Zelle has quickly become my favorite way to send money. It surpasses Venmo and PayPal for my friends and me.
However, it doesn’t come without its faults. Especially when you keep getting random payment requests from scammers. So, can you block someone on Zelle? This is what we found…
Can You Block Someone On Zelle?
Yes, you can block someone on Zelle from requesting payment or sending you money. The person you block doesn’t have to be on your contact list and the process is pretty straightforward.
This article looks at Zelle and the unique Zelle payment system: what it is, how it works, and how to keep all your Zelle transactions safe and private.
Zelle is a platform for digital money transactions. It integrates with a banking app to allow banking transactions without needing details such as account numbers and routing numbers to complete payments.
The platform is especially useful for making and requesting payments.
However, while useful, the requesting payments feature can also become troublesome. To manage this feature, Zelle allows users to block requests regardless of whether the identity making the request is on the user’s contact list.
What Is Zelle?
Zelle is a United States–based digital payments network built and owned by Early Warning Services, LLC, which is a private financial services company owned by the following banks: Bank of America, Truist, Capital One, JPMorgan Chase, PNC Bank, U.S. Bank, and Wells Fargo. Zelle was founded in 2017.
The Zelle app can be downloaded for free on Android and iOS platforms. By adding a bank account or card, you can make automated clearing house (ACH) transfers from the Zelle app. An automated clearing house transfer refers to the network, or the electronic movement of money between participating banks.
Zelle, however, comes with a popular feature whereby a user can request money from another Zelle user by simply entering the associated email address or the US phone number.
The request might be directed to a friend, a group of friends, or a family member. The recipient simply accepts the request and the money is immediately transferred from one bank account to the other, regardless of the banking institution. The service, however, is only offered within the US.
To use Zelle, participants just need a bank account in the U.S. and a U.S. mobile number or email. Most people already have Zelle in their bank’s app. There is also a separate Zelle app that friends can use by enrolling a debit card.
After enrolling an email or U.S. mobile number through your mobile banking app or with the Zelle app, users choose a person to pay, enter their email or mobile number and enter the amount.
The recipient will get a notification explaining how to complete the payment.
How To Block Someone On Zelle
Here is a simple and straightforward guide to blocking someone on Zelle.
The steps are the same whether you’re using the actual Zelle app or accessing it through your bank.
To block someone on Zelle:
- Open up the Zelle app
- Go to your Zelle Settings menu – access this by clocking ‘more options,’ then ‘settings’
- Click on ‘Privacy Settings’
- Select the ‘Block Requests’ option
- Choose or enter the desired person you wish to block
- Confirm
How Does Zelle Handle Safety Features?
Zelle emphasizes the importance of knowing and trusting whoever you send money to. Once payment is authorized and sent, it cannot be canceled or retrieved if the recipient is already enrolled in Zelle. And this is because deposits are made immediately.
Zelle users do not need to share sensitive financial or personally identifiable information when sending or receiving money with Zelle. The only information needed is an email address or U.S. mobile number connected to a bank account in the U.S. Additional authentication, and monitoring features are in place to keep payments secure and private.
Issues arise with Zelle when users are tricked into sending money to identities who are using the system correctly but who are in no way entitled to your money.
Zelle stresses the necessity of confirming every recipient’s contact information. If in doubt, always contact the person to double-check.
Beware of payment scams. If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If someone is selling something at an unbelievable discount and insisting you pay with Zelle, think twice. Only ever send money to people you personally know and trust.
It is crucial to understand your payment options. If you don’t know someone or aren’t sure, you’ll get what you paid for; using your credit card may be a better payment option. Many credit card companies offer built-in buyer protections for cardholders.
Zelle does not offer a protection program for any authorized payments made with Zelle.
The Zelle service is designed for payments to those whom the payer already knows and trusts, and the service disclaims any responsibility for goods and services sold through the system.
When and Why To Block Someone on Zelle
Unfortunately, many scammers use Zelle to manipulate people into authorizing money transfers, and new scams to do this arise daily. Transactions through Zelle are instant and irreversible once complete, making Zelle very attractive to criminals.
Zelle scammers can:
- Sell counterfeit, damaged, or faulty items
- Impersonate friends and family
- Send fake text messages and calls
- Send fake invoices
- Masquerade as your bank
- Masquerade as a romance agency
- Hook you into responding to a fake fraud alert
- Trick you into giving access to your bank accounts
- Ask you to confirm fake Zelle payments
- Sell you items that don’t exist
- Trick you into reimbursing them for your non-existent account upgrade
Zelle’s Understanding Frauds & Scams page is essential reading if you plan to use the service for money transactions.
As a short-term strategy, Zelle does allow users to block requests.
To block someone on Zelle, go to your Privacy Settings, select the option to ‘Block Request,’ and then select whichever account(s) you need to block.
It doesn’t matter if the person is on your contact list or not. Zelle provides a feature to block anyone from sending and requesting money.
If you become suspicious about a particular account, it is best to block the account immediately, especially if the request comes with an emotional message attached.
How To Block Someone From Sending You Money On Zelle
To block someone from sending you money on Zelle is the same process as blocking someone from sending payment requests.
To block someone from sending you money on Zelle, follow these steps:
- Open up the Zelle app
- Go to your Zelle Settings menu – access this by clocking ‘more options’ and then ‘settings’
- Click On Privacy Settings
- Select the ‘Block Requests’ option
- Choose or enter the desired person you wish to block
- Confirm
How To Unblock Someone On Zelle
Unblocking someone on Zelle is just as straightforward as blocking them. The steps are the same, except instead of selecting ‘block’, you select ‘unblock’ as follows:
- Open up the Zelle app
- Go to your Zelle Settings menu
- Hover over the Privacy Settings
- Select the ‘Block Requests’ option
- Choose the blocked contact and select ‘unblock’
- Confirm
Summary
The Zelle platform for digital money transfers is a popular, convenient, and superfast peer-to-peer payment system. The platform was designed by and is owned by traditional banks and is free to use.
However, the system has also become increasingly troubled by digital scams, which involve manipulating users into transferring money for fake or faulty goods, impersonating banks, and/or impersonating friends and family.
And unfortunately, Zelle has no protection policies for users who are frauded out of their money.
Zelle users need to proceed with care, double-check accounts and all communications via Zelle, block suspicious users, and avoid using Zelle to make any retail-type purchases.