How to Use Zelle Safely to Send Money

Zelle is a free service built into most US bank apps that lets you send money from your bank account to someone else's US bank account in about a minute. You only need their email address or mobile phone number. The money goes directly — no waiting days for a check to clear, no paying a fee.

Because Zelle is built right into your existing bank app (Bank of America, Chase, Wells Fargo, Capital One, and nearly 2,000 more), there is usually no extra app to download. You open your regular bank app, find the Zelle option (often under "Transfer" or "Send Money"), and follow the prompts. If your bank is small enough that it does not include Zelle, you can use the standalone Zelle app.

Here is the single most important rule about Zelle. And it is the rule that the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) warns every American about: only send Zelle money to people you personally know and trust. Unlike a credit card, Zelle transactions cannot be reversed. If you send $500 to a stranger expecting them to ship you something. And they never do, Zelle and your bank are usually not required to give the money back. It is like cash — gone once sent.

Zelle scams almost always come through two channels: someone pretending to sell you something on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist asks for Zelle (never do this), or someone pretending to be your bank calls and tells you there is a fraud on your account and you need to "send yourself money through Zelle to a safe account" (also always a scam — real banks will never ask you to do this).

Used between people you know — your son for rent, your grandchild for a birthday, your contractor you have worked with before — Zelle is fast, free, and convenient. Treat it exactly like handing someone cash: once it is out of your hand, you cannot get it back without their cooperation.