Venmo
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Venmo does
Venmo is a consumer-facing peer-to-peer mobile payment platform owned by PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: PYPL), serving approximately 100 million active accounts in the United States, with a primary user base of Gen Z and Millennial consumers aged 18-40 who use the app to split bills, share expenses, and transfer money. The product was founded in 2009, acquired by Braintree in 2012 and by PayPal in 2013, and is now operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary from PayPal's San Jose headquarters. Beyond P2P transfers, Venmo has expanded into adjacent product lines including the Venmo Debit Card (issued by The Bancorp Bank via Mastercard), Venmo Credit Card (issued by Synchrony Bank via Visa), Venmo Teen Debit Card, college-branded debit cards, in-app cryptocurrency trading via PayPal Digital and Paxos Trust Company, and the PYUSD stablecoin.
The platform's core technology is a mobile-first (iOS/Android) social payment application with a public/friends transaction feed, QR-code-based in-person payments, business profile merchant tools, and direct deposit functionality. Technical differentiation rests on a social network layer (transaction feed and reactions) that drives virality, integration with PayPal's payment rails and the PayPal World interoperability platform for cross-border transfers across 90 markets, biometric identity verification partnerships (Verifone), and an ad-tech layer (PayPal Ads ID) using Venmo transaction data. Compliance is anchored in PayPal's money transmission licenses (NMLS ID: 910457), a New York State limited purpose trust company charter for crypto (NMLS ID: 2610315), and FDIC pass-through insurance through Program Banks on stored funds.
Venmo's business model is freemium on the consumer side — P2P transfers using Venmo balance, debit, or bank are free, while credit card funding incurs a 3% fee and instant transfers carry a transaction fee — and transaction-fee based on the merchant and product side, charging merchants 2.99% per transaction, earning interchange on Venmo-branded card spend, collecting spreads on crypto trades, and generating fees through new products including Venmo Stash cash-back rewards (up to 5% at select merchants), rent payments via Bilt, wedding registry payments via The Knot, and gift card gifting. Go-to-market is product-led, with distribution amplified by channel partnerships (Newegg, Hallmark, TikTok Shop, Sephora, Ulta, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut), PayPal parent leverage, college sports partnerships (Big Ten, Big 12), and cultural brand campaigns targeting younger demographics. In April 2026, PayPal reorganized into three reporting segments (PayPal, Venmo, Braintree) under incoming CEO Enrique Lores, with Venmo operating as a standalone segment and analyst break-up valuations near $5 billion amid reported acquisition interest from Stripe.
Venmo firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Venmo
- Legal name
- Venmo is a service of PayPal, Inc.
- Website
- https://venmo.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Venmo industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mobile Peer-to-Peer Payments
- NAICS
- Credit Card Issuing (522210)
- SIC
- Finance Services (6199), Personal Credit Institutions (6141)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Payments & Money Movement (ACH/SEPA/FPS, Bill Pay, P2P) (FSAGAAAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- QR Code Payments Wallets (FSAMAEAC), Crypto Payments & Stablecoin Settlement Platforms (BPAMAFAL)
Keywords
Where Venmo is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Venmo business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Merchant/Seller Transaction Fees: Venmo charges merchants 2.99% per transaction when customers pay using Venmo. This is the primary revenue stream from business customers.
- Credit Card Interchange: Revenue generated from credit card transactions made with the Venmo Credit Card, earning interchange fees on each purchase
- Instant Transfer Fees: Fee charged for instant bank transfers when users want immediate access to their Venmo balance rather than waiting for standard processing
- Cryptocurrency Trading Spreads: Revenue from the spread between buy and sell prices when users trade cryptocurrency through the Venmo app
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Personal Transfers |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Credit Card Funding Fee |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Merchant Transaction Fee |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Instant Transfer |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Cryptocurrency Trading |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels3 records
Venmo product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Venmo operates a mobile-first social peer-to-peer payment application that allows individuals to send and receive money, split bills, and share payment experiences through a public social feed. It extends beyond P2P into Venmo Debit and Credit Cards with cashback rewards, in-app cryptocurrency trading, merchant Business Profiles with Purchase Protection, Venmo Stash rewards, direct deposit, QR-code in-store payments, digital gift cards, and international transfers via PayPal's network.
