How to add money to Venmo without a bank account

Venmo®¹ has lots of easy ways to send and receive personal payments and gifts, spend online and in apps, and even access Venmo branded debit and credit cards. But how does Venmo work if you don’t want to add it to a bank account? This guide walks through your options.

Can you add money to Venmo without a bank account?

New to Venmo? You can get set up with a Venmo account easily online or in the Venmo app, to send money, split bills, shop and more.

You don’t necessarily need to add money to your Venmo balance to use your account, but having a Venmo balance can be handy for managing future payments.

You’ve got a few options when it comes to adding money to Venmo. You can add a bank account - but if you don’t want to do this, you can still²:

• Add a credit card
• Add a prepaid card
• Receive direct deposits
• Top up with a Venmo debit card ³

Also, if someone else sends you a Venmo personal payment, this can be held as your balance for future spending if you want.

Linking a bank account: is it necessary?

You do not need to link a bank account to Venmo to spend or send money. Alternative options are available, like adding a credit or prepaid card - we’ll look at these in more detail a little later.

Can Venmo be used at all without a bank account or card?

You may still be able to receive money with Venmo without linking a bank account or card. This could be handy if someone sends you a Venmo payment or if you’re able to receive direct deposits to Venmo. Your money could be held as a Venmo balance, and then used for spending or sending to others later.

How to use Venmo without a bank account

Using a bank account with Venmo is a popular option, but not the only one. Here are a couple of alternatives you may want to explore.

Add a credit card

Instead of using a bank account as your preferred payment method, you could add a credit card. You’ll need to link your card first, which can easily be one in the Venmo app⁴:

Once your card is added, you may be able to add money. The basic steps to add money to Venmo with a card are as follows⁵:

Add a prepaid card

Another alternative is to add an eligible prepaid card to your account. You’d need to follow the same steps outlined above to add your card and then use it to top up your account.

Bear in mind that not all card types are able to be added to Venmo - usually prepaid cards on major networks can be accepted, but you’ll need to try your specific card to check.

Receive direct deposits

A final option which may be open to you, is to receive direct deposits to your Venmo account⁶. This may be by receiving your salary to your account, for example.

Not all employers will offer venmo as a direct debit option, but if yours does it’s quite easy to set up. You can then elect to have all or some of your salary paid to Venmo for future use.

To use this option, simply get your Venmo account and routing number, by logging in and going to settings - then give these details to your employer. If they offer a direct deposit service, they can use these details to send your money to Venmo instead of a bank.

Everywhere money. Meet Wise: the world's most international account

If you’re not living in the US — or if you simply want a more flexible account you can open from anywhere — check out Wise.

Wise isn’t a bank, but a money service business (MSB) that offers an account which allows you to hold, send and receive money. As well as getting an attached debit card — plus you’ll get some extra perks which suit anyone living an international lifestyle.

You’ll be able to hold 40+ currencies, and get local account details for up to 9 currencies including USD, to get paid easily by wire or ACH.

Wise offers linked debit cards for spending and withdrawals around the world, and all currency conversion uses the mid-market exchange rate.

That means that whenever you send a payment or spend in a foreign currency your dollars are converted with the mid-market rate with low conversion fees*. Easy.

This way to easy
international payments

What are the alternatives for using Venmo if you don’t have a bank account?

If you don’t want to use Venmo with a bank or credit union account you can also choose to link Venmo to a credit or prepaid card, or receive direct deposits to your account.

Where these options are available they can be used to add money to your Venmo balance for use in future, shopping online or sending money to others for example.

Is it safe to use Venmo without linking a bank account?

Venmo is safe to use. Venmo is a large and trusted organization and holds all data and customer funds securely. As long as you’re careful to keep your own account details secure, you should have no problem using Venmo safely without a bank account.

What are the limitations when using Venmo without a bank account?

If you choose to top up Venmo with a debit card instead of linking a bank account, you’ll face lower limits on the amount you can add to your account. Eligible Venmo users can add up to 2,000 USD per week to their account with a debit card - whereas with a bank you can add 10,000 USD⁷.

Using Venmo with a bank is the most common option, but there are other choices out there if you don’t want to link your Venmo to a bank or credit union.

You may have others send you money, receive direct deposits, or use a credit or prepaid card instead. This guide walks through some of the most popular ways to use Venmo without a bank so you can see if any suit your specific needs.