What is a Teen Account?
Venmo Teen Accounts are profiles connected to a parent or guardian's main Venmo account. Teen Accounts have separate balances and enable 13-17-year-olds to use certain Venmo features while the parent or guardian has visibility and control of the overall account activity.
Teens with a Venmo Teen Account can use the Venmo Teen Mastercard® Debit Card and access the Venmo mobile app to manage, send, and receive money. The adult account owner can also add money to a connected Teen Account and view all spending activity from that profile in the Venmo app.
Teen Accounts can only be managed by or connected to one adult Venmo account at a time.
How can I create a Venmo Teen Account?
If you're eligible for a Teen Account, you'll see the option to create one by following these steps in your Venmo app:
- Go to the Me tab
- Tap the down arrow next to your name in the top left-hand corner
- Select Create a teen account
- Tap Get started
- Pick your teen’s card color, then select Next
- Fill out the requested details about your teen
- Tap Done
Venmo Teen Accounts must be created and managed by a parent or guardian with a regular, adult Venmo account. Teens will need a device with a compatible operating system to download and use the Venmo app.
If you don't see the option to create a Teen Account in your Venmo app, make sure you've completed identity verification and have the latest version of Venmo installed on your device.
My teen sent me a request to open an account, what is this?
Teens aged 13-17 can now initiate the Venmo Teen Account creation process themselves. However, you as the parent or guardian, must still review and approve the Teen Account, which will be linked to your personal account, within 14 days for the Teen Account to become fully functional.
How You'll Be Notified:
- Push notifications on your phone (if you have a Venmo account linked to the phone number your teen provided)
- In-app notifications within your Venmo app
- Direct reminder text messages that your teen can send you
How to Approve the Teen Account:
- Click on the notification or reminder message you received. This will take you through the approval process.
- You’ll be guided to review your teen's information they provided
- If you have not already completed identity verification, you will be prompted to
- Confirm you are managing fewer than 5 Teen Accounts (Venmo's maximum limit)
- Once you have reviewed and verified all the information, click Approve to activate their account
Requirements for Approval, you must:
- Have your own verified Venmo account in good standing
- Have completed identity verification
- Manage fewer than 5 existing Teen Accounts
- Use the phone number your teen entered as their parent or guardian
Does my teen need to verify their identity on Venmo?
No. Teen Accounts are an extension of your parent/guardian account, so there isn’t a separate identity verification process for your teen(s). Venmo will never request personal documents like a license or ID from a minor.
Which Venmo features can a Teen Account use?
Venmo Teen Accounts have limited functionality compared to a regular Venmo account.
Teens using a Venmo Teen Account can:
- Use the Venmo Teen Debit Card
- Set up Direct Deposit
- Use the Venmo app, with limited features:
- Send and receive Person-to-Person payments with friends and family
- Add personal payment methods to the Teen Account
As the parent or guardian account owner, you'll be notified when your teen account sends or receives money or adds a new payment method.
The following actions are not available for Venmo Teen Accounts:
- Sign up for the Venmo Credit Card
- Create a Business or Charity Profile
- Use Venmo’s Crypto features
- Receive payments for goods & services
- Cash a check
Where can my teen use the Venmo Teen Debit Card?
The Teen Debit Cards cannot be used with specific merchants that are restricted based on their merchant category codes. These restrictions will also apply to payments made by teens in the Venmo app.
Will my teen’s Venmo Debit Card ever charge my Venmo account, bank, or card for purchases?
The Venmo Teen Debit Card is designed to only use the Teen Account balance. If there isn't enough money in the Teen balance to cover a purchase, the transaction will typically be declined. You can always add money to a Teen Account's balance by sending your teen a payment.
- In rare cases, a transaction may complete for more than the original authorized amount. This could mean that the Teen balance doesn't have enough money to cover the final amount charged. For example, if the Teen balance has $10 and your teen authorizes a $9 purchase, it could later complete at $11 if a $2 tip was added.
