How to set up zelle without bank

Q: Can I use Zelle without bank card?

Consumers who download Zelles standalone app must provide a phone number or email and debit card information to be able to receive and send funds. As long as you have a Visa or Mastercard debit card, you can download Zelle and use the application to send money.

Zelle® is the answer for so many situations.

Need to pay rent? Zelle®. Share household expenses? Zelle®. Settle up with friends for a night out? Yep, Zelle® again. Check out the video below to see how easy it is.

Plus, with Zelle® ready contacts, it’s easy to know who’s already enrolled with Zelle®. When you see a purple “Z” icon next to someone’s name on your contact list, you can send them money with Zelle® anytime with the confidence that it’ll be in their account in minutes. Learn more about Zelle® ready contacts below in the FAQ.

Why use Zelle®?

It’s safe.

With Zelle®, money travels directly between accounts with no stops in between. And as a U.S. Bank customer, you’re protected by our Digital Security Coverage.

It’s fast.

Money you send with Zelle® can be in your recipient’s account in minutes,2 making Zelle® an ideal way to share the cost of expenses between friends or send the gift of money.

It’s convenient.

Find Zelle® in the U.S. Bank Mobile App or online banking. All you need to send money is the recipient’s email address or U.S. mobile number.

It’s easy.

Sending money is simple. Just pick a trusted recipient, enter an amount and hit Send. You can track your payment in mobile or online banking. Requesting money is just as easy.3

It’s personal.

You can add emojis and choose from a wide variety of colorful, entertaining eCards to send with your Zelle® payment. Add a personal touch for any occasion – or just a bit of fun for no reason at all. See our eCard FAQ.

Already have the U.S. Bank Mobile App?

You can also use Zelle® in online banking.

You can start using Zelle®anytime you're banking in the app or online. Simply log in to your account and explore everything you can do.

Frequently asked questions

iPhone Screenshots

Zelle® has partnered with leading banks and credit unions across the U.S. to bring you a fast, safe and easy way to send money to friends and family. Money moves quickly - directly from bank account to bank account. If your bank or credit union offers Zelle, you already have it in your mobile banking app or online banking – if they don’t, the Zelle app will make it easy for you to send money to enrolled Zelle users that already have access through their financial institution.
Zelle. This is how money moves®.
Using just your recipient’s email address or U.S. mobile number, you can settle up simply and safely with almost anyone you know and trust. Even better, Zelle does not charge any fees to use the service. (Mobile carrier or bank fees may apply).
GET STARTED:
1. Download the Zelle app.
2. Enroll using a Visa® or Mastercard® debit card linked to a U.S. checking account; or
3. Enroll your U.S. checking account by using your online banking username and password, if your bank supports this feature*.
4. Choose a person to pay, or request money from, by entering their U.S. mobile number or email address.
5. Confirm the amount and hit send. If they’re already enrolled with Zelle, they’ll typically get the money in minutes. If they aren’t, they will be notified and can follow a few simple steps to complete the payment.

*Some banks allow customers to enroll in the Zelle app using their online or mobile banking username and password.

Zelle and the Zelle related marks and logos are property of Early Warning Services, LLC

You must have a bank account in the U.S. to use Zelle.

What’s New

Sep 14, 2022

Version 7.4.0

We make regular updates to our application to introduce new features, fix bugs, and enhance performance.

Ratings and Reviews

4.8 out of 5

419.9K Ratings

The JOYS of money!

To be honest I was a little skeptic about it, then once I downloaded it and played around with it, I knew I was going to be using this FOREVER! No waiting for the weekend to be over to receive your money, no 5-7 business days on waiting either for your money to be sent over, no hassle on asking if anyone or I have received the money. This app literally allows the money being sent over to go straight into your card with no holds, no fees, no hassle at all. Me, my family and friends use this app all the time when one has forgotten money or their wallets- LOL! I can say that using this app really is a life saver.
Only, ONE bad thing I do have to say is that you can’t send others money unless you have their correct mobile phone numbers. I’ve tried to see if I can add people through my contacts but it only allows to input numbers, like literally I gotta grab a pen and paper to write down peoples numbers because once you input a number or an incorrect phone number it’s a good bye to whoever you’re sending money too. So make sure the number you’re sending money to is ALWAYS CORRECT! I hope that they do update this app and allow us to add friends on here.

