Venmo is PayPal's app for paying people you know in the US: splitting rent, dinner or a ride. It works as before, and it still costs nothing to pay a friend from your Venmo balance, bank or debit card. The Venmo fees page lists the charges that do apply: 3.00% to pay with a credit card, 1.75% for an instant transfer to your bank or card, 2.99% on payments marked as goods and services, and 2% or 5% to cash a check, with a $6.00 minimum.
A newer charge affects travelers. Since November 4, 2026, Venmo charges 2.50% on Venmo Debit Card purchases abroad, even without a currency conversion. Venmo can now send to PayPal accounts too, but paying a PayPal user outside the US adds 5.00%, with a minimum of $0.99 and a maximum of $4.99.
The apps below cover the reasons people leave: a friend who uses something else, fees on fast cash-outs, or money that needs to cross a border. Google Pay is missing on purpose. Google closed the US Google Pay app on June 4, 2024, as Droid Life reported when it was announced, and person-to-person payments ended with it.
Prices below are as of November 8, 2026. Our method is on How we review tools.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Price | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zelle | Bank-to-bank payments between people who trust each other | Usually free; check your bank | Inside US bank and credit union apps |
| Cash App | Friends who already use Cash App, plus a debit card and direct deposit | Free standard transfers; instant 0.5% to 2.5% | iOS, Android, web |
| Apple Cash | iPhone users paying other iPhone users in Messages | Free standard transfer; instant 1.7% | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| PayPal | Paying people who are not on Venmo, in the US or abroad | Free from balance or bank; 2.90% + 0.30 USD by card | iOS, Android, web |
| Revolut | Free payments to other Revolut users and spending abroad | Standard plan free | iOS, Android |
| Wise | Sending money to someone with a bank account in another country | From 0.23% per conversion | iOS, Android, web |
Zelle
Most Americans already have Zelle without downloading anything, since it sits inside the apps of participating banks and credit unions. Money moves between bank accounts, usually within minutes, and there is no Venmo-style balance to cash out, so no instant transfer fee either.
The Zelle FAQ says there are typically no fees for consumers to send or receive, and that both sides need US bank accounts. Limits are set by each bank. Zelle shut its standalone app in April 2025, so people whose bank does not offer it lost access.
Best for: Paying a landlord, family member or roommate straight from your checking account.
Pricing:
- Sending and receiving: typically free; your bank sets any fee
- Limits: set by each bank or credit union
Watch out for:
- According to the Zelle FAQ, a payment to an enrolled recipient cannot be canceled, so a typo or a scam is hard to undo, and reimbursement is limited to qualifying imposter scams through your bank.
Official site: Zelle.
Cash App
Cash App, run by Block, is the closest thing to Venmo in how it works: a $cashtag, a balance, a free debit card and paycheck deposits. Standard transfers to a linked bank account are free.
Instant transfers are priced on a sliding scale. The Cash App terms list 0.5% to 2.5%, with a $0.25 to $1 minimum and a $75 maximum, and the exact fee appears before you confirm. Sending from a credit card costs 3%, the same as Venmo.
Best for: People who get paid into the app and spend from its card, not only split bills.
Pricing:
- Sending from a bank, debit card or balance: free; from a credit card: 3%
- Standard transfer to bank: $0
- Instant transfer: 0.5% to 2.5% ($0.25 to $1 minimum, $75 maximum)
- ATM withdrawal: $2.50, may be reimbursed with qualifying deposits
Watch out for:
- A large instant cash-out can cost up to $75, far above Venmo's $25 cap.
- There is no social feed or bill-splitting feature like Venmo's, which some groups rely on.
Official site: Cash App.
Apple Cash
Apple Cash lives in the Wallet app and inside Messages, so an iPhone owner can pay a friend in the same thread where they agreed on the amount. Moving the balance to a bank account is free and usually takes 1 to 3 business days.
Instant Transfer to a debit card costs 1.7%, with a $0.25 minimum and a $25 maximum, according to Apple's transfer support page. That is a shade under Venmo's 1.75%.
Best for: Groups of iPhone users who want to pay each other without another app.
Pricing:
- Standard transfer to bank: free, 1 to 3 business days
- Instant Transfer to debit card: 1.7% (min $0.25, max $25)
Watch out for:
- Apple Cash is limited to the 50 US states, DC and Puerto Rico, and transfers go only to US bank accounts.
- Android users cannot join, so one friend on a different phone breaks the group.
Official site: Apple Cash.
PayPal
Venmo's parent company is the fallback when the other person is not on Venmo, or lives abroad. In the US, a personal payment from your PayPal balance or bank costs nothing, and paying by card costs 2.90% plus 0.30 USD.