Product overview
Venmo is a social peer-to-peer payment platform owned by PayPal, serving as a unified app with multiple integrated modules. The core product enables P2P money transfers with social feed features, supplemented by the Venmo Debit Card and Venmo Credit Card for spending and earning cash back. The platform has expanded into cryptocurrency services (buy/sell/hold via PayPal Digital/Paxos), merchant payments (Business Profile with Purchase Protection), gift sending (digital gift cards and Hallmark integration), and rewards (Venmo Stash offering up to 5% cash back). Recent expansions include international money transfers via PayPal's global network (90 markets), rent payments through Bilt partnership, and wedding registry integration via The Knot. The product ecosystem positions Venmo as a comprehensive money movement platform evolving beyond traditional P2P payments.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Venmo Debit Card: Debit card allowing instant spending with Venmo balance, earning up to 5% cash back at select brands
- Venmo Credit Card
- Venmo Teen Debit Card
- Venmo Stash
- Venmo Business Profile
- PayPal World
Products and services
- Venmo P2P Payment App Core mobile peer-to-peer payment application for individual consumers enabling them to send and receive money, split bills, and share payment experiences with friends through a social feed with reactions and comments.
- Venmo Debit Card Mastercard-branded debit card issued by The Bancorp Bank that allows instant spending from a Venmo balance with up to 5% cash back at select brands, no monthly fee, and 24/7 fraud monitoring.
- Venmo Credit Card Visa-branded credit card issued by Synchrony Bank offering up to 3% cash back on eligible purchases with no annual fee, no limit on cash back earnings, and optional automatic purchase of cryptocurrency using cash back rewards.
- Venmo Teen Debit Card Debit card designed for teenage users with parental controls and spending monitoring capabilities, linked to a parent-managed Venmo account.
- Venmo Business Profile Business-oriented profile enabling merchants to accept Venmo payments online and in-store, with lower seller transaction fees, Purchase Protection coverage, profile customization, and Tap to Pay functionality.
- Venmo Cryptocurrency Services In-app cryptocurrency platform enabling users to buy, sell, hold, and transfer Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, and PayPal USD (PYUSD) starting at $1, with services provided by PayPal Digital, Inc. (a New York limited purpose trust company) and custody by Paxos Trust Company.
Quantifiable outcome
- Transaction volume of approximately $270 billion annually
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Venmo
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Venmo technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
Feature5 records
Venmo partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- The Knot WorldwidecoreIntegration with The Knot's Wedding Registry allowing couples to receive gift payments through Venmo. Guests can contribute to wedding funds and gift registries using Venmo, bringing the social payment platform into the wedding gifting ecosystem.
- BiltcorePartnership enabling Bilt members to pay rent and mortgage payments through Venmo. This partnership allows renters to earn rewards points on their largest monthly expense and use Venmo as the payment delivery mechanism.
- NeweggcoreVenmo added as a payment option at checkout for Newegg customers. This e-commerce partnership enables Venmo users to purchase electronics and tech products using their Venmo balance or linked payment methods.
- PerplexityminorPartnership for AI browser offering, integrating Venmo as a payment option within the Perplexity AI search experience for relevant commerce transactions.
- HallmarkcoreGreeting cards with Venmo payment integration, allowing Hallmark card buyers to include Venmo as a payment option for gifts and monetary gifting occasions.
- VerifonecorePartnership for in-person payments identity verification and authentication, enabling secure Venmo transactions at Verifone-enabled point-of-sale terminals.
- PayPal WorldcoreInteroperability platform connecting Venmo with PayPal's broader payment ecosystem and merchant network, enabling cross-platform payments and transfers between Venmo and PayPal accounts.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights8 records
Venmo competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Zelle: Zelle is a bank-owned US P2P payments network integrated into the mobile apps of major US banks and credit unions. It competes head-to-head with Venmo for person-to-person transfers among US consumers, particularly for bank-funded transfers that avoid card fees.
