Venmo is an online payment service that is one of the most popular in the world. Its primary targets are friends and family who wish to split the bill among themselves. It is an American company founded in 2008 and acquired by the payment giant PayPal in 2012.
In the digital world, there are plenty of opportunities for scammers from around the globe to get money from uninformed consumers. Venmo has been a potential platform, among other online payment service platforms, for scammers to scam people of their money.
Due to the sheer popularity of Venmo, especially in the United States of America (USA), chances are that if you live in the States, you would have a Venmo account. Nowadays, every child has a mobile phone and their expenses. So a big question arises for parents and their teenagers- in this world of a cashless economy, can a child use Venmo?
What is the Venmo Age requirement?
According to Venmo’s terms of service or ToS, anyone who wants to use the platform and register there should be at least 18 years of age. Well, they do not specifically mean 18. Their terms of service say that to use Venmo’s services, you must be the age of majority in your state. Also, to use the platform, you need to be a resident of the United States of America to be able to register yourself on Venmo. Venmo is considered safe for older teens (18 and 19), but their parents should consider the risk associated with it.
Venmo has set a restriction on teenagers below the legal age throughout the United States (which is primarily 18) due for some excellent reasons.
Some other requirements to use Venmo are-
1) You must be present in the United States.
2) You must use a cell phone to send and receive text messages.
3) The Venmo app should be updated to 7.32.0 or newer.
What is the minimum age for Venmo?
To be able to use Venmo, you have to be a minimum of 18 years of age in the United States. While the digital transaction giant has been on a mission to make the economy cashless, it does not include children and teenagers under 18 to be able to use their services.
Venmo has set the minimum age requirement due to some reasons, which can be –
1) It goes against the mode of operation of Venmo.
2) They have made such a rule because Venmo identifies the risk of children and teenagers being more at risk from being scammed by adults on the platform.
3) Kids tend to buy stuff they barely like that catches their attention. Imagine the purchases they would make if they got their personal Venmo account.
Also Check:- How to add cash to Venmo Card at store step by step?
What is the Venmo card age requirement?
Venmo card is a popular feature that requires people to be at least 18 to use the feature, just like all the other services. But, nowadays, Venmo has been delving into including children and teenagers below the 18 years age bar in their system. This will be made possible by adults on Venmo creating an account for their kids and setting up a spending limit.
Now, kids can use the Venmo app and its services thanks to their new initiative. But Venmo has been late to the party of providing teenagers with their own online payments account. Several other apps, such as Greenlight, have already acquired the first-mover advantage.
Venmo student account age requirement?
Unlike all the other services of Venmo, to open up and effectively use a Venmo account, you must be at least 18 years old or above to be able to use the Venmo student account.
To open up a Venmo student account, you can use a Facebook account, email address, or valid phone number.
Also, through Venmo’s new feature, where parents can create an account or issue credit cards for their child and set up spending limits, students with a student account on Venmo will be able to spend money with a linked credit card.
Why Can’t Minors Use Venmo?
When it comes to allowing teens, Venmons hands are tied. It’s not like the app doesn’t want teens to use the app, but since the laws don’t permit it, they have got no other choice. In fact, you will be surprised to know that the laws for financial platforms like these are way too strict, and companies must oblige with these laws to operate.
Other than legal issues, there are other solid reasons for platforms like Venom prohibiting teens from using their applications.
First, the chances of a teen getting scammed are way too high. Although venom has implemented several policies to reduce the scam on its platform, it still isn’t down to zero.
Once the money is sent their no way of getting back the money. Considering the difficulty of the refund, Venmo has decided not to allow teens.
Furthermore, the financial choices of teens aren’t that reliable. Considering their curiosity to try out different things, they can easily spend a lot of money, leading to family chaos.
What is the Venmo credit card age requirement?
Venmo has an age restriction – you cannot use their services if you are less than 18. The age requirement for Venmo’s credit card is – you have to be at least 18 years old or above to avail of this service.
You need to have a US bank account to use a Venmo debit card and credit card. Also, you need to be a resident of the United States currently living in this country to use Venmo to be eligible for instant transfer.
Also, as per US law, to open an account at any bank or financial institute, be it digital or traditional, you must be at least 18 years old or older.
Therefore the minimum age requirement for a Venmo card is 18 years. However, you can use Venmo If your parents set up an account with spending limits for you.
Conclusion
Venmo prohibits minors from having a Venmo account because they comply with US laws that do not allow minors to possess any account in any bank or financial institution. In a nutshell, one has to be above 18 years of age and a resident of the United States to use Venmo’s services.
Although a new feature lets parents set up an account for their teenagers and set spending limits by linking their cards sot hat the teenagers are not left behind in the cashless, digital mode of transaction.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is there an age requirement for Venmo?
Venmo is an American company that operates in the United States itself. As per US law, no one under the age of 18 years can possess any account in any digital or traditional bank or financial institution. So, complying with their rules, Venmo has also set an age restriction. According to Venmo’s age restriction- no one under 18 can use Venmo.
Does Venmo have an age requirement?
As we have specified throughout this article. one has to be of 18 years age to use Venmo’s services. However, Venmo does have a new feature rolling up. Here, parents can exclusively set up accounts for their children, put a spending limit along with other things such as name, and link their bank account with their child’s Venmo account. This feature will be applicable for users who will be a resident of the United States currently living here too. This is because Venmo does not operate in countries outside the United States of America.
Can I set up Venmo for my child?
With Venmo’s newest service, a parent can set up an account for Venmo’s debit card service for their child. Here, parents can create spending accounts attached to a debit card for their teenage children, which provides them with money flexibility early on. At the same time, to avoid unnecessary spending by their child and create a dent in their parent’s pockets, parents can set up a spending limit on their child’s Venmo debit or credit card.
There are, however, some requirements for you to set up Venmo for your child-
- You must be a resident of the United States and currently residing here.
- Your age must be above 18 years.
- You and the child must possess a cell phone capable of sending and receiving text messages.
- You, as a parent or guardian of the child using Venmo services, should also have a Venmo account.
Can a 12-year-old have a Venmo account?
Since 12 is a very young age to understand money and how to spend wisely and a very immature age where the child can be scammed quite quickly, according to Venmo’s account age requirements, a 12-year-old cannot have a Venmo account whatsoever.
Can a 14-year-old have a Venmo account?
To have a Venmo account, specific criteria need to be fulfilled by the customer wanting to use it. One of them is that the user should be a minimum of 18 years of age. So, if you or your child is 14, they are not eligible to use Venmo.
Can a 15-year-old have a Venmo account?
No, a 15-year-old cannot possess a Venmo account or card since they do not meet the minimum age requirement of 18 to have a Venmo account and use its services. Also, they cannot lie about their age since a social security number is required for registering on Venmo.
Can a 16-year-old have a Venmo account?
A 16-year-old is ineligible to have a Venmo account because, according to US laws, a minor cannot have an account in any bank or financial institution. So, Venmo’s age restrictions are set up accordingly and prohibit a 16-year-old from opening a Venmo account.