Friday, March 29, 2024

Easily settle your debts with these 11 money-transfer apps

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We’ve all been there. You’re out to dinner with a group of friends, the check for the meal arrives, and to make things easier on the waitress, you put the whole tab on your credit card. While everyone agrees to pay you back “as soon as possible,” you realize a month later that you’ve seen nary a dime from your friends.

While we don’t blame you for wanting to send Italian mobsters to your friends’ homes to get your money back, there exists a far easier way to recoup your funds. In fact, all you need is access to an iOS, Android, or Windows-powered smartphone, and you won’t even need to go through the trouble of calling your pal, Vito.

Though, when it comes to money-transfer apps, there’s no doubt that there’s wide-reaching skepticism about security. It’s apparent the globe has no shortage of data and information breaches, so it’s incredibly easy to understand this fear. To help ease some of your doubts, and weed out potential frauds, we’ve found the absolute best ways to send and receive money via a smartphone. So no matter if you need to split a dinner tab, or have finally gotten around to paying your fantasy football dues, here are the ten best applications for settling your debts.

If you have a small business, check out our picks for the best payment processors for smartphones.

The Best

Venmo

More than just a new popular verb — Venmo me! — this app makes it incredibly easy to send and receive money from family and friends. Any payments made from your Venmo balance, most debit cards, or a bank account, cost nothing to execute, and Venmo charges just a 3 percent fee for credit cards. It boasts a “bank-grade” security system, so you won’t have to worry about any shady hackers getting ahold of your financial information, either.

If you love Venmo, read our take on its credit card beta program.

Download now for:

iOS Android

The Rest

Facebook Messenger

Facebook has enabled a feature in its Messenger app that allows any person in the United States to send money through the app. When you’re chatting with someone, simply tap the dollar sign located above the keyboard, directly beside the tools for sharing photos and stickers. If you don’t see it, tap the ellipsis on the right-hand side to bring up a list of additional options. Once you’ve set up your debit or credit card, just type the amount of money you want to send and tap pay in the top-right corner.

Download now for:

iOS Android

Apple Pay Cash

If you live in one of the countries that support Apple Pay, you’re in luck. With iOS 11.2 Apple set its aim squarely at Venmo and other payment apps to allow you to send money directly to your contacts through iMessage. For iPhone users, there’s no need to install a third-party app if your contacts also have an iPhone.

In a conversation, simply tap the A symbol next to the camera icon in iMessage and tap Pay. Select the amount and tap Pay. You can also use it to request an amount from the contact. Send the message just like you would any other, and it will ask you to confirm using FaceID, Touch ID, or a passcode. Apple Pay Cash is also compatible with iMessage on your Apple Watch, and you can even use Siri to send cash. While the money is available in your Apple Pay balance immediately, we should note it does take a few days for it to transfer to your bank account.

Google Wallet

Like a digital wallet in the palm of your hand, Google Wallet makes it easy to send and request money from friends within the U.S. You can use your fingerprint sensor to access the app. Google Wallet has a a minimal and easy-to-understand user interface, and money is transferred into the bank instantly.

Download now for:

iOS Android

PayPal

Venmo before Venmo existed, PayPal is one of the oldest money transfer applications available. Though receiving and sending funds takes a while longer, PayPal does offer the ability to use it to pay for purchases at various establishments.

Download now for:

iOS Android

Square Cash

With just a simple link to your debit card, Square Cash allows you to quickly send, receive, or request money from friends and family. Perhaps its most useful feature is how quick money deposits into your bank account once a transaction is complete.

Download now for:

iOS Android

Chase QuickPay

Though Chase customers have access to a slew of banking options within Chase’s smartphone application, non-customers with valid email addresses also have the ability to send and receive money using the bank’s QuickPay feature.

Download now for:

iOS Android

Snapcash via Snapchat

After a recent partnership with Square Cash, Snapchat now gives its users the ability to easily send money to anyone 18 and older. By entering the money ($) sign, followed by a numeric value, Snapchat sends money directly from your debit card or bank account.

Download now for:

iOS Android

Western Union

Not only does the Western Union app allow you to transfer money among friends and family, but it grants you the ability to send it to over 200 countries and territories. It also lets you know how much your money transfers should cost, and provides all Western Union branch listings.

Download now for:

iOS Android

Xoom Money Transfer

Like Western Union, Xoom allows users to send and receive money all over the globe. The app also features low transfer fees, locked-in exchange rates, status updates, and push notifications of any sent or received money.

Download now for:

iOS Android

Bank of America

Bank of America’s smartphone application not only cuts down on the amount of time you need to spend at a branch but allows you to securely send and receive money to anyone (non-customers, too) via a phone number or email address.

Download now for:

iOS Android

Update: We’ve checked all the apps and added a few more links to related articles for your convenience.

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