Zelle® FAQs - Security, Sending, & Receiving Money

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Frequently Asked Questions

Expand all panelsShow All panels | Hide All panelsGeneral FAQs about Zelle® Expand all panelsShow All panels | Hide All panelsWhat is Zelle®? Zelle® is a fast and easy way to send and receive money with friends, family or others in minutes,adatext between domestic bank accounts at U.S. financial institutions. Using just their U.S. mobile number, email address or tag, you can send money directly to their bank account right from yours with no fees using the Bank of America mobile app or Online Banking.Learn more about Zelle® for individualsLearn more about Zelle® for eligible businessesHow much does it cost to use Zelle®? There’s no fee to send or receive money with Zelle® using our mobile app or Online Banking. View your Deposit Agreement and Personal Schedule of Fees for general information on fees related to your deposit accounts.Does Bank of America or Zelle® offer purchase protection? Neither Bank of America nor Zelle® offer purchase protection for payments made with Zelle®. Treat Zelle® payments like cash, once you send the money, you’re unlikely to get it back. For example, if you don’t receive the item you paid for using Zelle® or the item you received is not as described, you’re unlikely to get your money back.How do I receive money with Zelle®? To receive money with Zelle®, you’ll need to enroll your U.S. mobile number or email address (the sender needs to use the specific U.S. mobile number or email address that you enrolled). Note that only U.S. mobile numbers are eligible. Voice over IP (VOIP), landlines and Google voice numbers are not eligible for Zelle® enrollment.Not a Bank of America customer? You can still receive money using Zelle®. Visit the Zelle® enrollment page and follow the instructions.View our guided demo for more information on enrollment.How do I know money was sent to me? If you’re enrolled with Zelle®: In addition to receiving an email or text from Bank of America alerting you that you’ve received money, you can view incoming and outgoing Zelle® payments in your Zelle® Activity.If you're not enrolled with Zelle®: You’ll receive an email or text from Zelle® with instructions on how to enroll to receive your money.See how to enroll with Zelle® for individualsSee how to enroll with Zelle® for eligible businessesI never received my authorization code when I enrolled my U.S. mobile number or email address. What should I do? If you were expecting to receive an authorization code via email, make sure you entered your email address correctly, check your spam folder and make sure you’re not blocking emails from [email protected] you were expecting to receive an authorization code via text and didn’t, make sure you: used a U.S. mobile number, you entered it correctly, and check with your mobile carrier that the short code 739-81 and 992-17 is enabled. Voice over IP (VOIP), landlines and Google voice numbers are not eligible for Zelle® enrollment.Please note that we will never call you to provide you with (or ask you for) an authorization code by phone. If you received a phone call telling you you’ve received a code, it is very likely a scammer trying to obtain access to your account. Learn more about account security and how to protect yourself from scamsHow do I send money with Zelle®? To send money with Zelle®, if you know that your recipient is enrolled with Zelle®, ask them to confirm the U.S. mobile number, email address or tag they want to receive money. Then, to send money:

• Log in to the mobile app or Online Banking and find Pay & Transfer
• Choose Zelle® and select Pay
• Choose who you want to pay from your contacts or search for a recipient in the Add/search name, tag, contact field
• You can send one-time immediate, one-time future-dated, or recurring payments. To set up a recurring payment series with Zelle®, select the Make payment recurring toggle. You can also use the calendar function on the Choose a payment date screen to schedule a one-time future-dated payment
• Before you send the payment, check the first/last or business name in the Enrolled with Zelle® as field to verify your recipient is correct

You can also send money with Zelle® by asking Erica® in the How can we help? section of the mobile app or with the mobile widget.Once you send money, both you and your recipient will be notified. Send money nowHow do I add a new recipient so I can send them money? The easiest way to add a new recipient is while you’re sending them money.

