How Does Venmo Make Money? Venmo Business Model

Updated 28 May 2024
Published 15 Nov 2021
Satyam Chaturvedi 4508 Views

Venmo is one of the groundbreaking payment applications that have disrupted the fintech space. It has changed the way fiscal transactions take place in the digitized realm of services, serving as a notable example of custom fintech app development.

Venmo makes peer-to-peer device-based payments highly secure and fast. It allows users to share bills, transfer funds, request money, or even become friends with others through its social component.

Not only that, but it has also established itself as the most preferred mobile payment service for merchant websites.

What is Venmo & How does it Work?

Venmo is a mobile P2P payment application that enables users to send and receive money. Moreover, the app enables users to pay at shops, divide costs with one another, or just communicate with one another.

How Does Venmo Make Money
image source: Paypal
Founders Founded on Headquarter Total Revenue Parent Company
Iqram Magdon-Ismail, Andrew Kortina 2009 New York, USA $900 million Paypal

To initiate a financial transfer, both parties must register as users on the platform. Venmo offers a similar vibe to Facebook Messenger, enabling users to communicate and exchange emoticons.

The user’s bank account or debit/credit card is linked to the digital wallet app. This enables them to move funds between Venmo accounts.

Currently, Venmo can only be used by those who have a bank account or credit/debit card issued by an American financial institution.

Merchants may connect with Venmo to receive payments via the application. Merchants only need to make a change to their existing PayPal Checkout settings and add Venmo as an additional payment option.

Finally, Venmo connects a debit card to the application. The card enables users to make transactions in the real world, such as in coffee shops and supermarkets.

Also, customers may get salaries through the connected bank and earn cash back at participating merchants.

Venmo Account Balance

Venmo balance refers to the funds that you hold and manage to make payments online to other mobile wallet applications.

You may fund your Venmo account from a confirmed bank account, which takes at least three business days to complete.

How Does venmo Work?
Image source: Venmo

Venmo enables you to send money to other Venmo subscribers even if you do not have money in your Venmo balance.

If you require money transfer to your Venmo balance, the best approach is to request funds from your Venmo buddies.

Venmo MasterCard or Debit Card

Venmo began offering its members a real debit card in 2018. In many aspects, it resembles a typical bank debit card.

The Venmo debit card is accepted everywhere MasterCard is accepted and has a daily withdrawal limit of $400. It is free to use Venmo MasterCard at MoneyPass ATMs.

venmo business modelBy default, the Venmo balance is used to finance debit card transactions. If the Venmo balance is inadequate for a transaction, users can utilize the debit card’s reloading option.

If this option is set, it will attempt to cover the remaining amount by directly debiting funds from the bank account.

Venmo Credit Card

Venmo users may apply immediately from the app for a customized credit card. Without an annual fee, a Venmo credit card enables you to make contactless transactions and earn extra points and cashback.

Customers can check credit card purchases, split cashback and reward transactions with Venmo friends, and even set up Autopay from the application.

Further, the Venmo card includes a QR code that enables customers to settle financial transactions with their friends from any location.

Venmo for Business

Venmo may be simply integrated into a business’s preexisting payment system to take payments from consumers. To do this, merchants need to create a business profile that is different from their profile connected to their current account.

Read Also: How Much Does It Cost to Develop EWallet App Like Paytm?

Market Statistics Of Venmo

  • Over 9 million Venmo users are between the ages of 18 and 30.
  • Venmo will have over 60 million active accounts by 2021.
  • Venmo is used by 18% of Americans for P2P transactions.
  • In 2020, Venmo handled about $175 billion in total payments.
  • Venmo’s average transaction value is $60.
Amazing Statistics Of Venmo
Source: statista.com

Why Venmo is Popular?

  1. Unlike its competition, Venmo does not charge users for sending or receiving money, while credit card transactions are charged.
  2. Venmo is a popular money-splitting app among millennials. For instance, housemates can split the rent and pay their respective portions to the landlord using Venmo.
  3. Payments may be made to individuals who do not use Venmo, but the receiver must sign up to receive money.
  4. The “Nearby Payment” feature enables payments to individuals who are not members of the user’s friend group, provided they are close.
  5. A “trust” function enables customers to set up automatic payments for recurrent costs, such as their monthly rent split.
how does venmo make money business model
Source: garyfox.co

How to Send or Receive Money on Venmo?

