Money Transfer Apps

Lately I have been playing around with various money transfer apps, so I figured I would share some thoughts on each one.  For the most part, they have the same basic features - send money, get money, and put it in your bank.  One important note - these apps mainly work with the concept of getting money from family/friends, some of these will charge a fee or have other requirements if you use it for business.

22 Feb 2022 Update: 

PayPal - This is a classic, not really going to focus on it - chances are you have heard of it.  It does have protections and customer service you can talk to, which are important.

Google Wallet - Another one that has been around for a while.  It gets the job done, and lately they added a feature that allows you to instantly put the money on your debit card without a fee.  So far, no other apps do that free - Square Cash can do it, for a fee.

22 Feb 2022 Update: Google Wallet is now GPay, you can still transfer to your bank for free but a faster withdraw to debit card now has a fee.

Venmo - This is actually owned by PayPal.  I really didn't notice any unique features that stood out, other than the social aspect.  When you pay or request money, you have to put in a note and by default that is a public comment.  If you get bored you can scroll through random payments and see some funny / awkward comments.

Square Cash ( also called Cash App ) - Based on my experiences with this company I do not recommend them.

22 Feb 2022 Update: Circle Pay is no longer in service.

Circle Pay - This application seems to have the normal functions, but does have a few that set it apart:

• Send money via US Dollars, British Pounds, or Euros.
• Earn $ via referrals

At the end of the day, most people are going to use whatever is considered popular among their social group - no point having a way to transfer money if there is no one to use it with!

If you decide to try Circle Pay, make sure you read my posts on how to get your referral money.