If a payment appears in the “Incomplete” section of the app or displays as “Pending” in your feed, this means you paid an email address or phone number that isn't associated with an active Venmo account. (This will also happen if the email address or phone number hasn’t been verified by the recipient.)
Although the funds will be charged to the payment method you used, the money won’t reach the intended recipient until the phone number or email address you used is added to their Venmo account and verified.
If your friend wants to accept the money, please have them follow the instructions to sign up or add the additional email address to their Venmo account. If you want to take the funds back yourself by cancelling the payment, you can see your pending payments on the web here, or follow the instructions below in the Venmo app.
- Tap the "☰" icon at the top of the app
- Tap "Incomplete"
- Make sure you’re looking at the "Payments" tab
- Under the payment in question, choose “Take Back”
Taking back the payment means that the funds will be reversed back to your original funding source. If you used a bank account or card, the funds will be returned there. If you used your Venmo balance to fund the payment, the amount should be reflected in your balance.
For funds reversed back to a bank account, the funds should be deposited back in your bank account in 3 to 5 business days. If you used a card for the payment and take the funds back, you should see that posted on your statement in 5 to 7 business days.