Did you engage in activities that may have triggered Venmo's security alerts? Read on to learn how to unfreeze your Venmo account and much more.
Venmo is one of the most popular payment apps on the market today. It allows users to send and receive payments or make purchases with just a few taps on their phones. It’s extremely convenient, but it doesn’t come without its issues.
The platform, founded in 2009, has become a popular alternative to cash for sharing bills and paying back friends. But if you have an account with the platform, you may have experienced unexpected limits on your account due to inadequate funds or other issues.
In addition, what most people do not know is that Venmo is designed to protect its users from fraud and theft by freezing accounts that look suspicious or are used in an unusual way. If your account has been frozen, then there's probably something wrong with the way you're using it.
For example, you might have made too many transactions in a short period without having enough money in your bank account to cover them all at once. This could indicate that someone stole your identity and used it for fraud.
Read on as we guide you on how to unfreeze any frozen Venmo accounts.
Why Did Venmo Temporarily Freeze Your Account?
When you use a service like Venmo, you're trusting that the company will keep your money safe.
But if you ever find yourself locked out of your account, it's not always clear what happened. So here are some possible reasons that may have led to the closure of your account.
Suspicious Activity
If you send or receive large amounts of money on multiple occasions, you may be flagged for suspicious activity by Venmo. The company has a zero-tolerance policy for illegal activities and will freeze your account if it suspects you're involved in money laundering, fraud, or other crimes.
You may have also entered the wrong pin repeatedly; if anything, this will cause the account to think it's someone else trying to access your account.
Insufficient Funds in the Account
Suppose there isn't enough money in your bank account to cover the transaction amount. In that case, Venmo will automatically transfer funds from another linked account (if available) or debit your bank card on file. If neither of these options is available for some reason, the transaction will be canceled. If this happens repeatedly and often enough, your entire account might be frozen until the balance is replenished with sufficient funds.
Violating the User Agreement
It’s important to know what’s allowed and what’s not allowed on Venmo because the user agreement clearly states that they'll freeze your account if they think you’re violating any of these rules. If they do freeze your account, it means no one is able to send money into it, and no one can take money out of it.
Exceeding Transfer Limit
One of the things you must know during your account setup in Venmo is unless you have completely verified your identification, you are limited on what amounts you can transfer in a week. With incomplete identity verification, you can only transfer $299.99 in a week.
But with complete verification, you can transfer as much as $60,000 in a week. These limits include person-to-person and authorized merchant payments.
How to Unfreeze Your Venmo Account?
As stated above, there are many reasons why your account may get frozen. Most of the time, you may have entered too many wrong passwords. Other times, it could be because you've tried to use an unverified card or bank account.
Here is how you can go about unfreezing your temporarily frozen Venmo account:
Transfer Money to Your Venmo Account from Your Bank Account
Moving money from your bank account to unfreeze your Venmo account is possible. However, before then, there are some key things you may have to do for the transfer to be successful.
Step 1: The first thing you need to do is verify your identity. To do this, you must upload a valid government-issued ID (like your driver's license or passport). Once you have done that, head over to the account settings page and check for the verify my information button, then follow the lead from there.
Step 2: Next, log into your account and go to the [Transfers] option under the [Settings] tab. From there, select [Transfer Money] and choose how much money you want to transfer from your bank account to Venmo. Please note that these transactions usually take 3-5 business days or more to process if there are several holidays in between the week.
Other key things you must note while doing your bank transfers are:
- You can't use your credit card to pay any negative balances.
- Once you make the negative payments with a bank account, Venmo will always notify you of the estimated arrival date.
- It is also important to note that any payments received in the account will be applied to the negative amount owed to Venmo.
Contact Venmo's Support Team
There are different ways you can reach the platform's support team.
You can:
Step 1: Visit Venmo's recovery website and log in at venmo.com/recover ID
Step 2: Reply to Venmo's email notification about them freezing your account.
Step 3: Make a phone call to Venmo's support team. So, when placing your calls, ensure you do it between Monday and Friday from 10 am to 6 pm EST. The number you'll call is 855-812-4430.
Step 4: Contact the platform via email at [email protected].
Unfreeze Your Account Via Chat
You can chat through the app, where Venmo's representative may ask for identification from you to prove the account ownership. To do this:
Step 1: Open the app.
Step 2: Go to the [Menu] button in the upper left corner.
Step 3: Locate the [Get Help] button and touch it.
Step 4: Next, click on the [Contact Us] button.
Step 5: Finally, among the three options, touch the [Chat With Us].
How Can I Prevent My Venmo Account from Being Frozen?
A frozen account on Venmo can be a very frustrating experience. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to avoid this. They include:
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Ensure You Don't Run Out of Funds in Venmo
The first thing you should do is make sure your account has enough funds at all times. If there is not enough money in your Venmo account for payment, it may cause your account to get frozen.
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Avoid Sharing Your Account Details with Other People
Under no circumstances should you share your account details with other people. This includes not sharing your login information or password with anyone else, even if they swear up and down that they will never use it inappropriately. This is against Venmo's user agreements; it, therefore, comes with its consequences.
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Avoid Logging in with Infrequent Devices
Using an unusual device to log in to your Venmo account could raise red flags for the company. For example, if you only use one device and suddenly log in from another one, Venmo may suspect that someone else has hacked into your account and wants to take advantage of it. It is, therefore, best to log in with personal devices.
FAQs
1. How long does it take to unfreeze a Venmo account?
Your Venmo account will maintain its frozen state until when you take a step to unfreeze it. By, following the steps mentioned here, Venmo's support team will unfreeze your account in 2 to 3 business days.
2. How do you know if your Venmo account is frozen?
Here's what to look for to tell if your account has been frozen:
- First, you'll receive an email notification from Venmo explaining the possible reasons for the freezing.
- You'll receive some pop-up messages when you try making any payments.
- None of your payments will go through.
3. Will I be asked for ID to unfreeze my Venmo account?
Yes, you may be asked to submit some form of Identification (photo of a valid ID) for the representative to verify you are the account owner.
4. Can I receive money if my Venmo account is frozen?
Yes, you'll still receive money even when the account is frozen. You should know that most freezings result from negative balances after failed payments. However, the money you receive will be applied first to the amount you owe Venmo.
5. How do I withdraw money from my frozen Venmo account?
Unfortunately, it is impossible to withdraw funds from a frozen Venmo account unless you unfreeze the account first.
6. How long will the Venmo accounts be frozen?
Your Venmo account will remain frozen unless you take a step to unfreeze it. For instance, if you have a negative balance, the account will remain frozen until you transfer the owed funds to your Venmo account.
Conclusion
The support team at Venmo will likely be able to resolve this issue in a matter of minutes. They'll ask for proof of your identity and may ask for an additional form of verification (like sending a text message to their number) if they have any doubts about the legitimacy of your claim.
Rest assured that this process will go smoothly as long as you're honest and can prove you own the account. You may. However, need to be cautious about your activities in the account to avoid such freezing scenarios.