Venmo is a widely used and simply accessible application on a worldwide scale.

The following are the processes for sending or receiving money:

  • To transfer funds, click on the circular symbol located in the app’s bottom right corner.
  • Select the person/contact to whom you wish to make payment.
  • Enter the appropriate amount and indicate if you are paying or seeking money from them.
  • A little above the payment tab is a button that indicates who can evaluate the transaction’s reasoning.
  • Select your preferred option. Later on, the transaction will be completely obscured from view in the timeline.

Business Model of Venmo App

The concept of payment services app development seems exciting. Because Venmo focuses exclusively on transaction delivery and not on other commodities, they do not need to seek alternate revenue streams. Maybe that’s why they have not yet begun advertising.

While they cannot charge users for transaction convenience, platforms like Venmo generate revenue by negotiating fees with merchants.

How does Venmo make money?

Venmo generates revenue through its Pay With Venmo functionality, Instant Transactions, exchange and deposit fees, crypto currencies premiums and fees, etc.

Let’s take a closer look at each of these revenue streams in further detail below:

Pay with Venmo

Pay With Venmo enables customers to make purchases employing their Venmo account at certain merchant partners. Partnerships include Foot Locker, Forever21, Urban Outfitters, etc.

Make a payment at any of these selected merchants, and a charge is added to the total amount. Venmo charges businesses 1.9% of the total transaction value plus $0.10 for each transaction.  The price structure is consistent with what gateways like VISA or Mastercard charge.

venmo how does it make money
Image source: Venmo

Merchants are eager to pay the charge since it expands their client base. Traditional banks are frequently not connected with modern-day applications, leaving Venmo as the sole payment option in some circumstances.

Moreover, users’ transactions will be accessible in Venmo’s social stream. This increases retailers’ visibility and can serve as a beneficial marketing avenue.

Instant Transfers

Venmo stated in 2019 that it will let customers instantly transfer money to their bank accounts. It takes between 1-3 business days to make a withdrawal from a Venmo wallet and transfer it to another bank.

Venmo levies a 1.5% fee on all transactions. The smallest cost is $0.25, while the highest is $15. The funds are reflected in the user’s savings account within an hour.

venmo how do they make money
Image source: Venmo

Fees for Exchange and Withdrawal

Since 2018, Venmo has offered its Mastercard-branded card to all account holders. The card enables users to make in-person transactions and pay without their Venmo balance.

By connecting their card to the app, users may pay with their MasterCard.

Further, if enabled, card transactions will appear on the user’s social stream. Similar to Pay With Venmo, this may be used as another route for businesses to sell themselves.

Venmo earns money from the card through interchange fees charged to retailers. These costs are very certainly shared between Venmo and Mastercard.

Also, consumers must pay a $2.50 Local Withdrawal Fee and a $3.00 International Withdrawal Fee when withdrawing cash.

Cash a Check

Venmo launched the ‘Cash a Check’ service in January 2021 for a limited number of its US members. It enables customers to cash checks online using the Venmo network, as opposed to visiting a check-cashing business.

To use this feature, consumers must have Direct Deposit activated or have a Venmo debit card. To begin, the user inputs the amount in the Cash a Check tab of the ‘Manage Balance’ menu choice. Then, snap the check and submit it for approval.

If the request is permitted, provide another image of the check, this time with the word ‘void’ printed across the front. The final approval page will validate the entire amount charged to the account.

A $5 charge per check is required, with a 1% fee on salary checks and 5% on all other checks.

Cashback

The debit card offers Venmo users the opportunity to earn various cashback benefits at specified businesses. Chevron, Papa John’s, Target, and Dunkin’ Donuts are just a few examples of Venmo’s partners.

Cashback schemes credit the customer’s account with a portion of the total purchase price. This encourages customers to patronize these merchants. The partner then pays a commission to Venmo for recommending the consumer.

Venmo’s profit margin on each purchase is determined by the overall transactions and terms of payment between Venmo and the business.

