Zelle P2P App Review

What we like about Zelle

If you bank with a bank that partners with Zelle, you will have access to send and receive money using the platform. Zelle is free to use and is seamlessly integrated within your banking portal. There is no need to download and maintain a separate app on your mobile device, as you will access it directly through your bank.

Funds transferred through Zelle are immediate, unlike other person-to-person payment services like Cash App or Venmo, which are considered intermediaries and hold your funds before they hit your bank account.

Zelle is also incredibly user-friendly and convenient to use.

How does Zelle work?

Zelle is a person-to-person payment system that moves money directly from your bank account to another designated bank account. As of April 2025, both banks must support the use of Zelle. The recipient can receive the funds directly through their bank’s mobile banking app.

Zelle is generally free to use, but check with your bank to make sure they won’t charge you any additional fees to transfer or withdraw when using Zelle.

What banks currently use Zelle?

Zelle is supported by more than 2,200 banks and credit unions. Major institutions include:

Find out if your institution is supported by checking Zelle’s website.

Where it falls short

While Zelle is used by almost every major national and regional bank, some smaller banks and credit unions do not use Zelle. With the elimination of Zelle’s standalone app this year, you can’t receive funds from someone sending them via Zelle if you don’t already have a bank account integrated with the service.

Zelle is also only available in the United States, meaning you can’t send money to international accounts. You also can’t send money using credit cards — like you can with competing peer-to-peer (P2P) services — since the money you send has to come from your bank account.

No fraud protection

One of the biggest drawbacks is that Zelle doesn’t have fraud protection. Sending money through Zelle is just like sending cash — once you hit the send button, you can not get it back. Use caution when you send money.

Ask yourself important questions before sending money with the app, such as:

• Do you know the recipient? Only send money to people you know and trust.
• Are you being scammed, or does something not seem right about the request? Zelle does not offer buyer protection, unlike platforms like PayPal, so keep that in mind.
• Would you send this payment as cash? Treat all transfers as cash. The money is gone once you hit send and can’t cancel payments.

Zelle’s fees and access

Feature	Details
Monthly fee	$0
App Store	No App; Zelle is available within your bank’s app only as of 4/1/25
Google Play	No App; Zelle is available within your bank’s app only as of 4/1/25
Supports external account connection	No
Instant funding	Yes
Funding limits	Varies bank to bank
Other fees	Zelle does not directly charge fees but recommends you check with your bank to confirm it doesn’t charge fees.

Compare Zelle to other money apps

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How to enroll in Zelle

You sign up for Zelle in your bank’s mobile app. This process involves selecting the option to send money, usually labeled “Pay,” “Transfer,” “Send Money” or something similar. This label varies by bank.

You will be prompted to “Send Money with Zelle” and then will be asked to “Get Started.” You need to agree to Zelle’s terms and conditions and then select your account information. You may also be asked for your email or phone number to verify your account, and after verification, you can use the service.

Customer reviews and ratings

BBB accredited	Yes
BBB rating	A+
BBB customer reviews	1.02 out of 5 stars, based on 113 customer reviews
Trustpilot score	1.1 out of 5 stars, based on 1,030 customer reviews
Customer reviews verified as of	11 April 2025

Zelle’s parent company, Early Warning Services, is accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and holds the highest BBB rating possible. The BBB grades the company with an A+ due to its responsiveness to customer complaints. While Early Warning Services also offers other financial products, the majority of reviews and complaints have to do with their biggest product, Zelle.

Despite the high BBB rating, Early Warning Services has low customer ratings on the BBB. Most complaints are about its inability to mitigate fraud claims or help with scams and Zelle’s inaccessibility with some banks.

On Trustpilot, Zelle scores similarly to BBB ratings, with most reviews criticizing the functionality of the payment platform, citing “lost money” and many complaints that the platform doesn’t have great customer service. Because Zelle integrates with your bank, many customers complain about being redirected to deal with their bank directly when issues pop up.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use Zelle if my bank doesn’t support it?

As of April 1st, 2025, you can no longer use Zelle if your bank doesn’t support it. This comes with the elimination of their standalone app. So, to send money to someone with Zelle, the recipient’s bank must be partnered with Zelle as well.

Zelle is partnered with a wide range of banks and is working on increasing their network constantly, so it may be worth discussing with your bank if you wish to use Zelle.