Zelle Removes Ability to Send or Receive Money Through App

The standalone Zelle app can no longer be used for sending or receiving money, and users are being invited to enroll to use the peer-to-peer payment method through a participating bank or credit union’s app.

Zelle had announced in an Oct. 31 blog post that it would make this change, and it completed the move as of Tuesday (April 1), according to a frequently asked questions page on its website.

“More than 2,200 banks and credit unions across the U.S. now offer Zelle through their mobile app or online banking site,” the company said on the FAQ page. “As a result of this growth, in October of 2024, we announced that we are removing the ability for users to send or receive money using the Zelle app starting April 1, 2025.”

The page advised users of the Zelle app to visit a “find your bank” page on its website to see if their bank or credit union offers Zelle; to enroll through a bank or credit union to continue using Zelle; and to notify anyone from whom they previously received money through Zelle about the change.

Those who already use Zelle within their mobile banking app will see no changes and do not have to take any action, the page said.

Users of the Zelle app will be able to view their payment history within the app until Aug. 11, per the page. Their payment history will not carry over from the Zelle app to the banking app in which they reenroll for the service.

When Zelle announced its plans to change the app, it said in its blog post that the app was created when Zelle first launched in order to serve consumers whose bank or credit union had not yet joined the network.

However, with more than 2,200 financial institutions on the network in October, the share of transactions that took place on the standalone app had dropped to about 2%.

Following the phaseout of the ability to send or receive money, the Oct. 31 blog post said, “Users of the app will continue to be able to access it, but the app will be dedicated to consumer education about scams and fraud and provide a list of the more than 2,200 banks and credit unions that offer Zelle.”

Zelle said in February that during 2024, American consumers and small businesses transmitted more than $1 trillion using its platform, the most money ever sent on a peer-to-peer (P2P) service in the single year.

“It’s the go-to peer-to-peer payment method for millions of hardworking Americans, and this milestone is a testament to the trust they place in us every day,” Denise Leonhard, general manager of Zelle, said at the time in a press release.