The Zelle App Is Being Discontinued: Here's What That Means For You
If you've picked up your phone looking to transfer funds to a friend or business acquaintance using the Zelle app lately, you probably noticed you were not able to do so. That's because the Zelle app is not currently functional, and it's not likely not going to be up and running anytime soon, as the company has officially shut it down. The shutdown of the standalone Zelle app went into effect on April 1, 2025.
As it is, the downfall of the free to use money transfer app shouldn't have come as any particular surprise to those who've been watching the news. After all, Zelle announced its plans to kill its free app back in October 2024. Despite what some may believe, the move was indeed made prior to the 2024 lawsuit filed against the company by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. That suit alleged that Zelle's parent company JPMorgan Chase and other financial institutions had skipped certain safety measures needed to protect users from scammers using phony accounts.
The case against Zelle has been dropped as of March 5, 2025. Given the timeline of the suit and app announcement, it's probable the two events had little to do with each other. According to Zelle bosses, the app met its end in large part because not many people have been using it since its 2017 launch. Whatever the case may be, there are some things Zelle users might need to consider now that the app is dead.
Zelle is still working for many financial institutions
As far as the end of the free Zelle app is concerned, the company claims to have sent messages to its user base well ahead of the April 1, 2025, shut down. According to Zelle itself, the number of messages it sent to users was not particularly large, as it reportedly made the move to kill the app because only about 2% of its transactions were actually occurring through there.
In and of itself, those numbers may not be particularly unexpected, given that Zelle is also offered for free as an online and in-app service through any number of major financial institutions. The number of banks that offer free Zelle transfers has changed dramatically since the service launched, ballooning from about 60 to more than 2,200. Zelle claims its users have moved close to half a trillion dollars over the years, and if you're among the many who use Zelle through your financial institution, you'll be happy to know that you will most likely continue to be able to do so moving forward.
Yes, even as the standalone Zelle app is no more, the service will remain available and free for users through most financial institutions and via several of the best mobile banking apps. You will, however, need to confirm that the service is free to use, as some institutions may charge a fee to broker the transfer. But if you don't have access to Zelle through your bank, there are still plenty of options available to you for money transfer.
There are multiple other payment apps available to you
If you're not a user of Zelle, and do not have access to the service through your financial institution or its app, there are still several options available for sending or receiving money via mobile device. We are, after all, living in the digital age, meaning more and more people are choosing to conduct their business via mobile device. But it can be difficult to discern which of the many money-moving apps out there might best suit your needs.
Among the better known options currently available to users are Venmo and CashApp. While the two apps are similar at a surface level comparison, they are focused on slightly different aspects of financial need, with the former making it easy to move money for transactions over social apps, and the latter offering more usage in moving money for investments. However, both apps charge a 3% fee when for transactions conducted via credit card instead of directly through a credit or bank account, and may charge other fees for additional services.
Apart from those major money-moving apps, you can also utilize the likes of PayPal, or even trusty old Western Union to move money. There are also lesser-known apps you might consider, with options like Remitly being the go-to for many who need to transfer funds internationally. Whichever financial app you are looking at, you'll want to be sure to properly vet it to ensure you are using the safest method possible to move money digitally, as there are scams aplenty to be wary of in this day and age.