Crypto Currency Transaction Fees

Venmo launched the opportunity to buy and sell crypto currencies on its platform in June 2021. Residents of the United States can now trade using four different currencies: Bitcoin, BTC, Ethereum, and LTC.

how does venmo earn money
Image source:-Paypal

Venmo earns money on its crypto currency offerings through spread and transaction fees. The spread is determined by market factors, such as the US Dollar’s strength.

Further, Venmo levies a transaction fee for each purchase or sale. Venmo’s costs are roughly comparable to those charged by other big crypto currency exchanges like Binance or FTX.

Is Venmo Safe?

With all of the monetary operations shown publicly on Venmo’s social media page, some users might wonder if Venmo is safe.

To be sure, the choice to have the activity displayed in the social stream is entirely optional. Users can entirely disable it if they so desire. The mobile wallet app development team of Venmo promises to take all security measures in connection with all of its transactions.

Is Venmo app Safe to transfer money?

Venmo users are protected from illegal transactions through the implementation of bank-level security.

Venmo, on the other hand, disclaims responsibility for payments to unintended recipients. Those funds cannot be recouped.

It has enhanced its security features by allowing customers to generate their PINs for transactions.

What are the Competitors and alternatives of Venmo?

1. Braintree Payments

Braintree Payments app

Braintree Payments, among the most popular Venmo competitors, is a web-based transaction system that serves both personal and commercial customers.

This digital payment platform is advantageous for enterprises since it has security and reporting options that SMEs and organizations may utilize.

The software is equipped with a web dashboard and a mobile app for sending and receiving payments. It supports a variety of payment options, namely PayPal, Apple Pay, and GPay.

This flexibility is advantageous if you are utilizing eCommerce software.

2. XE Money Transfer

XE Money Transfer app

XE Money Transfer is a platform for exchanging currency information and has grown into one of the most dependable Venmo alternatives. Money transfers are completely free on this site. You may transfer funds to over 130 countries at rates that are cheaper than what banks give.

Businesses can also benefit from the advantages of XE Money Transfer. Apart from enabling foreign payments, the platform’s API capabilities enable you to incorporate the system for bulk payment processing and delivery.

You’ll be able to completely modify the application to match your brand. Furthermore, XE Money Transfer does not impose fees for money transfers or currency exchange operations.

3. ACE Money Transfer

ACE Money Transfer app

ACE Money Transfer portal is available 24 hours a day for money transactions. The program adheres to the strictest security procedures, ensuring that users’ funds remain secure.

It allows payments by Visa, MasterCard, and Maestro. You may also transfer money using your debit card. One advantage of this method is that there is no upper limit on the amount of money that may be sent.

The product’s website enables you to trace transfers. Additionally, you may download the ACE Money Transfer mobile application from Google Play or the Apple Store.

These mobile applications can provide real-time information on the progress of transfers and currency exchange rate notifications. The platform’s transaction costs differ per country.

4. OrbitRemit

OrbitRemit app

OrbitRemit is a money transfer business that operates on a worldwide scale. It provides a method of sending money and selecting the currency you wish to use.

OrbitRemit shows the entire amount that the receiver can withdraw, minus service costs and currency conversion expenses. It charges a fixed cost, regardless of the amount sent.

You must first register an account before sending or receiving money using OrbitRemit. It has a mobile app that enables you to send and receive money and keep track of currency conversion rates.

It provides scheduled transfers and the option to save recipient information.

5. Xoom

Xoom appXoom, which is a PayPal service, offers a safe method of transmitting money without paying high costs. Asian nations are the primary markets for the platform.

This clarity makes it easy to integrate the platform with accounting applications.

Transaction costs are normally determined by the kind of transaction or destination country of the transfer.

What’s nice about Xoom is that it offers many payment options. It enables you to send money straight to bank deposits and have it transferred to the recipient’s home.

Transfers take minutes to process, and payments may be collected at any Xoom-authorized outlet worldwide.

Wrapping Up

Venmo is one of the most popular and user-friendly peer-to-peer payment apps. It has a sizable income model and is expanding daily by adding new features.

Moreover, customers like the application’s ease of use for fund transfer and payment splitting.

Satyam Chaturvedi

Satyam Chaturvedi is a Digital Marketing Manager at Arka Softwares, a leading app development company dealing in modern and futuristic solutions. He loves to spend his time studying the latest market insights.

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