• Log in to the mobile app or Online Banking and find Pay & Transfer
• Choose Zelle® and select Pay
• Choose who you want to pay from your contacts or search for a recipient in the Add/search name, tag, contact field
• Before you send the payment, check the first/last or business name in the Enrolled with Zelle® as field to verify your recipient is correct

Are there limits on how much money I can send? For your security, we restrict the number of transactions and the dollar amount you can send to recipients in any rolling 24-hour, 7-day and 30-day period. There may be additional restrictions based on your Zelle history and/or your recipient. If you have a personal account and a small business account, make sure you’re logged in using your small business User ID for the small business limits to apply. Read more about Zelle® limitsHow do I send and receive money with a Zelle® QR code? To send money using a QR code, tap the QR code icon next to Pay and Request to open your device's camera. Scan your recipient's QR code to easily get the contact information without having to manually enter it. From Pay or Request, select My QR Code and then select your preferred contact method.To receive money with your Zelle® QR code, print or share your QR code. Find it by logging in to the mobile app, tapping Pay & Transfer, then Zelle®, tap on the QR Code icon next to Pay and Request. Select My QR Code and then your preferred contact method.How quickly does the money get sent with Zelle®? If your recipient is enrolled with Zelle®, money is typically available within minutes. However, there are circumstances when the payment may take longer. For example, if your recipient isn’t enrolled, they will need to enroll to receive their money. Once they enroll, money is typically available in their account in minutes. Note that once you initiate your payment, money will be deducted from your available balance and placed on hold until the recipient enrolls. If your recipient does not enroll within 14 days of when the money is sent, the money is released back to your account, and the transaction is cancelled.See the Why is my outgoing Zelle® payment pending? question for more information.How do I request money or split money with Zelle®? This feature is only available in the mobile app. You can request money from one or more recipients in the mobile app by navigating to Request within Zelle®. To split the bill, add up to 10 recipients to the request by selecting Add Recipient. The request will automatically split the total amount, and you have the option to include your portion in the calculation or change the amounts for each recipient.Outstanding payment requests that you’ve sent can be canceled and will automatically expire after 14 days. Outstanding payment requests will be visible in Payment Activity under Action Needed, while expired, completed, or canceled payment requests will be visible under History.How do I view my Zelle® activity? You can see incoming and outgoing Zelle® payments (both pending and completed) in Activity. You can also ask Erica® on our mobile app to view your Zelle® activity. To view older transactions, check your account details.Why is my incoming Zelle® payment in a pending review status? In some cases, Bank of America may place an incoming Zelle® payment on hold for further review. While these reviews are happening, the hold cannot be removed. Check your alerts in Message Center to see if action is required. Once a decision has been made, the payment will complete automatically or it will fail, and the money will be deposited into your account or back into the sender's account, as applicable.Why is my outgoing Zelle® payment pending? Sending money with Zelle® typically occurs in minutes. However, there are circumstances when the payment may take longer.Payment status is Pending acceptance: If your recipient has not enrolled with Zelle®, they must enroll using the same email address or U.S. mobile number where you sent money. Once they enroll, the payment will be processed normally. You can cancel the payment while the payment is in pending status, and the payment will automatically be canceled if the recipient doesn’t enroll after 14 days.Payment status is Pending review: In some cases, Bank of America may place a payment on hold for further review. While these reviews are happening, the payment cannot be canceled. Check your alerts in Message Center to see if action is required. Once a decision has been made, the payment will complete automatically or will fail, and the money will be deposited back in your account or the sender’s account.Payment status is Paid: In some cases, your recipient’s financial institution may cause a payment to be delayed. The payment cannot be canceled while it’s processing. Your recipient can reach out to their financial institution for a status update.​Why did my outgoing Zelle® payment fail or get canceled? Your payment may fail and/or your scheduled payments may be canceled for these reasons:

• The payment account is closed, doesn’t have available funds or is ineligible to use Zelle®
• The recipient is deleted or has an invalid account number, email address or mobile number​
• Security reasons or your payment otherwise can’t be processed​
• The applicable daily, weekly, or monthly transfer ($ or frequency) limit exceeded

