If you received an email noting that a recent transaction you made from a bank account has failed, you’ll want to resolve the issue by following the prompts in the app. Alternatively, you can log in from a computer and head to venmo.com/recover. Your Venmo account will be temporarily frozen until the funds are paid back.
Why did my payment fail?
Bank payments can fail for a number of reasons. While Venmo doesn’t have visibility into the specific reason your transaction failed, your bank should be able to tell you exactly why. Some common reasons for failure are:
- Exceeding the number of ACH transfers permitted on your account
- Insufficient funds at the time of the transaction
How can I unfreeze my account?
The fastest way to get your Venmo account reinstated is to use a debit card to pay back the amount owed. Paying with your bank is also an option, but keep in mind these payments can take a few days to process. In any case, once Venmo receives the funds to cover the failed payment, your account will be reinstated. Credit cards cannot be used to pay back a negative balance.
Please note that if you decide to pay back the amount you owe with a bank account, we’ll show you an estimated date of arrival. You can check the status of your payment by tapping Account Recovery Payment in your transaction history. The funds will take 3 to 5 business days to post in your Venmo account, so thanks in advance for your patience!
If you’re unable to pay back the full amount, you can make a partial payment by editing the repayment amount. Before selecting Pay, tap the payment amount and enter the amount you'd like to pay.
Any payments you receive on your Venmo account will automatically be applied to the amount you owe to Venmo.
Chargebacks
Learn more about what to do if a payment you sent or received was charged back.
There may be a different reason why your Venmo account is frozen, not related to a failed payment. Learn more about what to do if your Venmo account is frozen for another reason.