International personal payments add 5.00%, with a 0.99 USD minimum and a 4.99 USD maximum, and conversion adds a 3% or 4% spread, per the PayPal US consumer fees page. Instant transfers to a bank cost 1.75%, the same as Venmo.
Best for: Paying someone outside your Venmo circle, including relatives in other countries.
Pricing:
- US personal payment from balance or bank: free; by card: 2.90% + 0.30 USD
- International personal payment: +5.00% (min 0.99 USD, max 4.99 USD)
- Currency conversion: 4.00% or 3.00% spread
- Instant transfer: 1.75% (min 0.25 USD, max 25.00 USD); standard: free
Watch out for:
- The same fees page caps instant transfers to a card at 5,000 USD per transaction, day or week, and 15,000 USD a month.
Official site: PayPal.
Revolut
Revolut is a money app with a card and balances in many currencies. Its US fee schedule lists no monthly fee on the Standard plan and free payments to other Revolut users, which works well for friends who travel or move between countries.
The Revolut US fees page allows $1,000 of currency exchange a month at the standard rate, then a 0.5% fair usage fee. Sending to a bank abroad in its local currency costs 0.15%, with a $0.75 minimum.
Best for: Frequent travelers who want to pay friends and spend abroad from one card.
Pricing:
- Standard plan: no monthly fee
- To other Revolut users: free
- Exchange: $1,000 a month at the standard rate, then 0.5%; 1.0% outside market hours
- Local-currency transfers abroad: 0.15% (min $0.75); domestic wires: $10.00
- Card loads: up to 1% (debit), up to 3% (credit)
Watch out for:
- The same fee schedule lists $10.00 per domestic wire, which adds up for anyone who pays rent by wire.
Official site: Revolut.
Wise
Venmo cannot reach a bank account in Mexico or the UK. Wise can, and it converts at the mid-market rate with a fee from 0.23% depending on the currency, per the Wise US pricing page.
The same page lists holding a balance as free and the Wise card at 9 USD with no subscription. The first 250 USD of ATM withdrawals each calendar month are free; after that each one costs 1.95 USD plus 1.95%.
Best for: Sending money to family or friends with a bank account outside the US.
Pricing:
- Sending and conversion: from 0.23%, varies by currency
- Holding money and receiving domestic payments: free
- Card: 9 USD, no subscription; ATM free to 250 USD a month
- Receiving USD wires or Swift: 6.11 USD each
Watch out for:
- Wise is built for transfers to bank accounts, not for quick splits with friends in the same city.
Official site: Wise.
How to choose
| If you need | Pick |
|---|---|
| Free payments straight from a US bank account | Zelle |
| A Venmo-like app with a card and paycheck deposits | Cash App |
| Paying iPhone friends inside Messages | Apple Cash |
| Paying someone who is not on Venmo | PayPal |
| Splitting costs with friends who travel a lot | Revolut |
| Sending money to a bank account abroad | Wise |
When to stay with Venmo
Stay on Venmo if your friends are on it and you cash out with the free standard transfer. Paying from a bank, debit card or balance costs nothing, and the 1.75% instant fee only applies when you need money in minutes. Sellers should note that payments tagged as goods and services carry a 2.99% fee but come with purchase protection that plain friend payments lack. The 2.50% fee applies to Venmo Debit Card purchases abroad, so travelers may prefer a card without a foreign transaction fee.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a Venmo for people outside the US?
Venmo is for US users. For money that crosses a border, Wise sends to bank accounts abroad from 0.23%, Revolut is free between its own users in many countries, and PayPal works in most countries with a 5% international fee capped at $4.99.
Can you still send money with Google Pay?
Not in the US. The Google Pay app closed there on June 4, 2024, and Google Wallet handles cards and tap-to-pay, not payments between friends. Venmo, Cash App and PayPal have Android apps, and Zelle runs inside bank apps.
Which app has the cheapest instant transfer?
Zelle has no cash-out step, so there is nothing to pay. Among wallet apps, Apple Cash charges 1.7% (max $25), Venmo and PayPal 1.75% (max $25), and Cash App 0.5% to 2.5% (max $75), so Cash App can be cheapest or most expensive depending on the amount.
Can I send money from Venmo to PayPal?
Yes. Venmo's fees page lists payments to US PayPal accounts, and to non-US PayPal accounts with an extra 5.00% fee (minimum $0.99, maximum $4.99). For PayPal's merchant side and its rivals, see our PayPal alternatives.
Is Zelle safer than Venmo?
Both move real money that is hard to get back. The Zelle FAQ says payments to enrolled users cannot be canceled, and Venmo friend payments carry no purchase protection.