- If the Teen balance doesn't fully cover the final amount, we'll attempt to debit the remaining amount due from your parent/guardian Venmo account balance. If the parent/guardian's Venmo balance also isn't enough, we'll use any remaining money in the Venmo Teen balance, then begin our standard payment recovery process with the parent/guardian account. Learn more about account restrictions from failed Venmo payments.
What happens during the waiting period, and what are my options for responding to my teen's account request?
During the 14-day waiting period, your teen has very limited access. They can:
- Log into the Venmo app with restricted functionality
- View specific screens such as Home, Card, Pay/Request, Scan, and Me
- Send you, their parent or guardian, up to 2 reminder messages about approving their account
If you don't respond within 14 days:
- The Teen Account will automatically expire and be closed
- Your teen’s personal information will be removed from Venmo's systems
- Your teen would need to either restart the account creation process themselves or you can initiate it for them if they want to try again
During the waiting period, your teen cannot:
- Send or receive money
- Make purchases
- Link or use payment methods
- Money Features
- Transfer money to or from a bank account (including Instant Transfers or standard transfers), add money to the Teen Account balance, or withdraw cash from ATMs
- View the account/routing number, set up Direct Deposit, or cash checks
- Buy, sell, or transfer cryptocurrency, participate in Venmo Groups transactions, or dispute any payments
Your teen can explore the app during this time, but all transaction and money-management features remain locked until you complete the approval process.
If you approve the Teen Account:
- Both you and your teen will receive an email notification
- The Teen Account becomes fully functional immediately
- A Venmo Teen Debit Card will be shipped to the address provided
- Standard Teen Account parental controls will take effect
- Your teen can send/receive payments, make purchases, set up Direct Deposit, and more within set limits
- You'll receive notifications for your teen's financial activity and can view their spending
If you reject the Teen Account request:
- The Teen Account will be permanently closed
- Your teen’s personal information will be removed from Venmo's systems
- Your teen will no longer have access to the account
- Both you and your teen will receive an email notification
What information can I review and change during the approval process, and what are the requirements for me to approve a Teen Account?
During the approval process, you can review and edit:
- Your teen's legal first and last name
- Your teen's date of birth
- The shipping address for their Venmo Teen Debit Card
You cannot change:
- Their chosen username
- Debit card color
These details were provided by your teen during their initial setup.
To approve the Teen Account, you must:
- Confirm your Venmo account is in good standing
- Have completed identity verification with Venmo
- Be managing fewer than 5 existing Teen Accounts under your supervision
- Be using the phone number your teen entered as their parent or guardian
If you don't meet these requirements, you'll see an error message explaining what needs to be resolved first.
What should I do if I'm having trouble with the approval process?
If you encounter issues, try the following steps:
- Ensure you have the latest version of the Venmo app to avoid any compatibility issues.
-
Check that your own Venmo account is verified and in good standing
- (This means that your account is not suspended, restricted, or experiencing payment issues.
- Confirm you are managing fewer than 5 existing Teen Accounts
- Make sure you're using the same phone number your teen entered
- Try restarting the app or checking your internet connection
- Contact Venmo Support through your app (Me > Settings > Get Help > Chat With Us) if technical problems persist
As the parent or guardian, you're responsible for managing any issues with Teen Accounts, so you'll need to be the one to contact support if needed
My teen already has a personal Venmo Account, but not a Teen Account.
Per our User Agreement, you must be at least 18 years old or the age of majority in your state of residence to create a personal account. While we appreciate their interest in using Venmo, they do not meet the age requirement to use our services. Additional requirements and terms of using Venmo are outlined in our User Agreement.
To complete the set-up of a Teen Account, return to the link that was sent from the parent account and follow the flow. When asked, “Are you sure you want to close the Venmo account?” they’ll need to tap Confirm. This will close their current account and free up their personal information to finish the set-up of their Teen Account.