It’s always frustrating when you’re using a payment service and don’t know the status of a transaction. The frustration is real whether you’re using PayPal, Cash App, or Venmo. How do I know if my Venmo payment went through? Well, we answer the question for you in this guide. We’ve listed some of the positive signs you can keep an eye on.
What Is Venmo?
How do I know if my Venmo payment went through? Before we get into this query, we must know about Venmo itself. What exactly is Venmo, and how does Venmo work? Venmo is a virtual wallet that lets you pay for transactions without using cash. It also acts as a good way to pay and request payments from contacts to exchange money.
Furthermore, Venmo has social aspects to the app that other digital wallets don’t have. For example, you can split bills for lunches or dinners between friends within the app. You can also easily divide a taxi fare or rent with your roommate.
Like most other digital wallets, you can also use Venmo to make purchases with partner merchants. You can do so through a store’s QR code or by paying with it online. In addition to your digital Venmo account, you can even get a Venmo card. It acts just like any other Mastercard debit card and is valid in all parts of the United States.
How Do I Know If My Venmo Payment Went Through?
Using fiat money is much easier when it comes to confirming transactions. After all, you only need to hand over the cash, and the purchase is set. However, it’s not as easy to tell using virtual wallets. How do I know if my Venmo payment went through? Here are a few signs you must keep an eye on.
1. Look for a Notification
How do I know if my Venmo payment went through? The swiftest way to know is if you get a notification. You’ll usually see this right away after Venmo confirms the payment. You don’t even have to have an in-depth understanding of how to use Venmo through this method.
A notification also pops up on your screen if you receive money — not just when you send it. However, notifications will not appear if your settings don’t allow for them. Hence, we recommend going through your mobile device’s settings and enabling the notifications. If you’re in focus mode, we suggest keeping the feature on at least while you’re making a transaction.
2. View Your Transaction History
Can you track a Venmo payment? Yes, you can easily track your Venmo payment through the app. How do I know if my Venmo payment went through using this method? By looking through your history. You may fulfill this by following the instructions below:
- Sign into your account on the Venmo website
- Press “statement” on the upper-right
- Choose the “<click here to view>” option
- Note: you can also use the date filter to narrow your focus
Afterward, Venmo should let you either view or download your history. If you click download, the platform will send your history to your registered email address. Unfortunately, this feature is unavailable on the app. You must accomplish it on a browser.
In addition, you can only download your transaction history once monthly. Hence, make sure to keep the file somewhere safe and away from other people’s eyes.
How do I know if my Venmo payment went through on the app? Thankfully, there is a decent transaction feed within the app you can check as an alternative. However, you cannot download your history as you would on the desktop:
- Launch Venmo
- Log in
- Tap the Hamburger (three stacked lines) icon
- Press the dollar ($) with the hamburger sign on the feed
- Note: the updated app has a person icon instead
- This is the “you” tab where you can find your transaction feed, including their dates, times, and amounts
- Note: red notifications mean you sent money successfully, while green means you received money successfully
3. Check Your Account Balance
How do I know if my Venmo payment went through if the two other options aren’t available? We recommend reviewing your Venmo balance to see whether there’s been a deduction.
Fortunately, Venmo makes this easy by making the feature accessible on the app and the desktop site. However, it’s only effective if you know how much was in your account before you made the transaction. Otherwise, it might not be very effective.
On Desktop
- Navigate to the Venmo website
- Log in using your account
- Go to your profile page
- View the “current available balance” area
On Mobile
- Launch Venmo
- Press the Hamburger (three horizontal lines) icon
- Tap the dollar ($) with the hamburger icon on the page
- Hit your profile picture
- You should see your current account balance here
If you’re using the updated app, you’ll need to press the person icon and navigate to the “you” tab. Simply tap on it to display your balance.
4. Ask the Recipient
How do I know if my Venmo payment went through if all else fails? One of the best ways to verify your transaction is by asking the recipient themselves. You can ask the cashier of the retail store or the friend you’re paying money to. If the money came through on their end, chances are the transaction was successful.
However, if they didn’t receive any money, then the payment might have failed. In this case, we recommend contacting Venmo or asking customer support for guidance.
Why Is My Venmo Payment Not Reflected in My Bank Account?
Sometimes, there can be differences between what we do or see in Venmo and what’s reflected in the bank. Why isn’t my Venmo payment showing up in my bank account? We’ve listed the potential reasons for this predicament below.
1. You Didn’t Transfer to Your Bank
Oftentimes, the confusion stems from getting credited but not moving money to the bank at all. Yes, you might have received a credit notification from the app. However, this doesn’t automatically transfer your money from Venmo to your account.
If you want the money to reflect in your bank account, you must transfer it manually from Venmo. You’ll only need to click the transfer button and then choose the bank you want. Afterward, everything should be in proper order.
2. You Used the Standard Deposit
Free deposits usually take time before they reflect in the bank. With that said, how long does it take for a Venmo payment to show up in my bank account? Standard deposit transfers take about three to five days. Hence, you may need to wait a while until your account reflects the transaction.
This may be unnerving, especially because the money will be deducted immediately from your Venmo account. Nonetheless, you’ll only need to wait and keep calm until then. If the bank still hasn’t gotten the money after three to five days, you can call Venmo or the bank. They should provide you with assistance and updates.
On the other hand, you can bypass the waiting issue completely by making an instant transfer. Doing so will transfer your money instantly — but it will also cost a fee. Venmo will take about 1.5% of the amount you move.
