With over 70 million active users countrywide, Venmo is, without a doubt, one of the popular payment services that have come to stay.
You'll basically need an account to start sending and receiving payments with Venmo. What if you don't have an account? Can you still pay someone through Venmo?
If you're looking to make a Venmo payment but don't want to go through the process of opening an account, you've come to the right place.
To help you out, we've compiled the best way to pay someone on Venmo without an account.
Important to Know!
If you send a Venmo payment to someone without an account, the payment will display as "Pending" in your activity feed. You'll be charged for the payment, but the recipient won't actually see the payment until they add the phone number or email to their accounts and verify it.
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Can I Pay Someone On Venmo Without An Account?
Yes, you can pay someone on Venmo without an account.
While you'll basically need an account to send payments, there are a couple of walkarounds to use the app's money transfer service without even having an account with them.
PayPal is Venmo's parent company and just as you can pay someone on Venmo without an account, you can also pay someone on PayPal without an account.
Also Read: How To Send Money To Cash App Without Cash App
How To Pay Someone On Venmo Without An Account
Before we proceed, you'll need to know that not using your own account for sending the payments might come with some limitations if in case you want to use the other services offered by the app.
You might find the different ways below useful if you're looking to pay someone on Venmo without an account.
1. Ask a Friend to Help You Out
Venmo allows users to send and receive payments between friends, family, and trusted businesses.
This means there's a great chance someone in your entourage uses the Venmo app — it can be a friend or relative.
All you'll need to do when you find someone using the app is to ask them if they can help you send a payment through the app and tell them you'll pay them through physical cash.
You can propose to them something in return like some extra cash if they are willing to help. Of course, you should only do this if paying someone on Venmo without an account is a big necessity for you.
Also Read: Can I Venmo Myself?
2. Ask the Recipient if They Accept Other Payment Methods
Sometimes you just need to converse with the person and ask if they accept other payment methods — however, you need to be convincing.
For instance, you can ask them if they accept bank transfers and tell them they can use the funds in their bank account to add money to their Venmo balance — you can even provide them with a guide to add money to Venmo to motivate your request.
However, in some cases, the person looking to receive payment through Venmo directly accepts other payment methods — you just need to ask them.
There are plenty of alternative payment methods such as Cash App, PayPal, or Zelle. If you have an account with any of these services, ask the recipient if they can receive funds through it.
It can also be possible that after receiving payments on Venmo, they typically withdraw the money from Venmo to their bank accounts or debit cards.
It's all about inquiring from them, but in most cases, the person should accept other payment methods for your convenience, especially if it's a business.
Also Read: How To Send Money Anonymously On Venmo
3. Signup for an Account
If none of the aforementioned options worked out for you, then it's time to create your own Venmo account.
Thankfully, Venmo makes the process of creating an account very easy — you'll need an email, phone number, U.S. bank account, or debit card to open an account and start sending money.
If you're looking to pay someone who does not have an account on Venmo, you can simply help them in opening their own account to make things easier for both of you.
Also Read: How To Borrow Money From Venmo
What Happens If You Send Venmo To Someone Who Doesn't Have An Account?
If you Venmo money to someone's email address or phone number that's not associated with a Venmo account, the payment will show as "Pending" in your personal transactions feed.
The person will need to open a Venmo account or link the email address or phone number to an existing Venmo account to receive the payment. Once they do so, the payment will be marked as Complete in your transaction feed.
How To Use Venmo Balance To Pay Someone
To use your Venmo balance to pay someone, you'll need to first verify your identity on the platform.
To know whether you can use your Venmo balance to pay someone:
- Go to the "Me" tab
- Check the "Wallet" section
If you see Venmo Balance at the top of the screen, this means that you can use money in your Venmo account for payments.
Also Read: How To Get Money Out Of Frozen Venmo Account
How To Use Venmo Balance Instead Of Card
If you haven't yet verified your identity on Venmo, then you can't use your Venmo balance for payments.
Venmo will choose from your available payment methods (bank account or card) when you are looking to send payments.
To use Venmo balance instead of a card or bank account, you'll need to verify your identity on the platform.
What Info Do I Give Someone To Pay Me On Venmo?
If you're looking to receive a payment from someone on Venmo, all you'll need to do is to give them your username, phone number, or email address for them to send you money.
To receive money on Venmo, you can tap the Pay/Request button at the bottom of your Venmo app, select the person you want to request money from, enter an amount with a note, and finally, tap "Request" to request their money.
Can You Pay Someone On Venmo With Just Their Phone Number?
Yes, you can pay someone on Venmo with just their phone number. If the phone number is linked to an existing Venmo account, they'll receive the payment instantly.
If the phone number isn't linked to a Venmo account, they'll receive instructions on how to receive their payment.
Do Both Parties Have To Have Venmo To Send Money?
Yes, you basically need a Venmo account to send money. However, the recipient, which is the other party does not need an account right away to receive money.
If they don't have an account right away, they'll receive instructions on how to receive their payment.
Someone Sent Me Money On Venmo But I Don't Have An Account
If someone sends you money on Venmo but you don't have an account the transaction will be marked as pending on the sender's account, and you can only receive the money sent to you on Venmo if you add the email or phone number to an active Venmo account — in which case is yours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you pay Venmo without an account?
Yes, you can pay someone on Venmo without an account. You can ask a nearby friend or relative to help you out.
What happens if I send a Venmo payment to someone without an account?
When a payment is sent to an email address or phone number that isn't associated with an active Venmo account, the payment may show as “Pending” in your feed. (This will also happen if the email address or phone number hasn't been verified by the recipient.)
How do I pay someone directly on Venmo?
You can pay someone directly on Venmo by tapping the Pay/Request button at the bottom of your Venmo app.
Final Thoughts
Venmo is a popular payment service that allows users to send and receive payments, and you'll basically need an account to conveniently transfer money on the platform.
However, if you don't have an account with Venmo, you can always ask a friend or relative to help you out.
On the other hand, you can ask the recipient if they accept other payment methods.
Either way, you should be able to send the payment, but for the best convenience, I'd recommend opening your own Venmo account.