In 2017, the payment service Zelle officially launched. Many people use the app to transfer and receive money directly to each other’s bank accounts, typically within minutes, using their email address or U.S. mobile number. As it turns out, Zelle has shut down its standalone app. Thankfully, Zelle is not over, and only the payment service’s app is shutting down. You can still use Zelle to send money in this little-known way.
The Zelle app is shutting down
By 2025, the total banks offering Zelle exceeded 2,200. This led to fewer than 2% of transactions going through on the app alone. The payment service has started phasing out transactions on its app since October 2024 because the majority of its users were using the payment service to send money via their banks’ mobile apps or online banking experiences.
The payment service and three of the largest US banks also made the news after being sued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The lawsuit followed after the companies failed to protect consumers from widespread fraud on the peer-to-peer payment network. The lawsuit was eventually dropped. We assume these events led to the company’s app officially shutting down on April 1, 2025. Luckily, the over 151 million customers in the U.S. who used the payment service will still be able to send money in this little-known way.
You will still be able to send money with Zelle in this little-known way
As mentioned, many banks were partnered with the payment service, and consumers could access it via their respective banks, which allowed them to send money to their phone contacts. Even though the app will no longer be in use, consumers will still be able to use the payment service via their distinctive banks. Those who relied on the stand-alone app will have to re-enroll in the service through their financial institution. With more than 2,200 participating banks, there’s a good chance yours could be one of those that formed a part of the network.
The major banks that formed part of the payment service’s network:
- Bank of America
- Capital One
- Chase Bank
- Citizens Bank
- Discover Bank
- Morgan Stanley
- PNC Bank
- U.S. Bank
- Wells Fargo Bank
If you are unsure whether your bank belongs to the payment service’s network, visit their official website to search for your bank.
Zelle isn’t the only way to send money digitally for free
Thankfully, there are many other payment services still available to send money digitally for free. This means that if you no longer feel comfortable using Zelle without the option of an app, you can always switch to another digital payment app, such as:
- Apple Cash
- Cash App
- PayPal
- Wise
- Samsung Pay
- Remitly
- Alipay
- Stripe
- Venmo
The aforementioned are only a few, however, they are the best-known apps that are currently being used in the U.S. Consumers are always advised to take basic precautions when using any digital payment services and their platforms. Their apps are constant targets for scammers and Chase Bank will block certain Zelle payments it believes could be fraudulent.
Moral of the story. Only send money to the people you know and trust, and keep an eye out for potential red flags like an urgent message claiming to be from your bank or an online ad for some sort of event tickets that seem impossibly cheap. Remember, your bank will never ask you for money, and normally, if something seems too good to be true, it usually is. For more information on Zelle, visit the official website for Changes to the standalone Zelle® app.
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