3. Venmo Has Server Issues
Financial institutions, especially digital ones like Venmo, rely on the stability of their servers to function properly. As a result, issues with their servers translate to issues with customer transactions as well.
For the most part, you don’t need to worry about this because Venmo doesn’t normally have server downtimes or outages. However, on some rare occasions, this could happen. If you were making transfers during this period, it can take a while before money reflects in the bank.
4. Issues With the Bank
Apart from Venmo having problems, your specific bank may also be encountering problems. After all, they have servers of their own that could have outages or errors. Make sure to check if the bank itself is having problems before you jump to conclusions.
Alternatively, there may be issues regarding your bank account. In this case, the bank could be withholding your transactions from pushing through. If so, we recommend contacting them and rectifying the issue at once.
5. Your Venmo Account Is Flagged
Finally, your Venmo account could also be flagged because of certain violations in the terms of service. This could potentially hinder you from transferring money to the bank. The app usually only flags suspicious accounts or those with fraud cases.
Make sure to settle any outstanding problems with Venmo before transferring money. You can also check the app’s policies to verify you’re not violating any of them. Moreover, we urge you to refrain from conducting illegal or fraudulent acts with the app. Otherwise, they can hold your money. If you want to contest any issue, you can contact Venmo customer service.
What Can Cause a Venmo Payment Delay?
How long does it take for a Venmo payment to go through to someone? Often, each payment instantly reflects on the recipient’s account. However, sometimes payments do not push through quickly for different reasons. For example, Venmo could be encountering server issues that have delayed your payments. If so, the most you can do is wait for the payment to reflect.
Other times, Venmo simply has minor glitches that you need to wade through. How do I know if my Venmo payment went through in such a scenario? You’ll simply need to go through each step we laid out previously one at a time. If the signs point to an unsuccessful transaction, you can make a payment again.
What Should I Do When a Venmo Payment Is Pending?
Sometimes, the more urgent question isn’t how do I know if my Venmo payment went through? At times, the more pressing issue is understanding why you have Venmo pending transactions.
This usually happens when you’re sending money to a friend who hasn’t verified the account. How do I know if Venmo payment is pending? Firstly, you will have already been debited. However, the debited transaction will indicate that it’s pending through a specific notification.
This notification means that your payment is pending until the recipient successfully verifies their account. Most of the time, all that’s required to fulfill this is entering an email or mobile number.
However, these verifications can also take up to five days. Your transaction will remain pending until then. During that period, waiting is your only option.
Why Do Venmo Payments Not Push Through?
Asking the question, how do I know if my Venmo payment went through? is one thing. However, once you’ve found your answer and it’s unfavorable (meaning it failed), the next thing you usually ask is why.
Why do Venmo payments sometimes fail? There are many possible causes. Firstly, Venmo could be glitching out, and the app is the only thing that’s the problem. In such cases, we usually recommend restarting the app or re-logging into your account. You should do this on both your and the recipient’s device (in case the problem is on their end).
Furthermore, you might be exceeding the ACH limit. Venmo limits the number of transfers people can make within the app in specific periods. There are prohibitions on how many you’re allowed to conduct in a day, month, or week. Hence, exceeding the limit will likely result in failed transactions moving forward.
Apart from this, you could also have an insufficient balance. If you try to make transactions or payments in this condition, you’re likely to fail all of them. Make sure to stay aware of how much is in your account before purchasing or transferring money.
Finally, Venmo may be withholding or freezing your account because of suspicious activity or fraud. You can contact Venmo’s customer support staff to verify this issue and rectify it, if possible.
For more information, you can read our Venmo Payment Declined article.
Alternatives to Venmo
Cash App
If you’re interested in a free alternative, Cash App is one of the best options to consider. You can install it and use the service without paying anything. Transfer fees are standard and can take up to three working days. However, like Venmo, you can also cash out instantly for a fee.
Cash App’s best feature is that you can invest money using the app in individual stocks. You can even purchase and sell Bitcoin if you desire to dabble in cryptocurrency. It also links to your banks and credit cards so making purchases and receiving payments is easy.
However, the app does charge processing fees if you use your credit card. Moreover, it’s not insured by the FDIC even though it has rigorous investment features.
PayPal
PayPal is the king of flexibility and has always been one of the leading online wallets and payment apps. It’s free to use and download. Moreover, it costs nothing to make transactions with — whether you’re pulling funds from your bank or PayPal balance.
However, there is a percentage and set amount for transfers or payments to business and contractor invoices. The cost for certain transactions goes up if you’re making international transfers as well.
Nonetheless, it’s one of the digital payment platforms if you want versatility and high compatibility. You can even link your credit card and bank account. Moreover, the app is available in over 200 nations and locations and has several security features.
Zelle
Like Venmo, Zelle is a free app that can serve as a virtual wallet. With it, you can transfer money instantly while linking to compatible US bank accounts. You’ll only require an email address or a verified US mobile number to proceed.
In addition, what makes it distinct is that you don’t need to download an app. Zelle already exists within most mobile banking apps. It’s also fairly secure because Zelle has put in authentication features and can monitor activity.
However, it is lacking in that you can’t link your credit card to the service. Hence, you can’t use your card as a payment method with Zelle. Moreover, it can’t send money to international accounts.
FAQs
Final Word
How do I know if my Venmo payment went through? There are multiple methods to find out. After all, Venmo offers multiple handy features like transaction histories and account balances. You can even download a copy of your transactions once a month. However, getting to the root of why the payment failed is the most important part. Hopefully, you can narrow down the cause and mitigate it as well.
