To turn off purchase protection on Venmo, you must disable the per-transaction toggle labeled "Turn on for purchases" on the payment confirmation screen before you send money. This is not a permanent account setting; it must be adjusted individually for each payment you make.
Can you permanently turn off purchase protection on Venmo?
No. Venmo's Purchase Protection is not a global account setting that can be turned off permanently; it is applied on a per-transaction basis. Many users mistakenly search for a master switch in their account settings, but the only control appears when you are about to send a payment. If you enable the toggle (making it green), the recipient is charged a fee, typically 1.9% of the transaction amount. If you leave it off, no fee is applied, and the transaction is not covered by Purchase Protection. If you are looking for a permanent way to stop these prompts, you can delete Venmo account entirely.
How to turn off purchase protection on a single Venmo payment
- Enter the recipient's name, Venmo handle, or phone number.
- Type the amount and a note for the payment.
- On the final payment confirmation screen, look for the "Turn on for purchases" toggle switch. By default, it may be turned on (green).
- Tap the toggle so it turns gray or white, this means Purchase Protection is off for this transaction.
- Review the details and tap "Pay" to complete the payment without Purchase Protection.
If the toggle is already off, you do not need to do anything else. The recipient will not be charged the seller fee, and the transaction will not be eligible for dispute resolution through Venmo.
Why turn off the purchase protection toggle?
The primary reason to disable the toggle is to prevent the recipient from being charged the 1.9% seller fee. When you send money to a friend, family member, or someone you trust for a non-commercial reason, such as splitting dinner, paying rent, or reimbursing a gift, there is no need for buyer protection. Turning off the toggle ensures the full amount you send reaches the other person, without Venmo deducting a percentage. Venmo generally recommends using the service to transact with people you know, so for these trusted payments, disabling Purchase Protection is the correct choice.
When is purchase protection automatically unavailable?
Certain categories of payments and items are ineligible for Purchase Protection anyway, meaning the toggle is irrelevant. These include in-person pickups (with exceptions for Venmo QR code transactions), vehicles, real estate, financial products, cryptocurrency, and gambling. If you are paying for any of these, the "Turn on for purchases" toggle may still appear, but enabling it will not provide coverage, it will only charge the recipient the seller fee. To avoid an unnecessary fee, always leave the toggle off for these transactions. Similarly, if you are managing recurring payments, you may want to turn autopay off on lending club to prevent unwanted automatic charges.
What to do if you sent a payment with purchase protection by mistake
If you accidentally sent a payment with the toggle turned on, the seller fee is non-refundable by Venmo. Your best option is to contact the recipient directly and ask them to refund the payment. Once the money is returned, you can resend it correctly with the toggle turned off. After the recipient approves the refund, send a new payment with the toggle disabled. This avoids the fee and ensures the recipient receives the full amount.