Can I cancel a Zelle® payment once it’s been sent? You can only cancel pending payments to recipients not yet enrolled with Zelle®. You can see incoming and outgoing Zelle® payments (both pending and completed) in Payment Activity. Any Zelle® payment already sent to a registered recipient cannot be canceled.What do I do if my recipient didn’t receive the funds I sent with Zelle®? Sending money with Zelle® typically occurs in minutes. However, there are cases where the payment may not be immediate. See the Why is my outgoing Zelle® payment pending? question for more information.If the payment has been sent but your recipient has still not received the money, verify that the U.S. mobile number, email address or tag you used to send money matches your recipient’s U.S. mobile number, email address or tag with Zelle®. You can only cancel pending payments to recipients not yet enrolled with Zelle®. Any Zelle® payment already sent to a registered recipient cannot be canceled.What happens if the contact information I enter for my recipient is wrong? Any Zelle® payment already sent to a registered recipient cannot be canceled. Make sure you check your recipient’s contact information before you send money by looking for the registered recipient’s first/last or business name in the Enrolled with Zelle® as field. Treat Zelle® payments like cash – once you send the money, you’re unlikely to get it back.Can I use Zelle® at Bank of America if I already use Zelle® at another bank? You can use Zelle® with multiple banks, but you must have a different U.S. mobile number or email address linked to each account you enroll with Zelle®. If you try to use the same U.S. mobile number or email address to enroll with Zelle® at multiple banks, you’ll receive an error message.Is there a difference between Zelle® in Mobile Banking and Online Banking? Yes. While you can enroll, send, receive and view your Zelle® activity in both Online Banking and our mobile app, the app allows you to access more advanced features like request money from one or more recipients, send money scanning someone else’s QR code or receive money using your QR code and customize Zelle® access using the mobile widget.How can I protect myself against scams? Visit our Security Center to learn more about scams.We’ll never call and ask you to send money using Zelle® to yourself or anyone nor will we contact you via phone or text to ask for a security code. If someone unfamiliar to you does this, it's likely a scam.How can I change the deposit account I use to send, receive and request money with Zelle®? When you enroll your email address or U.S. mobile number with Zelle®, you must link an eligible deposit account that will be used to receive money. You can change this account at any time in your Zelle® settings. If you want to receive money using multiple deposit accounts, you can register up to 5 different email addresses or U.S. mobile numbers and link each one to a different deposit account.You can send money using Zelle® from any eligible deposit account. When you send a payment, you’ll be able to select the deposit account. The deposit account you choose will become the default the next time you make a payment, but you have the option to change it each time.How can I deactivate Zelle®? If you no longer wish to send, receive or request money with Zelle®, delete all your U.S. mobile numbers, email addresses or tags in Zelle® settings so they can’t be used. You won’t be able to use Zelle® again unless you register an U.S. mobile number, email address or tag.What phone numbers are eligible to be enrolled Zelle®? You can only enroll authenticated U.S. (or U.S. territory) mobile numbers that belong to you. Voice over IP (VOIP), landlines, Google Voice numbers, 1-800 numbers and international numbers are not eligible for Zelle® enrollment.How can I change where I receive email or text alerts about Zelle®? When you enroll a U.S. mobile number or email address with Zelle®, you’ll automatically receive alerts to the contact information you’ve registered. You can change your alert settings, including the primary contact where alerts are delivered, by going to Contact Info in Settings on your mobile app or by selecting Alerts in the Accounts section in Online Banking.How does Zelle® protect my account information? When you use Zelle® your recipients won’t see your account number, and you won’t see theirs. Your recipient will only see your name or business name and U.S. mobile number, email address or tag enrolled with Zelle®.Visit our Security Center to learn more about account security.What is the difference in the types of recipients in my recipient list? In your recipient list, you’ll see Zelle® recipients and recipients you’ve previously set up using their Bank of America account. The purple Z logo on your recipient indicates they’re a Zelle® recipient enrolled with an U.S. mobile number, email address or tag. A Bank of America logo on your recipient indicates that you’ve set up the recipient with their Bank of America account, and any payments you choose to send to this recipient will be sent as an internal transfers instead of Zelle®.Can I set up a one-time future dated payment or recurring payment series with Zelle®? Yes, you can use Zelle® to set up a one-time future dated payment or recurring payment series. As you’re scheduling the Zelle® payment, select the Make payment recurring toggle to set up recurring payments. Or, use the calendar function on the Choose a payment date screen to schedule a one-time payment for a future date.See the How do I send money with Zelle®? question for more information.How can I edit or cancel a future dated or recurring payment series? You can edit or cancel a one-time future dated payment or recurring payment series any time until 11:59 p.m. ET the day before its scheduled payment date by going to Payment Activity under Scheduled. You can cancel a single payment within a recurring payment series or cancel the entire series. However, you