Cash App has always prioritized users' account security by implementing security measures that are meant to reduce unauthorized transactions on accounts.
They do this so well by locking up accounts their systems flag as "suspicious" which can be really frustrating if your account isn't really involved in suspicious activities.
If your Cash App account got locked with money in it and you're actively looking for a way to get the money out of it, I'll share the experience I had with this situation and the steps I took to unlock my account.
Why is My Cash App Account Locked?
Cash App will lock up an account if its security systems flag it as involved in "suspicious" or "fraudulent" activities.
When this happens, you'll typically see a message like this when looking to access your account:
We detected something unusual. To protect your funds, we've temporarily locked your account.
Maybe your account might not have anything suspicious but the source it received funds from should be suspicious for them to lock the account up. Maybe the sender used a stolen debit card to send you money or you randomly received money from someone you don't even know on the platform.
All this can contribute to the reasons why your Cash App account got locked.
You won't be able to buy or sell stocks and even cash out from the platform.
Of course, the best thing you can think of doing is waiting for the normal 24 to 48 hours for them to finish carrying on their investigations and sending you their decision on whether they've unlocked your account or not.
It is almost the same situation as the payment failed for my protection issue that shows up when Cash App finds something out of the ordinary with a payment.
Can You Get Money Out of a Locked Cash App?
I think the best way for me to answer this question is to share my own experience when I faced this situation.
This once happened to me when I received a Cash App payment for selling my car—so believe me when I say I understand the frustration you're currently going through.
I didn't just sit hands folded waiting for the normal 24 to 48 hours for them to unlock my account as they say. I had to try a couple of methods that were shared by other users who had been through this situation before.
When trying to figure out why this actually happened to me, I came across this Reddit thread where the user complaining used Cash App as a primary bank to receive his lifetime funds—which is a very big mistake.
And guess the fun fact? His account was unlocked after 45 hours and he was able to withdraw his money from the app. Seeing this instantly gave me hope that Cash App would unlock my account after a few hours as well—which they eventually did and I could finally withdraw my funds from the platform as well.
So simply put, you can get money out of a Cash App account that was locked only when it is unlocked.
How to Get Money Out of a Locked Cash App
You now know that the best and probably the only way to get money out of a locked Cash App is to get the account unlocked first—so how can you get your account unlocked in the first place?
1. Wait for the Normal 24 to 48 Hours
Cash App says we should wait for 24 to 48 hours when our account gets locked. In the best of cases, this will always work if really you aren't involved in a fraudulent activity.
This was the solution that worked for me.
But if you are, it could take even longer for you to get your account "eventually" unlocked and you'll need to take additional steps to get there.
2. Reach Out to Cash App Support
If you have waited for up to 48 hours and get no response from Cash App, the next step you'll want to take is to reach out to the support team.
Of course, you'll need access to your account to contact support but if you can't log into your account, you can reach them by phone by calling (800)-969-1940 between 9 AM to 7 PM ET and explaining the issue further to them.
3. File a Complaint Against Cash App
Some organizations are out there to ensure the funds we manage online are always secured and can back us up when the need arises.
If your transaction isn't involved in anything suspicious you can file a complaint against Cash App to organizations like FINRA or BBB. They'll be of great help.
Final Thoughts
If Cash App just locked your account, there's not much you can do other than wait for up to 48 hours for them to complete their investigations and unlock your account before you can withdraw money from it.
However, if this takes longer than 48 hours, then you'll want to reach out to their support team or call dedicated organizations to help access the funds on your account.
Of course, only do so if you really believe your account was accidentally flagged. Hopefully, you'll be able to access your funds.