I know how it feels when your payment doesn't go as expected—and believe me when I say that it is no new thing to come across payment issues when dealing with Venmo.
However, regardless of the nature of the issue you're experiencing, there's always a way out.
That said, I'll tell you why you're experiencing issues with your Venmo payment and what you can do to get your payment processed successfully.
Why Am I Having Issue With My Venmo Payment?
Having issues with Venmo payments is no new thing, and before you can even tackle the issue, you first need to understand why it is happening in the first place, and this can only be figured out through the reasons I've mentioned below.
1. Your Payment Details Aren't Correct
Typically, one of the most popular reasons that comes to everyone's mind when experiencing issues with their payment is due to incorrect details. We aren't perfect and mistakes are part of our daily lives, as I always say, and can make errors (typo errors) even with the payment details we provide when making a Venmo payment, especially when making payment to a stranger, that is, someone you have never made a payment to before.
2. There's an Issue With Your Funding Source
If there's an issue with your linked funding source (bank or debit card), there's a great chance that your payment wouldn't go through, and in most cases, the bank doesn't authorize Venmo to complete the transaction. A good example is when Venmo loses connection with your bank; there will be nothing, and no transaction will be completed through your bank unless you fix the issue.
3. Your Account is Facing Limitations (Verifications, Transfer limit)
Just like any other payment service, transactions on Venmo are controlled by limits, and when you reach a limit set for your account, there's a great chance that your payment will not go through.
If you try making a payment from an account that has reached its transfer limit, the payment won't go through, and you'll typically face a 400/403 error where the error message indicates that you are trying to do something in the Venmo app that isn't possible or isn't allowed at that specific time, according to Venmo.
Venmo limits do not only apply to transfers, but also to the type of account you are using. That said, the limits set for an unverified account are far different from those set for a verified account, and if you try sending more than the amount your account is authorized to send, it is obvious that the payment will face an issue.
4. Technical Issues (Venmo and Your End)
One thing we can't really avoid when dealing with digital payment services is the service outage or technical glitches, and both your end and Venmo's end. That said, the technical issue shouldn't necessarily come from Venmo's end—it can also come from your end, especially if you are using an outdated version of the Venmo app or you switched networks or IP recently. I will tell you more on this in the troubleshooting steps below.
There Was An Issue With Your Payment Venmo: The Fixing Steps
I'm sure that you must have understood why Venmo payments usually experience issues by now. It is not just a guessing thing—I rely on a few factors and research to come out with those reasons.
And just like I said earlier, issues with payment services aren't something we can always avoid, and if you are facing issues with Venmo, you can follow the troubleshooting steps below to resolve the issue.
1. Check Your Payment Details
Probably, the first thing you want to check when looking to resolve an issue with a Venmo payment is to check the information you provided for the recipient in the app.
It could be that you entered a wrong username or that the recipient gave you a wrong username, especially if it is the first time you're sending them the payment. In this case, you want to make sure that you double-check the information with them to confirm that you are actually sending the payment to the right person. You don't want the payment to be sent to the wrong person after you've figured out the fix for the issue.
If everything looks fine at the level of the payment details and you are still facing the issue, you may want to proceed to the next step.
2. Change Your Funding Source (If There's an Issue With the Original One)
As earlier mentioned, if there's an issue with your linked funding source, your payment wouldn't go through. In this case, the best fix for you will be to switch funding sources. If you are using your bank or debit card as a funding source, I recommend that you change it to using your Venmo balance as a funding source instead. Since the funds are already on Venmo, they should just go through without having to get authorization from your bank.
3. Verify Your Venmo Account to Increase Transfer Limit
If the issue you are facing originates from the fact that your account is facing limitations, you'll have to verify your identity on Venmo to increase your transfer limits.
When you first sign up for Venmo, you'll only be authorized to spend $299.99 weekly to authorized merchants. That's really ridiculous, right?
Well, the only way to increase your transfer limit is to verify your Venmo account, and after verification, you should be able to spend up to $60,000, coupled with a weekly transfer limit of $7,000.
4. Switch Your Network
This step is the first part of resolving this issue if it is related to a technical error, and of course, this starts with tackling possible issues from your end.
If you recently switched to a different network from that you used for Venmo, it can possibly cause bugs in the app, especially if you use a VPN to access the app. Venmo uses your IP to determine which features they should make available for your account, and switching your IP will probably cause an issue.
If this is the case for you, the error message should appear with no specific instructions for you to follow, and this is according to Venmo.
To resolve this, make sure that you're accessing Venmo from not only the same device, but also with the same network and IP as you usually do. You can switch to a better network (stable Wi-Fi) for the fluidity of the payment.
This is just the first step in resolving the issue if it was caused by a technical glitch, and if this didn't work out for you, then take the next step below.
5. Clear Cache and Update the Venmo App to Its Latest Version
The next step that you can take to resolve a payment issue on Venmo is to clear the cache and update the app to the latest version. Cache cache contains the random information of your previous session in the Venmo app. So you want to clear it and update to the latest version.
New versions typically come with bug fixes and if the bug was due to a technical issue from Venmo's side, they'll fix it and release a new update with everything working just as well, including the payment feature.
To update your Venmo app on Android, go to the Google Play Store and search for Venmo, then click on "Update" to update the app.
To update your Venmo app on iPhone, go to the Apple App Store and search for Venmo, then click on "Update" to update the app as well.
After updating the Venmo app, go to your transaction history and check if the payment went through. If it didn't retry the payment later.
6. Reinstall the Venmo App
The next possible thing you can do to resolve the issue with your Venmo payment is to reinstall the app, especially if you downloaded the app from a source other than the official sources.
So just uninstall the app and reinstall it from the Play Store or App Store, then log back in to the app, while making sure you have enough storage on your device to contain the app and its resources.
Once you do so, retry the Venmo payment to see if it goes through without issues.
7. Contact the Venmo Support Team
If you've tried all the aforementioned troubleshooting steps and they didn't help you resolve the issue with your Venmo payment, then you should contact Venmo as a last resort. They will help you best understand why this is happening to you and what steps you need to take to make things right.
Final Thoughts
Venmo, just like any other payment service out there, isn't 100% perfect, and it is no new thing to come across payments experiencing issues.
If you are experiencing an issue with your Venmo payment, this guide compiles all the possible reasons together with the troubleshooting steps you can take the resolve the issue. Whether it was caused by a typo, transfer limit, or a technical glitch, I've mentioned all the steps you can take to make your Venmo payment go through.