Venmo

Avantages

Ok - if there is a software that I can say that TRUELY changed my life, it would be Venmo. Venmo is such an easy software to use to transfer money between people. Whether it be splitting the bill between coworkers or completing business transactions, Venmo is the #1 app. Forget Paypal - Venmo trumps all. No one carries cash anymore... Venmo has been an integral part of fundraising at Cal (and in my daily life). My organization and other student groups on campus use Venmo to collect payment for things that we sell on campus - such as food, stickers, trinkets, etc.

Inconvénients

I wish there were business profiles for Venmo. For example, small businesses and organizations could create business profiles that many members of the organization can access so there can be more transparency with the funds.

Avantages

I've been using Venmo for years now and the main things I like about the app are ease of use and low/no fees. I constantly have people ask me if I use Venmo which means mainstream adoption. Its easy to send payments to others or receive them, especially with the QR code. And I've never had an issue with the app or transfer of funds. I love how funds are instant transactions and quickly done in a few moments time.

Inconvénients

I feel it could use some more features such as transaction history, download .csv files and I don't feel the community feature really adds anything to the software itself. Literally no reason for it in my opinion. Perhaps allowing to buy, accept or transfer cryptocurrencies would be good (like Cash app does). I've heard rumors of limiting the amount of received funds in a month and some accounts have been blocked for this?

Avantages

Did you know the root of the word convenient actually stems from the Latin word “ven”? That’s exactly what Venmo is. And the inspiration behind the name Venmo actually came from the word vendo/vendere; the Latin word “to sell”. Venmo is one of my favorite apps, I use on a daily basis. It has served as a lifesaver to me on many occasions when I did not have my wallet or cash in hand. You can transfer money to someone else almost instantly and will receive a notification when they have accepted the transaction, so you don’t have to wonder. Transfers from your Venmo to your banking account will show up as quickly as the next business day (as long as it doesn’t fall on the weekend or a holiday). One of the best features of Venmo is that you are not charged a transaction fee when you transfer money between your banking account using a debit card. But, the best part is the free entertainment… If you ever want a little laugh, go and take a look at some of the reasons other people have used Venmo. It’s pretty funny (especially over the weekends). If you are looking for a free, entertaining alternative to PayPal, Venmo will definitely satisfy your needs.

Inconvénients

If your Venmo account is connected to a credit card you will be charged a small fee when you make transfers between the two. I would not necessarily see this as a fault in Venmo because you still have the free option available to you by using a debit card.

Avantages

Venmo makes sending money to your friends, family or even strangers totally seamless. In fact, there are very few people I know that don't have Venmo. It allows you to request payment from someone (because someone always doesn't pay) and it allows you to make payment from your Venmo Balance, Bank Transfer (No Fee) or your Credit/Debit Card (fee). All essentially painless.

While the feature is more for fun, I love that you can write whatever memo/emoji/etc you want in the notes section of the payment. When I see some payments hit my main feed (you can choose to keep your payments private), I love seeing the stuff people send eachother in the notes.

Inconvénients

My biggest Gripe with Venmo is that they hit you with a fee for Credit/Debit Card payments. I get why it exists, because they have to pay the fee on their side, but it feels wrong when you need money.

There is also NO seller/buyer protection in the system. They advise you to only send $$ to people you know or trust. I've heard of cases where people pay with Venmo for a product and then realize the product is broken. They have no recourse for the funds at that point, so keep that it mind.

Also, the only way to fund without fees is by attaching your bank account. Something about leaving my account tied to the app worries me, but I know many of us do it anyway.

Avantages

Venmo is such a convenient and modern way to send money. Rather than having to stop by the ATM to get cash anymore to pay a friend, it is possible to do it right from your fingertips by simply downloading the app and linking it to your bank/debit card. I love Venmo because my friends and I are always paying for each other or buying things from each other, and in group settings there's no more excuse for that one friend who always says they "don't have cash" anymore as an excuse! I feel like Venmo keeps things fair and quick and easy. I love that you can instantly pay someone and that you can receive cash, and use that balance to pay others or transfer it quickly to your banks. I also enjoy the social media aspect and the "timeline" keeps things interesting and makes you feel like you are connected and are able to see what other's have been up to! On the flip side, I appreciate that there is an option to keep your payment private. I also think it's cute we must leave a reason for the payment, because I find people utilize that as a way to leave a sweet note for a friend too! Overall I think Venmo is the modern way to pay, and really decreases the need to stop by the ATM. Super convenient and I always recommend this to my friends and family to keep things simple!

Inconvénients

Sometimes the requirement to list the reason for the payment is a little bit annoying because once you have typed the amount a user's next instinct is to just hit "send" but then you are stopped and the flow gets interrupted since we have to write why. I usually just leave an emoji or something random or a cute note for the friend if I am in the mood. It is not major, but it does get annoying when you just want to pay someone and move on in the flow. Also I'm not sure why it's anyone's business to know what the payment is for!