- Cash App (Block): Block's Cash App is the closest direct competitor to Venmo, offering P2P payments, a debit card with cashback, in-app Bitcoin trading, and a social/social-feed experience targeted at the same Gen Z and Millennial US consumer base. Both monetize via interchange, instant transfer fees, and crypto spreads.
Broad incumbents
- PayPal: PayPal is Venmo's parent company and a broader digital wallet and online checkout platform serving both consumers and merchants globally. PayPal and Venmo increasingly overlap in merchant checkout, crypto, and consumer payments, making PayPal both a distribution partner and a partial substitute.
- Apple Pay: Apple Pay is a broad mobile wallet built into iOS with native in-store contactless payments, in-app/web checkout, and the Apple Card and Apple Cash products. It competes with Venmo in-store via QR/contactless and overlaps on P2P through Apple Cash, while benefiting from iOS default placement.
- Google Pay: Google Pay is a broad Android-native digital wallet offering contactless in-store payments, online checkout, and P2P transfers in the US and India. It overlaps with Venmo on P2P and in-store/online payments and competes for the same Android consumer base.
- Meta Pay: Meta Pay (formerly Facebook Pay) is Meta's cross-platform payments service supporting P2P, in-app, and checkout across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. It competes with Venmo on social-context P2P and merchant checkout, leveraging Meta's social graph as a distribution channel.
- Samsung Wallet: Samsung Wallet (combining Samsung Pay and Samsung Pass) is a mobile wallet preinstalled on Galaxy devices supporting contactless payments, transit, digital IDs, and stored cards. It competes with Venmo in-store and on stored-value/mobile payment experiences, especially among Android users.
Emerging players
- Revolut: Revolut is a UK-headquartered consumer fintech offering multi-currency accounts, P2P, cards, and crypto. It is an emerging competitor as Venmo expands internationally via PayPal's global network, and overlaps on debit card cashback, crypto trading, and cross-border money movement.
- Wise: Wise (formerly TransferWise) is a UK-based cross-border money movement platform offering multi-currency accounts and low-cost international transfers. It is a relevant emerging peer as Venmo pushes into cross-border P2P via the 2026 PayPal global network integration across 90 markets.
- Robinhood: Robinhood is a US consumer fintech offering a debit card with cashback, in-app crypto trading, and a social/community experience that overlaps with Venmo's Gen Z audience. Both monetize interchange, crypto spreads, and cash management features for younger US consumers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat7 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Venmo social profiles
Digital presenceVenmo compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Venmo financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Venmo leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Venmo funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors7 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Venmo M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments2 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Venmo
What does Venmo do?
Venmo operates a mobile-first social peer-to-peer payment application that allows individuals to send and receive money, split bills, and share payment experiences through a public social feed. It extends beyond P2P into Venmo Debit and Credit Cards with cashback rewards, in-app cryptocurrency trading, merchant Business Profiles with Purchase Protection, Venmo Stash rewards, direct deposit, QR-code in-store payments, digital gift cards, and international transfers via PayPal's network.
Is Venmo a public or private company?
Venmo is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Venmo founded?
Venmo was founded in 2009. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Venmo based?
Venmo is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Venmo make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Merchant/Seller Transaction Fees are the primary driver. The others are credit Card Interchange, instant Transfer Fees and cryptocurrency Trading Spreads.
Who are Venmo's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Zelle and Cash App (Block). Broad incumbents are PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Meta Pay and Samsung Wallet. Emerging players are Revolut, Wise and Robinhood.
Does Venmo have an API?
No public API is recorded for Venmo.
What industry is Venmo in?
Venmo's product category is Mobile Peer-to-Peer Payments. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAGAAAF, Digital Payments & Money Movement (ACH/SEPA/FPS, Bill Pay, P2P), with a secondary code of FSAMAEAC, QR Code Payments Wallets. Its NAICS code is 522210 and its SIC code is 6199.