Have you ever wondered as to what are the best mobile payment apps? This post will address this and more.
Cash used to be king when it came to splitting payments on a night out and other small payments. But nowadays they are various mobile payment apps that one can use.
It is only a matter of time before these apps completely replace cash as a mode of payment and sharing bills.
These payment apps have made paying for most things like sharing rent very easy indeed.
I know we have all been in situations where we have struggled to sort out the sharing of bills on a night out.
Such situations are now a thing of the past with the introduction of these apps.
It just requires you to have a smartphone that almost every one of us has nowadays.
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Best mobile payment apps
Below are some of these payment apps that have made life easy for everyone.
1. PayPal
One cannot discuss online payment without mentioning PayPal.
Since its birth in the 1990s, PayPal has revolutionized the world of online payments.
It is one of the most trusted payment apps in the world. PayPal payment apps can work on both Android and iOS phones.
There are currently no limits on the money you can send if your account is verified. You can send up to $60,000.
However, you cannot pay more than $10,000 per transaction.
PayPal allows people to send money from US bank accounts for free. The only time you are charged is when you pay using a credit card.
In that case, you are charged a fee of 2.9 percent plus a fixed fee.
2. Google Pay
Google appears to have branched out into several areas beyond just its search engine.
One of those areas is online payments where Google has Google Pay.
With this app, you are able to send money of up to $9,999 in one transaction or up to $10,000 in seven days.
Google does not currently charge you a fee when you send money through this app.
The only problem at the moment is that you cannot use a credit card to send money to individuals.
Google Pay can be run on both Android and iOS mobile phones.
One of its major advantages over other apps is the ability to send money to someone by email using both Google Pay and Gmail.
3. Apple Pay
If you are an Apple fan then Apple Pay should be for you.
It allows you to make payment of up to $3,000 and $10,000 in a seven-day period. This should be enough for most Americans.
You can use this app to pay on most contactless readers in stores, supermarkets, taxis, vending machines, etc.
Just be aware that there is a 3 percent charge if you send money to individuals using a credit card.
4. Facebook Messenger
Facebook is another tech giant to try its luck in the payment apps area.
They have done this by allowing Facebook users to send money through Facebook Messenger.
As you can see to use Facebook Messenger you need to have a Facebook account.
Just like other payment apps the participants need to integrate their debit cards to the app. One can also use PayPal in sending money.
For those who are serious about data privacy have nothing to worry about this app.
The information you provide is kept private and the recipient will only see the amount beside your name and profile photo.
It takes five days for the payment to show up in your bank account once it is accepted.
There are no known payment limits.
Facebook charges no fees for the payments.
5. Samsung Pay
I have a Samsung Android phone and I am always pestered with Samsung Pay asking if I should make it the default payment for my phone.
It is however still another good app for making payments.
Samsung Pay is is a quick and secure mobile payment and digital wallet that stores your debit and credit cards in one place.
The only drawback is that it does not allow person to person transfers.
Compatible banks and service providers include Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Citi, etc.
6. Venmo
Venmo is another digital wallet that has been created specifically to help you make and share payments with friends. It is owned by PayPal.
It makes it easy to split bills and much more.
While it is primarily created for sending money to friends you can also use it to pay for transactions at other businesses as well.
To use Venmo you need to link it to your debit card bank account.
Is PayPal and Venmo the same thing?
Venmo is a subsidiary of PayPal Holdings Inc.
The Venmo app was created primarily for peer to peer payments allowing individuals like you and me to send and receive money to each other.
Besides this Venmo has a social aspect to it which PayPal does not have.
It is also primarily for use as an app on a mobile phone while PayPal can be used on both desktop and phones.
Actually PayPal started as a desktop computer site for making payments.
Is Venmo better than PayPal?
Venmo is designed for peer to peer transactions and PayPal is for all sorts of payments.
They, therefore, serve different purposes and Venmo is better for peer to peer and PayPal is better for all other payments.
How secure is Venmo?
Venmo just like its sister app, PayPal uses data encryption to protect users. It is, therefore, safe to sue VEnmo.
7. Square’s Cash App
Cash App which was formerly known as Square cash is another of the peer to peer payment apps.
It allows payments among individuals with a Cash App account. It is owned by Square Inc, a fin-tech firm.
Cash App acts as a digital wallet as you can link all your cards to the app and use those cards in making payments to friends.
Is there a fee for Cash App?
There is no fee to send, request or receive payments.
How do I get my money from Cash App?
To get your money you need to tap your profile image, then go to Cash and choose Cash Out where you choose the amount of money you want to send to your bank
Is it safe to use Cash App?
Yes, it is safe. Cash App uses various security features in their system to process the payments.
The owners of this app, Square Inc, have vast experience in this area as they have been involved in financial industry software development and point of sale hardware for some time now.
They are therefore trusted by various organizations and financial institutions
8. Zelle mobile app
Zelle is another mobile that allows friends and family to send and receive money at different banks.
All you need is for you and the receiver to be both enrolled Zelle users. To enroll you need to have an account at a participating bank.
You are allowed to link only one bank account to Zelle.
With Zelle you can do same-day transfers to anyone enrolled to Zelle.
What banks use Zelle?
At the moment banks that use Zelle include Bank of America, BB&T, Capital One, JPMorgan Chase, PNC Bank, US Bank, Citibank, and Wells Fargo.
Is there a fee to use Zelle?
No Zelle does not charge a fee for sending or receiving money through it.
How do I receive money from Zelle?
Only individuals who have registered an email address or US mobile number with Zelle can receive payments.
To receive any money you need to provide that email address or mobile number to the sender.
Once the funds are sent you will receive a text or an email confirming receipt of your funds.
These funds are automatically deposited in the account you have linked to Zelle.
How does the Zelle app work?
Once payment is made Zelle sends a text or email with a link that the recipient needs to click to accept it
Related Post: The Best Food Delivery Apps.
Conclusion
It is my hope you have learned one thing or two on the best mobile payment apps. I especially like the peer to peer apps as they make my life easy when I go out with friends.
You may also be interested in the following posts.
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