As one of the most popular financial services globally, the mobile payment app Venmo prioritizes a high level of security for all its users. Consequently, there are times when it becomes necessary to temporarily freeze a user's account. As frustrating as it is to not accept incoming payments or process transactions, This article will outline some of the common reasons this action may have been taken and the step-by-step process for unfreezing a Venmo account.

Suspicious Activity

If you're involved in any transactions or activity considered unusual, a hold may be placed on your Venmo account as a protective measure. Examples of flag-raising activities include:

• Too many transactions in a short period of time
• Large payments sent to unfamiliar accounts
• Frequent changes to your user profile
• A high amount of chargebacks or disputes

Any of these actions will alert Venmo's security sensors and will be flagged as suspicious activity.

User Agreement Violation

Upon signing up, all Venmo users verify that they understand and will abide by the User Agreement. As a service, Venmo is primarily to be used for person-to-person transactions, rather than for conducting business transactions, unless specifically authorized by Venmo. Transactions that violate applicable laws are not allowed to be conducted on Venmo; however, if you are looking for a high-risk payment processor, Zen Payments can help. But back to Venmo. Note that the specific items and services not permitted to be bought or sold on the platform include:

• Firearms, ammunition or firearm accessories
• Drugs or drug paraphernalia, including tobacco, steroids, prescription medications, and other
• Pornography and other lewd or inappropriate content

Other activities may be considered a User Agreement violation if they cross an ethical or legal boundary. Some examples are:

• The sale of trade secrets
• Anything that infringes on a third party's copyright, patents, trademarks, or intellectual property
• Involvement in pyramid or ponzi schemes
• Fraudulent activity
• Gambling, such as casino games, sports wagering, and horse or greyhound racing, sweepstakes, and other activities that can officially or unofficially be considered a lottery, unless the purveyors are both operating in a jurisdiction that permits such activities, and they have received specific approval from Venmo to facilitate their business through the platform
• The sale of items that encourage or aid illegal activity, or that promote hate, violence, or intolerance on the basis of race
• Commercial exploitation of illegal activity
• Transactions that exploit perks or points programs associated with credit card companies (such as Discover, Mastercard, and Visa) or accounts with financial institutions
• Activity that violates credit card policies

Insufficient Funds

If the bank account linked to your Venmo account does not have sufficient funds to cover a transaction, or you exceed the number of ACH transactions permitted by your bank, you may experience payment failure and as a result, your account may be frozen.

Issues with Account Verification

If there are any specific account details that are incomplete, incorrect, or outdated, it could prevent you from successfully performing transactions on the Venmo platform.

Tips for Unfreezing Your Venmo Account

In order to unfreeze your account, it's crucial to understand why it was locked in the first place. Venmo may send you an email about the account freeze, including their justification, and the steps you need to follow. You can reply to this email directly, or submit a support ticket on Venmo's official website. In either case, make sure to explain in specific detail the reason behind your alert. Please keep in mind that it may take Venmo several business days to respond to your inquiry.

You can also call Venmo's support team by navigating to the Support section of the app, or by calling 855-812-4430 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. CT.

If your account is locked due to suspicious or fraudulent activity, or raises other security concerns, unfreezing it may be rather difficult. Reach out to Venmo directly for additional information regarding the next steps you need to take in order to effectively resolve the issue at hand.

Your account freeze may have come about as a result of one or more failed transactions. This can happen either due to insufficient funds or the user making too many ACH transactions. To check your bank account balance, you can use several convenient methods. The easiest way is to log into your bank's online banking portal or mobile app, where you can view your account balance and transaction history in real time. Here, you can see if your account has a negative balance, and you can also verify that you can recognize all transactions that have taken place in your account.

It's also crucial to check your Venmo transaction history to see details for each individual transaction. If anything looks unfamiliar or suspicious, contact the Support team.

You may need to fulfill any outstanding payments through your bank account or debit card. The Venmo app has steps to go through this process. Please note that outstanding payments cannot be paid off via credit cards and must be completed using your debit card or bank account.

If your account is not fully set up, you will not be able to fully take advantage of Venmo's services. These account details can include name, proof of address, current (unexpired) debit card, verified phone number, and email address.

Looking over your account details is an ideal opportunity to make sure you have not added any suspicious accounts as friends, that you have a strong password, and that you are not conducting any suspicious activity using your Venmo account.

A Word of Caution

Bear in mind that for every official communication from Venmo, there are countless scammers using Venmo's logo and lookalike URLs in order to obtain access to your account. Before opening or responding to an email, be sure to verify that it comes directly from venmo.com. If you have any questions, be sure to reach out to the customer service using the app or the official website.

If you follow these tips, your Venmo account should be up and running in no time!

Payment Solutions for High-Risk Industries: Think Zen Payments

Venmo isn't the best platform for business transactions in general, but it's especially unsuitable for those dealing in high-risk industries like firearms, sports betting, online dating, or CBD. For these particular industries, Zen Payments can help with high-risk merchant accounts and payment processing solutions to meet the unique needs these businesses face. Contact us today for help with high-risk payment processing.