How to Fix Venmo Instant Transfer Not Working: Troubleshooting Guide

Learn why your Venmo Instant Transfer didn't work

Co-authored by Hannah Dillon Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: June 2, 2025 Fact Checked

Are you having trouble with Venmo's Instant Transfer service? Sometimes your "Instant Transfer" isn't so instant. What do you do in that situation? In this article, we'll go over all the reasons your Instant Transfer didn't go through and how to resolve them.

Why Your Venmo Instant Transfer Isn't Going Through

If you can't figure out why your Instant Transfer isn't going through, it's likely being reviewed by Venmo's team. If the payment is legitimate, Venmo will allow the transfer to go through, though it'll likely be delayed by a few days.

1

Venmo Server Issues

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Venmo may be having server issues blocking your transfer. If Venmo's servers are experiencing outages or issues, your Instant Transfer can fail. Unfortunately, the only thing you can do in this situation is wait for Venmo to fix the issue.
- You can use a website like DownDetector to see if Venmo's having server issues. Users may also post about Venmo issues on the Venmo Subreddit.

2

Information Mismatch

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Your Venmo account and bank account have mismatched information. If your Venmo account and bank account have a discrepancy in your card or account's address, name, or account number, your Instant Transfer will likely fail.^{[1]
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- Check both your bank account and Venmo account information to make sure that all of the information is the same. Be sure to check the billing address and name on file for your bank account or debit card in case you moved or changed your name recently.

3

Unsupported Bank Account or Debit Card

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Your bank account doesn't support Venmo Instant Transfers. You can only do Venmo Instant Transfers with a U.S. bank account, or a Visa or Mastercard debit card that participates in Venmo Instant Transfer.^{[2]
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Research source} If the Instant Transfer button is grayed out, that means your bank doesn't participate in Venmo Instant Transfer.
- You can only find out if your bank account or card will work with Instant Transfer once you add it to your Venmo account.
- If your bank doesn't currently work with Instant Transfer, contact your bank to request that they sign up.

4

No Bank Account or Debit Card Available

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You don't have a bank account or debit card on your Venmo account. You can only do Instant Transfers to a U.S. bank account or participating debit card. You can't use Instant Transfer with credit cards, gift cards, or any other type of payment method you can use on Venmo.
- To add a bank account to your Venmo, follow this wikiHow. Follow this article to add a debit card.

5

Insufficient Funds

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Your Venmo balance doesn't have the funds to cover the transaction. While in most instances Venmo won't let you transfer more than what's in your Venmo balance, it could be the culprit for your Instant Transfer not working.
- Verify you're typing in the correct amount. Your Instant Transfer amount should match your Venmo balance.
- Check to see if you made any payments with your Venmo balance that day. If you paid for something with your Venmo balance, the money may not have come out of your Venmo account yet, making it appear like your balance is higher than it is.

6

Venmo Transfer Review

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Your transfer is being reviewed by Venmo. Sometimes, Venmo will review transfers for legitimacy to avoid fraud or theft. If you've eliminated every other possible reason, this is likely the reason your transaction hasn't gone through yet.^{[3]
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- Transfer reviews can result in delays or cancellations. If Venmo determines your transfer is legitimate, it will go through as intended.
- If Venmo determines that you knowingly or unknowingly received money from a stolen or compromised card or bank account, they may terminate the transfer, hold your funds, or reverse the payment.

7

Contact Venmo

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Venmo's customer support phone number is 855-812-4430. If you have questions or concerns about your Instant Transfer, contact Venmo for more help. Venmo's customer service line is staffed from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific Time every day of the week.^{[4]
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- When dialing Venmo, press 0 at the menu to be directed to a live representative.