Venmo is a great solution to quickly send payments. It’s perfect for when you don’t have cash, and need to send someone a relatively small amount of money. Today, many small businesses also accept Venmo, and many people use this app as a way to accept payments for goods and services.

However, if you’re not familiar with how Venmo works, you may be lost when you first open the app. There are a few steps you need to take to send money. Then you’ll need to follow a process to complete your payment. It’s not difficult to complete, however, so once you download Venmo you should be able to use it quickly.

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    How to Set Up Your Venmo Account

    The first thing you’ll need to do when you download the Venmo app is to set up your account so that you can send payments. You’ll need to connect a bank account or debit card to your account first. Follow these steps to do this.

    1. After creating your account name and password, you’ll be prompted to add your bank account info.
    1. You can add your info and verify it by signing into your bank account through the app via Plaid, which will give you instant verification.
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    1. There’s also the option for manual verification if your bank does not support instant verification. For this, you’ll need your routing and account numbers.
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    1. To add a debit/credit card, simply enter the info on your card.

    Once you verify your account, you can send money. You can also change your bank account at any time by going to the menu in the top right, then Settings > Payment Methods > Add bank or card.

    How to Make a Payment

    Once your account has been set up, you’ll be able to send payments or request money. It’s quick and easy to send a payment, and there are several ways you can do this. First, you can enter someone’s username manually.

    1. On Venmo’s main page, tap on Pay or Request.
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    1. On the next screen, you can type in the recipient’s display name, username, phone number, or email address associated with their account. Tap on the user you want to send money to.
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    1. On the next screen, type in the monetary amount you wish to send, then add a note for the transaction underneath that.
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    1. You can also choose to have the transaction be publicly displayed, or private in the bottom right corner.
    1. Finally, tap on Pay to make the payment.

    The amount you send will be withdrawn from your linked bank account instantly. The recipient’s account will then have the money in their Venmo balance until they choose to transfer it to their bank account. The next way you can send money is through a QR code. Here’s how it works.

    1. Have the recipient pull up their Venmo account and locate their QR code by going to Scan > Venmo me.
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    1. In your Venmo account, go to Scan > Scan code and hold the camera up to the recipient’s QR code.
    1. Tap on the Pay or Request button, then enter the amount you want to send.
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    1. Tap on Pay to send the payment.

    This is a good option if the person you want to send a payment to is nearby and you want to send it quickly.

    How to Pay With Venmo at a Business

    Some businesses will accept Venmo as a form of payment. Typically there are a couple ways the business may go about receiving a Venmo payment. It’s a quick and easy way to send money, however don’t count on it being available in most stores. Venmo is usually accepted more by small businesses and independent sellers.

    The first way you may be able to pay a business through Venmo is if they have a QR code you can scan.

    1. If they present you with a QR code, open Venmo and select Scan.
    1. Hold the camera up to the QR code they have until their profile comes up.
    1. Tap on the Pay or Request button to make your payment.

    Alternatively, they may want to scan your in-store Venmo QR code.

    1. On Venmo, tap on Scan.
    1. Tap on Show to Pay.
    1. Present this QR code to the business and have them scan it to fulfill the payment.

    Both of these payment options will allow you to pay a business which accepts Venmo. Usually it’ll be up to the business’s discretion as to which method is used.

    Make Payments Easily With Venmo

    Venmo is a great service for sending money to others, or even to businesses. Since Venmo has become such a popular choice for making quick payments, you can expect many people to also use the app and accept money from you that way. It’s one of the best alternatives for paying someone compared to just cash or a check, and very easy to use relative to other mobile payment apps.