can’t edit a single payment within a series.How do I find my upcoming scheduled payments? Find your upcoming payments in the Scheduled section within Payment Activity in Online Banking or the mobile app. On the day of the scheduled payment, it will move to Processing, then to History once it’s complete.How will I receive communications about my scheduled payments? We’ll email you at your primary email address for communications related to scheduled payments. You’ll receive email confirmations when you schedule a payment or recurring payment series, reminders about upcoming payments, and notifications if a payment fails or is canceled. Make sure your contact information kept up to date including your primary email address. To review or update your info, go to Contact Info in Settings. You can manage certain payment reminders in Alert Settings.How will Zelle® scheduled or recurring payments appear on my statement? You’ll see “Zelle® Scheduled payment” or “Zelle® Recurring payment” on your statement to differentiate from one-time immediate payments.What if I want to send money to someone whose bank or credit union doesn't offer Zelle®? As of March 31, 2025, all users must be enrolled through one of the more than 2,200 banks and credit unions that offer Zelle® in order to send and receive money. You can find a full list of participating banks and credit unions live with Zelle® at Zellepay.com. If their bank or credit union is not listed, we recommend you use another payment method at this time.What can consumers do with a Zelle® Tag? Currently, only small business customers can create a Zelle® tag. Consumer customers can send to, or request and receive money from, a Zelle® tag.Make sure the Zelle® tag is entered correctly, and confirm the recipient is accurate by reviewing the contact name that is displayed before sending money.FAQs about Zelle® for eligible small business users Expand all panelsShow All panels | Hide All panelsCan I use Zelle® with my eligible small business account? Yes. You can send, request or receive payments between eligible domestic bank accounts at U.S. financial institutions that offer Zelle®. To get started, log in to Online Banking or our mobile app and select Begin Setup. Enter your U.S. mobile number, email address or tag, receive and enter a one-time verification code, accept the terms and conditions and you're ready to start sending and receiving with Zelle® for your small business.I already use Zelle® through my personal bank account. How do I enroll to use Zelle® with my small business bank account? To get started, log in to Online Banking or the mobile app. To enroll a small business bank account with Zelle®, you must use a different U.S. mobile number or email address than the one you used to enroll your personal bank account with Zelle® or create a Zelle® tag.Can I use the same U.S. mobile number or email address for both my personal and small business account? No, the same U.S. mobile number or email address cannot be used for multiple accounts. Payments sent to one number or one email address can only go to one bank account. Use a different U.S. mobile number or email address to enroll a different account.Are the transaction limits different for small business Zelle® users than they are for personal users? Yes. For your security, we restrict the number of transactions and the dollar amount you can send to recipients in any 24-hour, 7-day and 30-day period. There may be additional restrictions based on your Zelle history and/or your recipient. If you have both accounts, make sure you’re logged in with your small business User ID for small business limits. Read more about Zelle® limitsWho can I send or receive payments to when I have an eligible small business checking or savings account? You can send or receive payments with other eligible small businesses or consumers when their bank offers Zelle® for their account type. The recipient must be enrolled with Zelle® with a linked domestic deposit account at a U.S. financial institution.How do I send and receive money with a Zelle® QR code? To send money using a QR code, tap the QR code icon next to Pay and Request to open your device’s camera. Scan your recipient’s QR code to easily get the contact information without having to manually enter it. From Pay or Request, select My QR Code and then your preferred contact method.To receive money with your Zelle® QR code, print or share your QR code. Find it by logging in to the mobile app, tapping Pay & Transfer, then Zelle®, tap on the QR Code icon next to Pay and Request. Select My QR Code and then your preferred contact method.How do I receive payments in a small business checking or savings account with Zelle®? First, you should enroll your email address or U.S. mobile number with Zelle® or create a Zelle® tag through Online Banking or the mobile app and associate it with your small business account. Second, share your enrolled U.S. mobile number, email address or tag with your customers and ask them to send you payments with Zelle® right from their app. After your customer sends you payments with Zelle®, you’ll receive them directly into your enrolled bank account and receive a notification.How do I request payments from clients using Zelle®? You can request payments directly through our app by tapping Pay & Transfer, selecting Request, entering your customer’s U.S. mobile number, email address or tag, confirming the recipient is correct, and tapping Request. Note: If your customer is not already enrolled with Zelle®, you must send your Request to an email address. A request for payment cannot be sent to an unregistered U.S. mobile number.Once your customer is enrolled, they’ll be able to pay you with Zelle®. You’ll receive a payment notification once your customer has sent your payment in response to your request.How do I tell my customers that they can pay me with Zelle®? Here are a few ways you can encourage your customers to pay your small business with Zelle®:

