Identity Verification

I got an email from Venmo that said, “Update ASAP!  Confirm your info to keep using your Venmo balance.” What is happening?  

Venmo is required by federal law to collect certain information from all its users. We sent this email to let you know that we need to verify your identity. If you complete this process and we can verify your identity by the date specified in the email you received, you’ll be able to continue using the funds in your account to make payments just like you do now.  

If we are unable to verify your identity by the date specified in the email you received, we will not be able to continue offering you the use of a Venmo balance for making payments.  You will still be able to receive payments, but you’ll only be able to withdraw any funds in your Venmo account to a bank account. You would also still be able to make payments to others, but you’ll only be able to fund payments with a linked debit card, credit card, or bank account. (Note: payments made using a credit card are subject to fees) 

What do I need to do?  

In the Venmo app, you can go to the “☰” Menu, select “Settings,” and then tap “Identity Verification” to complete the verification.  The on-screen prompts will guide you through this process.  

When is this happening?  If I don't confirm my information, when will I no longer be able to use my Venmo balance for payments? 

Venmo sends users this notification at the beginning of the month. We ask that you complete the process by the end of the month you received the email, unless stated otherwise in a communication from Venmo, or we will no longer be able to offer the use of a Venmo balance for payments.   

What happens if I don’t take this action by the requested date?   

If you don’t verify your account by the requested date, we will not be able to continue offering you the use of a Venmo balance for making payments.  You would still be able to receive payments, but you’ll only be able to withdraw any funds in your Venmo account to a bank account. You would also still be able to make payments to others, but you’ll only be able to fund payments with a linked debit card, credit card, or bank account. (Note: payments made using a credit card are subject to fees) 

Why do I need to verify my account if I’m already sending money to my friends?   

Venmo is constantly evolving to best suit the needs of our customers. In order to comply with federal laws, we are required to gather certain information from our users in order to offer the use of a Venmo balance to make payments. At this time, we need to verify your identity in order to continue offering the use of a Venmo balance.    

Why do I have to do this if my friend didn’t need to do it?  

Venmo is asking all our users to complete this process. If your friend didn’t receive this email, it’s possible that they completed this process previously (for instance, by signing up for a Venmo Debit Card). Otherwise, it’s possible that we’ll be sending them a similar email in the future.   

I didn’t complete this process and now my account has changed. What I can do?  

You can still complete the verification process now.  In the Venmo app, you can go to the “☰” Menu, select “Settings,” and then tap “Identity Verification” to complete the verification.  The on-screen prompts will guide you through this process. If you complete this process and we verify your identity, you will be able to resume using a Venmo balance to make payments to others.   

I want to get a jump start on this process. Do I need to wait for an email to verify my identity?  

You can begin this process as soon as you would like. In the Venmo app, you can go to the “☰” Menu, select “Settings,” and then tap “Identity Verification” to start verification. If you see a message that says, “You’re all set!” then you have already verified your identity.   

I’m new to Venmo. I didn’t get an email, but I can’t make payments using a Venmo balance. What do I do? 

You can begin the verification process now. In the Venmo app, you can go to the “☰” Menu, select “Settings,” and then tap “Identity Verification” to start verification. Once you have verified your identity, you’ll have access to a Venmo balance, which means you can use the money you’ve received to make payments to friends or mobile websites or apps that are approved to offer Venmo as a payment option. (Any money you had in your Venmo account before you verified your identity will automatically be available on your new Venmo balance.) For more information about how your Venmo balance works, see this page. 

How long will this process take?   

Typically, the identity verification process is pretty quick. Many users are able to plug their information into the app and then continue with what they were doing.    

Note: Sometimes finding your information using the National Database does not work because the information is unavailable or your name or address has changed.   

If we cannot verify your personal information, we will ask you to send us documentation in the app that confirms your identity. You can find more about the types of documents we might need here.