ASAPCarterWait so just to clarify… Zelle is safe, yeah?
Yes, it's secure (so safe) and you can do it from inside your bank app, but it doesn't provide any buyer protection. Once you send money, it's gone (kinda like a wire transfer but not really), so don't fuck up. Pretty sure venmo is same way tho for refunds- rarely get em. I usually just use zelle to sent instant payments to friends and family for random stuff, and for transferring money instantly between my bank accounts. I like it because it's instant and I don't gotta have an extra log-in or link my account like venmo. At one point venmo had security issues (resolved) but that's really what led me towards zelle vs venmo. I still use paypal or a credit card if I'm paying for stuff or am worried I might need buyer protection.
Imo venmo is stupid if your funding choice is your bank, since just like zelle, it also doesn't come with buyer protection. It's extra steps and more time to achieve the same outcome. The only advantage is more people utilize venmo vs zelle and you can use a credit card on venmo. The zelle app is garbage so I would only use it if your bank has it integrated within their own app.
It's really weird PayPal owns Zelle but also offers a similar type of payment system through PayPal itself. I wonder why they never consolidated them into one service.