Venmo Phasing out Website Functionality, Push Users to the App

Venmo is sending out email notice that they are slowly phasing out the ability to pay or charge someone using the website, in a push to get users to do their transactions in the Venmo app. Sounds like transaction history will still be available on the web, but you’ll need the app for making actual payments.

NOTICE: Venmo is phasing out some of the functionality on the Venmo.com website over the coming months. We are beginning to remove the ability to pay and charge someone on Venmo.com. Over time, you may see less functionality on our website. We’ve updated our user agreement to reflect that the use of Venmo on the Venmo.com website may be limited.

If you want to pay, charge, and use other features, get the Venmo app from the App Store or Google Play.

Must be either a psychological gain for them in that you have the app on your phone, or else some sort of data mining strategy. I personally do as little as possible on mobile since computers are much more efficient. Alas, companies have their reasons for dictating how we should use their systems.

Hat tip to Lieroo on r/churning

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23 Comments
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avocado
avocado (@guest_630730)
August 18, 2018 00:48

It feels like they disabled my ability to pay and charge with a browser months ago.
Have you guys all had access this whole time D:?

gary
gary (@guest_630647)
August 17, 2018 18:13

Not a Venmo fan to begin with sqaure cash much better. This another reason why i dont use venmo

bax
bax (@guest_630657)
August 17, 2018 18:51

Does Square Cash work for making the 10-15 monthly debit purchases for rewards checking?

DOP
DOP (@guest_630756)
August 18, 2018 09:47

Depends what bank. Their minimum is $1, so do $1.xx transactions to be safe. That’s what I do with a rewards checking currently, in combination with other purchases and it works for me.

They are finicky with changes to what debit card you have linked, and you can only link 1 at a time. Just changing my debit card with them required several days to get resolved. They do allow you a second account that’s linked to your email btw.

PT
PT (@guest_630720)
August 18, 2018 00:03

There’s also google wallet now. In true google style, they have multiple web interfaces and multiple mobile interfaces. Maybe more I haven’t discovered. 🙂

iahphx
iahphx (@guest_630629)
August 17, 2018 17:11

I get the impression that no one under 30 owns a desktop computer (unless maybe they’re a gamer). 🙂 I don’t understand it. I travel with a small chromebook. and use a desktop at home. I use my phone only when those other options are impractical. My only regular mobile app use is google maps, for obvious reasons. I also use the airline apps on board for entertainment and such. But I guess my internet usage is mostly for information, while most folks are mostly doing social stuff.

Chucks
Chucks (@guest_630650)
August 17, 2018 18:18

Even with these larger screen and much faster phones and tablets it’s far faster to do most stuff from a laptop. The phone wins only when I need something that doesn’t justify booting up my laptop.

iahphx
iahphx (@guest_630691)
August 17, 2018 21:23

Also, when you use a phone, some businesses send you to a stripped down mobile site. Like the other day, I was at the Hertz counter and needed to put in my Hertz Rewards number. It is literally impossible to find that info on their mobile site. I had to find the hidden link to switch to the regular site to pull up my loyalty number. And there’s tons of things like this.

bax
bax (@guest_630697)
August 17, 2018 21:47

The mobile browser Brave has a Show Desktop Version mode.

david190810
david190810 (@guest_630620)
August 17, 2018 16:36

Don’t care. My account has been frozen for good.

rahul
rahul (@guest_630619)
August 17, 2018 16:36

Venmo is useless now right? since Amex prepaid debit cards cannot be liquidated?

Ann
Ann (@guest_630630)
August 17, 2018 17:13

Not useless just because you can’t do that one thing with it. I think some people have used it to meet direct deposit requirements for some banks. And of course its intended purpose of sending other people money.

Ann
Ann (@guest_630618)
August 17, 2018 16:34

That’s disappointing. Even Robinhood, app-only for years, finally came out with a web-based version earlier this year. Now Venmo is going backwards. Because of Google’s restrictions on how I can use the should-still-be-plenty-of space on my cheap smartphone, I can’t install more apps without removing something (I don’t have very many to begin with). Sigh.

John
John (@guest_630610)
August 17, 2018 15:46

Just phase out Venmo. Its worthless now and essentially operates like PayPal now anyway who owns it as well. Why make a service less functional?

L
L (@guest_630594)
August 17, 2018 15:12

Venmo looks worse and worse compared to Square Cash every day

Mike
Mike (@guest_630590)
August 17, 2018 14:59

Hard to get anything done on a cell phone screen. Phone’s battery doesn’t last long enough to do all these tasks.