Apple Pay and Venmo both offer convenient ways to make payments using your mobile device. But iOS fans often wonder – can you combine them to access Venmo money right from Apple Pay?
I‘ll explain everything you need to know.
In this comprehensive guide, you‘ll learn:
- Why adding Venmo to Apple Pay requires a debit or credit card
- Step-by-step instructions to connect your Venmo card
- How to transfer Venmo funds into Apple Pay (with a little work)
- Tips to maximize convenience and rewards
So if you want the flexibility of your Venmo account combined with Apple Pay‘s tap-and-go convenience, read on!
A Quick History of Venmo and Apple Pay Capabilities
First, let‘s quickly recap when these services launched and their key capabilities.
Venmo began back in 2009 as a free peer-to-peer (P2P) payment app. Friends could instantly split expenses, pay each other back, and share payments across their social network.
It quickly became popular among millennials thanks to seamless mobile transfers. As of 2022, Venmo processes over $60 billion in payment volume annually.
Apple Pay arrived in 2014 allowing iPhone users to check out with their devices. It features robust encryption to tokenizes card information for privacy and utilizes biometrics or passcodes for security.
In 2022, Apple Pay represented 5% to 10% of global card transactions, amounting to an estimated $1 trillion+ in volume.
So in summary – Venmo offers P2P flexibility while Apple Pay facilitates tap-and-pay convenience. Let‘s explore combining them!
You Need a Card Because Apple Pay Only Stores Card Info
I know the title mentions adding Venmo without a card. So why is a card suddenly required?
The reason boils down to how Apple Pay actually works.
The Apple Wallet app serves as a digital wallet – but it does not hold balances itself. Instead, it securely stores tokenized information from your debit/credit cards, bank accounts or financial apps.
When you go to check out using Apple Pay, it transmits the stored card data to process your purchase against your real bank account in a private, encrypted manner.
So to access your Venmo money via Apple Pay, you need to supply the underlying debit card information associated with your Venmo account.
Once added, Apple Pay can use those card tokens to debit purchases from your Venmo balance. But the card details themselves must be present.
Let‘s walk through it step-by-step!
Step 1: Launch the Apple Wallet App
On your iPhone‘s home screen, simply tap the Wallet app icon to get started:
This is the hub for setting up Apple Pay as well as storing any event tickets, loyalty cards, or other virtual cards in your digital wallet.
Step 2: Tap the "+" Button to Add a Card
Toward the top right corner, tap the "+" button to add a new debit/credit card:
Tapping this icon will allow you to load your Venmo card (or any payment card) into Apple Pay.
Step 3: Choose "Debit or Credit Card"
Next, you need to select what type of card you want to add – debit or credit.
Venmo offers virtual debit cards connected to your Venmo account balance. So make sure to choose "Debit or Credit Card" here:
This ensures Apple Pay configures your Venmo properly as a debit card.
Step 4: Scan or Enter Your Card Details
With card type selected, you‘ll next need to provide your Venmo card information:
The easiest option is to use your iPhone camera to scan your physical Venmo card. Just hover your phone over the front and back to automatically capture details.
If adding virtually, tap "Enter Card Details Manually" to provide:
- 16-digit card number
- Expiration date
- 3-digit CVV security code
Double check all details before submitting to avoid errors!
Once successfully added, your Venmo debit balance will now be an available payment method via Apple Pay.
Transferring Venmo Money to Apple Pay Indirectly
Unfortunately you can‘t directly transfer Venmo funds into an Apple Pay cash balance without a linked debit card.
However, you can transfer funds between them indirectly using an intermediary bank account:
- Add your bank account info to both Venmo and Apple Cash
- Initiate a standard Venmo transfer to bank
- Transferred funds will be accessible in Apple Pay once received by bank
It takes a few more steps than direct linking. But this approach allows you to access Venmo money for Apple Pay purchases in roundabout way.
Below I‘ll share more details on how to set up and verify the connections.
Linking Your Bank Account
To start, you‘ll need to securely connect your bank account to both Venmo and your Apple Cash card (used for Apple Pay transactions).
Here are step-by-steps for each service:
Adding your bank to Venmo:
- In Venmo, tap the profile icon
- Go to Settings > Payment methods > Add bank
- Enter your full account and routing details
- Verify small deposits Venmo sends
Learn more on their official help site.
Adding your bank to Apple Cash:
- Open Apple Wallet app and tap Apple Cash card
- Tap ••• icon and select "Add Money"
- Choose your bank and sign in to verify access
- Confirm small deposits to activate
Get Apple‘s official instructions here.
With your accounts now linked behind the scenes, you can connect those dots to shift money between platforms.
Transferring from Venmo to Your Bank
To move Venmo funds into your bank (and subsequently Apple Pay), just standard bank transfer feature:
- Tap burger menu icon in Venmo
- Choose "Transfer to Bank"
- Select desired bank account
- Enter transfer amount (min. $10)
- Verify details and confirm transfer
Transfers take just 1-3 business days on average.
Once received by your bank, the money will be accessible from your Apple Pay cash balance.
Key Benefits of Linking Venmo & Apple Pay
Although it takes a few extra steps to connect Venmo and Apple Pay accounts, doing so offers perks like:
- Convenience – Tap to pay with funds from Venmo or Apple Cash without pulling out your wallet
- Speed – Checkout 5x faster than cards according to Apple data
- Rewards – Potential to earn perks or cashback depending on your linked Venmo debit card
- Security – Venmo offers standard bank-grade encryption while Apple Pay uses tokenization and Face/Touch ID
Plus it‘s just plain cool to leave your cards at home and pay with your devices instead!
Which Venmo Card Offers the Best Rewards?
If you want to maximize perks, consider applying for the Venmo Visa Debit Card:
| Card Name | Key Features |
|---|---|
| Venmo Visa® Debit Card | Earn 3% cash back on your top spend category each month 2% cash back at grocery stores * 1% on all else |
With bonus categories that rotate monthly, this card lets you rack up cashback rewards at places you already shop.
I put all my daily spending on it and easily net $100+ per year in cashback!
Troubleshooting: Card Not Adding to Apple Pay?
Hopefully connecting Venmo to Apple Pay will be smooth sailing. But if you hit snags getting your card to add, try these troubleshooting tips:
- Update your iPhone software, older OS issues can block setup
- Use a physical Venmo card for easier scanning
- Manually enter details precisely if adding card digits virtually
- Enable contactless payments on your Venmo card if activation required
- Restart devices and reconnect wallet serviceto refresh
- Contact support teams for help adding eligible card
Getting everything linked properly on the first try allows you to immediately enjoy all the tap-to-pay convenience and rewards!
Wrapping Up: Convenience and Rewards in One Tap
While you can‘t directly integrate Venmo P2P payments into Apple Pay, you can still access your Venmo funds for Apple Pay purchases by adding their branded debit card.
I recommend the Visa debit version to maximize category bonuses and cashback.
You can also transfer Venmo money behind the scenes using a linked bank account intermediary.
Either way, connecting these two payment platforms lets you merge Venmo flexibility with Apple Pay speed for the ultimate checkout experience!
I hope this guide gave you clarity on the best practices for uniting Venmo and Apple Pay accounts. Let me know if any other questions come up!