Thanks for the great review, we're glad you like using Zelle! Our app does pull from your contacts if you allow the app access to your contacts in your iPhone. If we can help, please give us a call at 844-428-8542. Thanks, again!

Can’t do anything without allowing full contacts access

The app has a message saying quite clearly how if you allow full contacts access you can send quicker, but that there is an alternative, in which you can either hit the “+” button, or the “Add a new Recipient” [capitalization theirs] button to send funds. However, neither of these buttons exist. I have no idea if they only exist after sharing contacts, but I don’t want to do that and it really is not necessary for a financial transactions service. The only point of forcing it is for sketchy data mining.

UPDATE:
So, against better judgment, I allowed contacts access. I still do not have a “+” or “Add a new Recipient” [sic] button anywhere. Also, all contacts were added once for every method of contact, so I have between 2-7 entries per person. Also it added one for every number I’ve ever blocked. It looks literally nothing like the screenshots on the App Store page, it’s just a heinous mess. ALSO if I hit the big fat “Request” button it still takes me to the same screen asking me to select a “recipient”, which sounds like I’d be sending money not receiving it. This app has been 3 consecutive dumpster fires so far, and I’ve had it for a couple of hours. How does anyone even use it for its intended purpose? Does it have any functionality at all? People trust financial transactions to stuff that looks this bad? I wouldn’t trust them to make me a ham and cheese sandwich.

Unable to verify password

When you make an app that directly links a user's DEBIT CARD to their account (with no other options or protections provided), you'd better make sure it's operational, but instead we have this.
About a week ago, I got a 3:45AM text from Zelle for an automatic transfer (no one was sending me money that early in the morning). I went to change notification settings -- only to discover that I needed my password to turn off their text messaging. That's when I realized I had forgotten my password. At the time I couldn't find any place on their app to reset it, and because I have an outside bank, I don't have access to a web account. I did try "forgot password?" on the Zelle portal but never received an email. This didn't lock me out of my account; I just couldn't make any account changes.
Fast forward to today -- the app has logged me out (possibly due to an update?), and while it does now give me a "forgot password" option, after resetting it, I get the error message "unable to verify password." I even wrote it down to make sure I re-entered it correctly, but no luck. And that's where I am stuck -- completely locked out of my account. I am beyond frustrated. I use this to get money transfers from family, and I never had a single issue with clearxchange. Now with this forced switchover to Zelle, I can't do even the simplest task. Either fix the app or give us a website, because right now this is absolutely useless.

App Privacy

The developer, Early Warning Services, LLC, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy.

Data Linked to You

The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:

Financial Info
Location
Contact Info
Identifiers
Usage Data
Diagnostics

Data Not Linked to You

The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:

Diagnostics

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

Seller

Early Warning Services, LLC

Size

83.6 MB

Can I use Zelle without my bank app?

If your bank or credit union offers Zelle®, you may be able to use their online banking site to send and receive money without a mobile device. If your bank or credit union does not offer Zelle®, then you must have a smartphone in order to access the Zelle® app to send and receive money.

Can I use Zelle without bank card?

Consumers who download Zelle's standalone app must provide a phone number or email and debit card information to be able to receive and send funds. As long as you have a Visa or Mastercard debit card, you can download Zelle and use the application to send money.

What prepaid card works with Zelle?

Does Zelle accept prepaid cards? The answer to this question is no, as the platform will not accept the vast majority of prepaid cards. The only cards the platform can accept are those issued by banks in the Zelle network, which may be the Chase Liquid Card or the PNC Smart Access Card.

What do you need to set up a Zelle account?

To enroll with the Zelle® app, enter your basic contact information, an email address and U.S. mobile number, and a Visa® or Mastercard® debit card with a U.S. based account. We do not accept debit cards associated with international deposit accounts or any credit cards.