Popmoney vs Zelle - Detailed Review 2021

Popmoney and Zelle make sending, receiving and requesting money a walk in the park. But which one is better?

If you’ve been thinking about joining the payment revolution and downloading one of these apps, then stay tuned as they’re put under the microscope in this side-by-side comparison.

Keep your interest peaked, because you'll also read about Wise - another peer to peer, online money transfer service that allows you to lead a worry free life when it comes to your finances.

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Popmoney vs Zelle - Overview

Take a look at this overview of Popmoney vs Zelle, so you can get to grips with the basic features and differences of each.

Popmoney vs Zelle - Review in detail

Zelle and Popmoney are very similar - in fact, they’re almost like identical twins. If you’re looking for a quick and convenient way to transfer money to a friend, then either app will do the job well.

Both apps work to transfer funds from one bank to another, never holding your money in a third party location. The transactions tend to happen instantly and can be made by using the recipient’s email address, phone number, or - in the case of Popmoney - their Eligible Transaction Account information. Popmoney uses the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network, among other payment networks, to process its payments.²

That being said, there are a few minor differences between Popmoney vs Zelle, specifically regarding fees and limits. Let’s take a look at these apps side-by-side.

Send and Receive money

Sending and receiving money is what Zelle and Popmoney are all about. So it makes sense that to do so is a quick and easy process with both apps.

• To send money with Zelle, all you’ll need is your recipient’s email or phone number. From there, you enter the amount you want to send and complete the remaining steps. That’s it - a few swipes and taps and your money’s on its way! Your payment is normally transferred within minutes, but it can take up to three days. If it takes longer than three days, it’s recommended to contact Zelle.³ When it comes to receiving money, you only have to accept your first payment. Any future payments will automatically appear in your bank account.⁴

• Sending money with Popmoney is an almost identical process. You can use your recipient’s phone number, email address, or Eligible Transaction Account information to send them funds.⁵ Then all you need to do is enter the amount you wish to send to them. If you use the recipient's phone number or email address, they’ll be sent instructions on how to complete the payment. To receive a payment, you can either get the money through your bank’s website if they support Popmoney, or via Popmoney.com if it’s not supported. Just like with Zelle, when using Popmoney your money is never held in a third party location, and is instead sent directly to your bank account. Your money can be available as early as within one business day, but it may take longer depending on the type of account it’s being sent from.⁵

Zelle vs Popmoney: Limits

Here’s a neat overview of the limits for Popmoney vs Zelle:

With Popmoney, your sending and receiving limits are fixed, and are higher if you’re sending from your bank account.

On the other hand, Zelle limits are based on which bank you use, and can therefore vary greatly from user to user. But you can potentially send more when using Zelle, depending on your bank. If your bank doesn’t support Zelle yet, your weekly sending limit should be $500.⁷

Zelle vs Popmoney: Fees

For prospective Zelle users, you’ll be happy to know that there are no fees involved for sending, receiving or requesting money. That being said, it’s always good to check if your bank applies any fees. ⁸

On the other hand, Popmoney charges a fixed fee of $0.95 to send money. It also charges $0.95 to request a payment.

Safety

With regards to safety, Zelle and Popmoney are again, pretty similar.

They both offer the benefit of never holding your money in a third party location. On top of this, to receive money on Popmoney, you’ll need to provide the verification code they send to you - adding another layer of security.⁹

On the flip side neither Zelle nor Popmoney can guarantee to get your money back once a transfer is completed. So if you get scammed, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to get a refund. This is why you should always know and trust who you’re sending money to. Additionally, you should always make sure that the details of the recipient are correct before confirming any transaction.

Alternative solution for sending money abroad: Meet Wise

When using Popmoney and Zelle, you can only send funds to friends with a US bank account. That means you’re unable to send money abroad.

This is where Wise can help you.

• Wise is another online transfer service like Zelle and Popmoney - but one that lets you send money to over 70 countries.

• Similarly, if you’re looking to send much larger amounts abroad, or even just within the US, then Wise could also help you out as it has a maximum transaction limit of 1 million USD.

• On top of this, you can also sign up for a Wise Visa debit Mastercard, giving you low conversion fees and the mid-market exchange rate everytime you withdraw your money abroad.

Join Wise for international transfers 🌎