Have you ever wanted to grab lunch or coffee with friends, but didn‘t have any cash or cards handy? Whipping out your mobile phone to tap and pay is so much easier these days. But what if your money for that salad or cold brew is sitting in your Venmo account instead of a connected debit or credit card?
That‘s where combining Venmo and Apple Pay comes in very handy!
I‘ll walk you step-by-step through getting a Venmo debit card, adding it to Apple Pay, and accessing your Venmo money with just a double click and fingerprint.
I‘m Jamal, a payments tech specialist dedicated to unlocking Fintech innovations for easier daily spending. Let‘s explore…
Why Venmo and Apple Pay? A Match for Smarter Quick Commerce
Venmo pioneered friendly money transfers between friends – eliminating awkward cash exchanges. Powerful stuff for splitting bills or chipping in for group gifts!
Meanwhile Apple Pay took in-store/online transactions mobile with tap-to-pay convenience backed by serious encryption tech.
Together they can seriously simplify your everyday spending – no need to carry cash or multiple cards if your money pools into one Venmo balance, accessible via any Apple Pay terminal.
I don‘t know about you, but fumbling through a wallet full of cards gives me wallet anxiety!
Consumer analyst PYMNTS.com cites 36% faster checkout times when people flash an iPhone versus whip out plastic cards. That convenience drives the 62% growth in mobile wallet payment volume since 2019 too.
| Year | Total Mobile Wallet Payments | % Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $1.1 trillion | +28% |
| 2020 | $1.4 trillion | +30% |
| 2021 | $2.0 trillion | +42% |
But first, let‘s look at…
Why Venmo Balance ≠ Apple Pay Balance
When I first tried adding my Venmo account to Apple Pay, I got denied faster than my Tinder matches (but that‘s another story).
Turns out Apple Pay doesn‘t actually interact directly with Fintech apps, even popular ones like Venmo or Cash App.
Instead, the Wallet app strictly works with scanned debit or credit cards to tokenize their details into secure virtual versions for mobile transactions.
So how can we bring Venmo money over to Apple Pay‘s slick world of tap-and-pay?
The answer lies in the Venmo debit card.
Introducing the Venmo Debit Card
Venmo offers a free debit card that draws right from your Venmo account balance for ATM withdrawals or spending wherever Mastercard is accepted – including Apple Pay!
I highly recommend applying for their basic Blue debit card. It took under 3 minutes to get approved, with the physical card arriving in a week.
In the meantime, they issue a digital card to add into Apple Wallet for instant use.
The bonus perks are pretty sweet too actually…
I‘ve summarized key features and fees below:
| Venmo Debit Card | Details |
|---|---|
| Cash Back | 3% cash back at top category like Walgreens, Paypal, Target, Restaurants and more |
| ATM Withdrawals | Free withdrawals at over 60,000+ MoneyPass ATMS. Else $2.50 fee beyond that. |
| Foreign Transactions | No extra charges |
| Autopay Bills | Set up utility bills, gym memberships, Netflix etc. for auto-pay |
| Security | Tap-and-go contactless or chip, whichever merchant supports |
Next up, I‘ll guide you through getting approved for a Venmo debit in just a few minutes.
Getting Started with a Venmo Debit Card
Here‘s a quick 4 step process to apply and activate your Venmo debit card all within the Venmo mobile app:
Step 1: Open your Venmo app and tap your profile icon
Step 2: Choose the "Get a Venmo Card" option
Step 3: Enter your address for card shipping when prompted
Step 4: Activate the arrived card‘s last 4 digits before first use!
I mentioned the instant digital card earlier for online Apple Pay setup while you wait for that flashy sky blue physical debit to arrive in 7-10 days.
Let‘s get it added into your Wallet…
Add Your Venmo Card into Apple Pay
Adding any debit or credit card into Apple Pay housed securely inside your Wallet app typically takes under 30 seconds.
Here are the quick steps:
1. Tap the Wallet app on your iPhone‘s homescreen.
2. Click the "+" symbol in the top-right corner.
3. Choose "Debit or Credit Card"
4. Scan or type your Venmo card details
5. Verify your Identity using Face ID
And that‘s it – your Venmo card now lives safely inside Apple Pay for tap-to-pay convenience anywhere Apple Pay is supported. Which is basically over 90% of US retailers at this point!
Unlocking Your Venmo Money Across Apple Devices
What I love about housing your Venmo debit card in Apple Pay is it instantly works across ALL your Apple gear synced to the same iCloud account:
- iPhone
- Apple Watch
- iPad Tablets
- Newer Macbooks with Touch ID
Just double click your iPhone or Apple Watch side button, scan Face ID, and boom — paid using Venmo money via Apple Pay magic!
No need for cards, or remembering passwords, or even opening any apps. Streamlined spending in seconds.
Now let‘s discuss…
Key Perks: Why Combine Venmo and Apple Pay?
Beyond simplifying payments across all your devices, what other goodness comes from housing your Venmo debit inside Apple Pay?
Easy Budgeting – Your Venmo card registers as a payment card inside Apple Pay. So all spending through it will appear in your Wallet transaction history and statements. No hopping between apps to track where your money goes.
Card Controls – Lost your card? Quickly lock it temporarily or deactivate entirely through Wallet card settings. Avoid freeze holds or hassles dealing with Venmo support.
Rewards Multiplier – Certain Venmo cards offer expanded bonus cashback when used through Apple Pay, essentially doubling the standard card rate for category spending. Cha-ching 💰
Heightened Security – Leading security researcher Pen Test Partners dubs Apple Pay as most secure for contactless pay. The dynamic security code provisioned on each transaction prevents card cloning or data theft.
As you can see, while adding Venmo card to Apple Pay takes just seconds, the benefits you unlock last a lifetime.
Well, until you get a new card or phone at least!
Troubleshooting: Issues Adding Venmo Card to Wallet
Of course no tutorial would be complete without some popular troubleshooting tips for potential issues:
Card Declined? Confirm iPhone is updated to latest iOS. Turn phone fully off/on. Verify correct Venmo card expiration date and 3 digit CVV code entered.
Already 8 Cards Added? The iPhone Wallet app limits you to only 8 debit/credit cards. Delete an existing one you no longer use in order to add your spiffy Venmo card access instead!
"Card Unavailable for Use"? This means your Venmo card has not finished activation steps inside the Venmo app first. Open Venmo, go to your card management screen, complete any requested identity verifications.
As long as its fully activated in Venmo itself, your card should then add smoothly into Apple Pay next.
Phew, that was a lot! But now you‘re a pro at unlocking your Venmo account money for lightning fast Apple Pay transactions.
To quickly recap the key takeaways:
Apple Pay doesn‘t directly access Venmo, only debit/credit cards
Get a Venmo debit card to bridge your Venmo balance over
Securely store your Venmo card into the Wallet app
Enjoy card controls, rewards, and budgeting through Apple Pay
Tap buy on your daily coffee just got a whole lot more rewarding! Never fumble for cash or cards again thanks to linking your Venmo card into Apple Pay.
Let me know if any other mobile payment questions come up!
Jamal, Fintech Enthusiast
@PayJamal
