Complete guide to canceling payments on Venmo

Even though PayPal created, nurtured, and perfected the concept of sending and receiving money with just a few taps, it did not stop the market from creating alternatives. One such was Venmo that became a preferred choice for millennials

Venmo’s journey kicked off in 2009 when Iqram Magdon-Ismail and Andrew Kortina decided to create an app that allows users to share expenses. Formerly known as Splitwise, the company was rebranded as Venmo in 2012. The app quickly gained popularity among young users and college students, primarily because of its ability to split bills and share expenses among users. However, in 2013, the company was acquired by PayPal for $800 million.

As of today, Venmo has over 20 million users, and in 2020 alone, the company processed more than $100 billion in payments. As a result, it is currently one of the leading payment apps across the globe. The company also shares PayPal’s fraud protection system, so users do not have to worry about security on the platform. It is this robust security that also allows Venmo to quickly solve any payment issues faced by users.

If you are looking to cancel one of your recent payments sent via Venmo, then going through our step-by-step guide can help you get your money back.

Different Ways to Cancel Payment and Get Refund

Venmo states that payments on the platform cannot be cancelled once they are credited to the recipient’s account. This is because when a transaction is processed, the funds become available to the recipient right away. However, the company suggests that if you have sent a payment to someone you know, you can always ask the recipient to reverse the transaction.

Alternatively, if the payment was sent to someone whom you do not know (preferably a stranger), then you can send a charge request to that person for the same amount so that the respective person can pay you back. It is suggested that you also include a note explaining the mistake, and once the person accepts the request, the money will be added back to your Venmo account.

Additionally, you can also contact Venmo’s customer support to reverse the payment that you have sent to a stranger. However, keep in mind that Venmo Customer Support can only reverse a payment if the recipient provides explicit permission and the recipient’s account is in good standing. Also, the recipient should still have the transferred funds available in their Venmo account for transaction reversal.

Lastly, if you sent a payment to an email address or phone number that has not been registered with a Venmo account, you can always cancel or take back the payment by visiting the “Pending” section of your Venmo smartphone app. With the fine print out of the way, let us focus on some of the steps that you need to follow to cancel your payment transaction and get your money refunded back to your account.

Cancelling Payment Sent to an Unregistered Account

1. First, you need to sign in to your Venmo account here. Alternatively, you can also use the Venmo app downloaded either from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.
2. Once logged in, head over to your pending or incomplete payment section.
3. Look for the pending transaction that you want to cancel.
4. After you have found the preferred transaction that you want to cancel, click on the “Take Back” button.
5. Once you confirm your take-back request, the payment will be cancelled and the amount will be refunded back to your Venmo-linked bank account.

Cancelling Payment Sent to an Unknown Person (Stranger)

1. Start the cancellation process by first visiting the official website here. On the other hand, you can also use the Venmo app on Android or Apple devices.
2. Sign in to the same account that was used to send the payment.
3. Once signed in, search for the person to whom you sent the payment. You can search for the user by his or her name, username, phone number, or email address.
4. After you have found the person’s account, click on it, and a new window will open. You have to then enter the amount of money that you want to request back along with your note as to why you are raising the request.
5. Finally, click on “Request > Confirm Request,” and your request will be submitted to the recipient. If the recipient approves the request, then the amount will be refunded back to your Venmo account.

Cancelling Payment By Contacting Venmo’s Customer Care

If the unknown person fails to approve your request, then you can contact Venmo’s customer support to sort out the situation.

1. Begin the process by first heading over to the official “Contact Us” web page here.
2. On the landing page, enter the required details, such as your full name, phone number, and email address.
3. Additionally, you need to describe the details of your issue by stating the username of the person to whom you sent the payment, the payment amount, the payment date, and the username, phone number, and email address of the person that you meant to pay instead.
4. Once done, click on “Submit” and wait for a follow-up message from Venmo’s customer support.
5. If Venmo’s customer care can re-route your payment to your desired recipient, you will receive a confirmation message at your registered email address.

Please note that simply raising a dispute with customer support in this situation does not guarantee a refund or re-routing of your funds.

How to Contact Support?

The most straightforward way to contact Venmo’s customer care is through the in-app chat functionality for Venmo’s smartphone app. Chat is available seven days a week, from 8 AM to 10 PM CT.

You can also contact Venmo Support via phone at (855) 812-4430. Phone lines are open seven days a week, from 8 AM to 8 PM CT.