emojis, liking and commenting on transactions, and social feeds has made the app popular among younger users and businesses alike, with nearly 2 million businesses across the country accepting Venmo transactions. Because of this, Venmo is widely considered the most popular of peer-to-peer money applications. However, Venmo’s immense popularity and younger user demographic has made the app widely susceptible to scammers and fraud.
A common example of a Venmo scam is a random large payment from someone you do not know. The scammer will then contact the recipient saying that this was a mistake, and ask them to send the money back. They may also pose as a fake friend or business, pose phone calls as Venmo or Tech Support, offer prizes or rewards, or inquire about prepayment for goods and services. While these scams can all be avoided by the user doing their due-diligence and ensuring that you never send or accept money from someone you do not know, Venmo still sees a considerable amount of users falling victim to scams.
CashApp
CashApp is another example of a money-transferring app similar to Zelle and Venmo, allowing users to send and receive mobile payments within the US and UK. The CashApp user interface is simpler than its competitors, but does include features for Bitcoin and stock investments.
Like Venmo, CashApp is susceptible to scams. Although the app has safety features in place such as PIN authentication, account usage alerts, and some protection from unauthorized charges, it cannot entirely protect you from fraud. Scammers use similar tactics across all apps of this nature, typically impersonating someone you know, a seller, or the app itself to get users to send them money.
Which Money Transfer App Can I Trust?
Zelle’s creation by developers within the financial technology space, its backing from banks across the country, and its built-in separation of account credentials all make Zelle the safest choice among its competitors. As a Piscataqua Savings Bank account-holder, you have access to Zelle from within our mobile banking app. To learn more about Zelle, visit the Zelle information page on the Piscataqua Savings Bank website.
Zelle should only be used to send money to friends, family and others you trust. Neither Piscataqua Savings Bank nor Zelle offer a protection program for any authorized payments made with Zelle – for example, if you do not receive the item you paid for or the item is not as described or as you expected.
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