Venmo tends to be relatively reliable, which is a good thing given that people depend on it for sending money, including daily business transactions. However, like any app or online service, it’s not immune to problems. If Venmo’s not working for you, there may be a few tactics you can try.
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Many Venmo problems can be resolved by verifying account or transaction info and trying again. Some are due to infrastructure downtime or maintenance, so you'll have to contact Venmo support and/or wait things out. In rarer instances, you may be trespassing weekly usage rules or getting flagged for "suspicious" activity.
How to fix Venmo not working
We have to be clear here — Venmo can “break” in a few different ways, some of which may be your own doing. Accordingly, we’ll address possible solutions for what seems to be going haywire.
The Venmo app is crashing, looks strange, or isn’t loading features
Most likely, this is a software bug, although features being offline could also be a cause (more on that in a moment). Ensure you’re using the latest version of the Venmo app, and that you’ve fully updated Android or iOS. Regardless, it may also be worth rebooting your phone since that can clear up caches and processes that might be causing havoc.
Venmo says it’s undergoing maintenance or lost the connection with your bank
There’s not much you can do about maintenance since the company must fix or upgrade its backend occasionally. If you get an alert, check out @VenmoSupport on X for status updates. As a rule we wouldn’t expect maintenance to last more than a few hours, after which you should be able to reconnect.
If you get a “we lost connection with your bank” pop-up, you may be prompted to update your bank information. It could already be accurate, however — sometimes it’s the bank having technical issues, in which case things might return to normal after waiting a few hours or even just a few minutes. It can’t hurt to double-check your bank details.
You’re getting a “something went wrong here” message
There could be a variety of possible explanations for this, including app or connection glitches, whether on your end or Venmo’s. Make sure you’ve got a solid Wi-Fi or cellular signal. If you do, try software updates and/or rebooting your phone.
If that doesn’t help, the answer could be incorrect details in your Venmo profile or payment options. Go over them. If you’re still getting the error, the problem is likely on Venmo’s end, in which case you should contact Venmo support.
You’re getting “payment declined,” “insufficient balance,” or “exceeds your weekly sending limit” errors
Venmo and your bank can reject transactions for reasons like low funds, suspicion of fraud, inaccurate payment info, or transaction rules. Per week, unverified users can only send $299.99 to others or transfer $999.99 to their bank. Limits go up substantially after verification but still exist. See our Venmo guide for more info. You may have to wait until the next weekly cycle if your payment info is accurate.
Let’s back up a second, though, and talk about fraud. Transactions can be flagged if many happen within a short time or if you’re dealing with businesses Venmo considers untrustworthy. You can’t use Venmo for gambling, weapons, p*rnography, sex work, or any form of non-alcoholic controlled substance, no matter whether it’s tobacco, narcotics, or prescription drugs.
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