• Print or share your QR code with your customer. Find it by logging in to the mobile app, tapping Pay & Transfer, then Zelle®, then Settings. Select your preferred contact method, then tap QR code.​
• >Tell customers verbally that you accept payments with Zelle® and that they can easily send you payments right from their banking app or the Zelle® app.
• >Add “I accept payments with Zelle®” on your invoice and include the email address and/or U.S. mobile number you wish them to use to send their payment.
• >Use Zelle® to request paymentsadatext from your customers (which will send them a notification telling them you’ve requested payment with Zelle®).

If I use Zelle® for my small business, will Zelle® integrate with account software? No, Zelle® does not currently integrate directly with accounting software. However, since Zelle® is connected to your small business account, you’re able to see all Zelle® transactions in your transaction history by logging into Online Banking or the mobile app. You can also add your small business Zelle® QR Code or Zelle® tag to your existing digital or printed invoice.What's a Zelle® Tag? It is a unique ID for your small business account that makes it easy for customers to recognize you and can be used to send, receive, or request money instead of your U.S. mobile number or email address.Can I have multiple Zelle® Tags? Yes, you can have up to 5 U.S. mobile numbers, email addresses and Zelle® tags in combination.How do I create a Zelle® Tag and can I customize it? You can create a Zelle® tag in mobile or online banking. If you are not already enrolled in Zelle®, you can create a Zelle® tag when you enroll for the first time. If you already use Zelle®, you can create, customize, and edit your tag by going to Zelle® settings.What's a contact method for a Zelle® Tag? A contact method for a Zelle® tag is a required U.S. mobile number that will be used for authentication when you are creating your Zelle® tag.How do I send and receive money with a Zelle® Tag? A Zelle® tag is no different than your enrolled email address or U.S. mobile number. It lets you send and receive money just like your email address and U.S. mobile number without sharing your contact info.How do I add a U.S. mobile number required to authenticate a Zelle® Tags? Add a U.S. mobile number to your contact info by logging into Online Banking and clicking Profile & Settings then Your Contact Info.Note: You must come back to Zelle® settings to finish creating a tag, as we don't do it automatically.What are best practices for creating a Zelle® Tag? A best practice is to match or closely align your Zelle® tag to your business name, while making it as easy as possible for your customers to enter.A Zelle® tag can be 6 to 40 characters. You can use letters, numbers and hyphens, but no other special characters or spaces. Zelle® tags aren't case sensitive.Do not use personal names, expletives, or indecent or offensive language in your tag. Once you choose a Zelle® tag, you'll submit it to check its availability. If the Zelle® tag you requested is unavailable, you can choose to create another tag.