How to Cancel a Venmo Payment

Last Updated: March 22, 2020 References

When you send money to a Venmo user, the amount is automatically added to their account balance. Because sending money through Venmo is so instantaneous, you can’t cancel a payment once it’s been sent. If the person to whom you accidentally sent money is a Venmo user, you’ll have to send them a request for the amount. The only exception is that a payment can be canceled if sent to an address or phone number that’s not connected to a Venmo account.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

If You Paid the Wrong Person

1
Open the Venmo app. While there’s no way to cancel a payment that has already reached its destination, you can request the money back from the other party.^{[1]
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2
Tap the Send/Request icon at the bottom right corner of the app. This is the blue circle with a dollar sign and pencil inside.

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3
Search for the person to whom you accidentally sent money. Start typing the person’s name until you see the person’s name in the search results.
4
Tap the person’s name in the search results. The “Pay or Request” screen will appear.
5
Enter the amount next to the dollar sign. The amount you enter here should match the amount you accidentally paid that person.
6
Enter a message into the “What’s it for?” box. Type a brief message explaining that you accidentally paid the wrong person, and that you’d like for them to return the money at their earliest convenience.
- If it’s a person you don’t know, take the extra time to apologize for the inconvenience.
7
Tap “Request”. Double-check your request and make sure you’ve entered the correct amount.
8
Tap “Confirm Request”. Venmo will send a notification of the request to the person’s phone. Until they accept the request, you can view this transaction by clicking the ≡ menu and selecting “Incomplete.”
- While you may be in a time crunch, try to be patient with the other party before involving Venmo support. The accidentally-paid person may not be near their phone.
- When the request is accepted, the amount sent will be added to your Venmo balance.^{[2]
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9
Send a reminder. If it’s been a day or so and you’ve still not received a payment, you can send a reminder notification to their phone.
- Tap the ≡ and select “Incomplete.”
- Tap the button that says “Reminder” beneath your request.
10
Contact Venmo if your request is not accepted. Venmo support cannot cancel the transaction, but they will be able to reverse the charge as long as they have permission from both parties.^{[3]
X
Research source} If you report the issue to Venmo Support, they will contact the other party to resolve the issue.
- Tap the ≡ and select “Get Help.”
- Tap “Contact Us.”
- Choose from “Email Us, “Chat With US,” or “Call Us”.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

If You Paid Someone Who Doesn’t Have a Venmo Account

1
Open the Venmo app. If you sent money to an email address or phone number that is not associated with a Venmo account, you can cancel the transaction. Once it is canceled, the money will be returned to the original funding source.^{[4]
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2
Tap the ≡ icon. This is the menu icon, and it appears in the upper left corner of the app.
3
Select “Incomplete”. Here you’ll find two tabs: “Requests” and “Payments.”
4
Tap “Payments”. Here you’ll see the payment-in-question. Remember, you can only cancel a payment if the phone number or address is not associated with a Venmo user. Here’s how to check:
- If the phone number or address you sent money doesn’t belong to a Venmo user, you will see the email or phone number at the top of the payment-in-question. You’ll also see a button that says “Cancel.”
- If the address or phone number IS connected to a Venmo account, the person’s name will appear on the screen. If it’s not your intended recipient, see If You Paid the Wrong Person.
5
Tap “Cancel” beneath the payment. The entry will be removed from the list, and the money will be refunded to the card or account from which it was sent. The deposit will appear in the original funding account in one business day.^{[5]
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Community Q&A

Question

My sister paid me and I had it transferred to my bank. The problem is, I want to cancel the transaction and return the money she owed me. How can I do that? Is it too late because I had it transferred?

Ryderbishop1

Community Answer

Yes, it is too late. Your only option at this point is to send a new transfer back to your sister via e-transfer, money order, etc.
Question

Unknown sender paid me $0.01. Prank?

Ryderbishop1

Community Answer

It may be a prank, a glitch or sometimes someone confirming your bank account is real. It could be so done trying to steal your money and see if your bank account numbers are valid.
Question

Why does it take 5 days to deposit a payment in my account?

Community Answer

It takes that long for the company to process the payments.