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Written by Allison Johnson
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Mobile payment tools make it faster and more convenient for you to send and receive money for personal, professional or small business purposes. Along with PayPal, Cash App and Venmo, Zelle is a platform that allows you to send money from your bank account to an intended recipient with no fees attached.
Here’s a closer look at how Zelle works, its limits at many of the country’s top institutions and online banks and what you can do if you reach these monthly and daily limits.
Daily and Monthly Zelle Limits for Individual Users
Each bank has its specific Zelle daily and monthly transfer limits for individual users. Here’s a look at the daily and monthly Zelle limits at some of the country’s largest banks:
| Financial Institution | Daily Limit | Monthly Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Wells Fargo | Up to $3,500 | Up to $20,000 |
| Capital One | Up to $2,500 | Varies |
| Bank of America, Member FDIC | Up to $3,500 | Up to $20,000 |
| Chase | Up to $10,000 | Varies |
| TD Bank | -Instant transfers: up to $1,000 -Scheduled transfers: up to $2,500 | -Instant transfers: up to $5,000 -Scheduled transfers: up to $10,000 |
| Citi® | -New enrollment accounts: up to $500 -Accounts older than 30 days: up to $5,000 | -New enrollment accounts: up to $2,500 -Accounts older than 30 days: up to $20,000 |
Please note that these Zelle transaction limits may vary depending on your account status.
Zelle Business Transfers Limits
To find out Zelle business transfer limits, check with the bank where you have your business account because amounts can vary wildly.
| Financial Institution | Daily Limit | Monthly Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Wells Fargo | Up to $3,500 | Up to $20,000 |
| Capital One | Does not allow Zelle business transfers | Does not allow Zelle business transfers |
| Bank of America | Up to $15,000 | Up to $60,000 |
| Chase | Up to $15,000 | Varies |
| TD Bank | Up to $3,000 | Up to $15,000 |
| Citi | -New enrollment accounts: up to $1,000 -Accounts older than 30 days: up to $5,000 | -New enrollment accounts: up to $4,000 -Accounts older than 30 days: up to $40,000 |
How To Increase Your Zelle Limit
According to Zelle, if your bank or credit union offers Zelle, you should contact it to find out if you can increase your limit. If your bank doesn’t offer Zelle, your weekly send limit is $500 and your weekly receive limit is $5,000 in the app. Zelle does not grant requests to increase or decrease limits.
What Are Some Alternative Options if You Hit Your Zelle Limit?
There are other ways to send money if you hit the Zelle limits. Here are some alternatives to consider.
- Try another payment platform: Some popular payment platforms include Venmo, PayPal and Square. Many of these services charge a small fee to send money, and users need an account to receive the money.
- Write a personal check: While personal checks may seem outdated, they are an excellent alternative to peer-to-peer transfer apps if you need to send a large sum of money.
- Withdraw cash: People typically do not have a lot of cash on hand because of the popularity of debit cards, but you can always make a trip to the ATM to withdraw some money.
- Use a payment retailer: Western Union and MoneyGram allow you to send money by visiting an authorized retailer and funding the transaction with cash or a debit card. Your recipients can pick up the money by visiting a retailer and providing their name and the transaction number.
- Wait a few days: Waiting 24 hours or 30 days until you are back under Zelle’s payment limits is the slowest strategy, but it may be necessary if you want to send a large payment.
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How Does Zelle Work?
Here are the steps for sending, receiving or requesting money through Zelle.
- Step 1: Choose your recipient. Due to increasing Zelle fraud, you should only send money to people you know and trust, like repaying a family member or friend or paying a service provider.
- Step 2: Obtain the recipient’s phone number or email address. Anyone with an account at a U.S. financial institution can receive money through Zelle with their phone number or email.
- Step 3: Decide your payment amount. Your Zelle limit depends on your bank or credit union. If you want to send a large amount consistently, you may need to find an alternative payment option.
- Step 4: Send the money. Your recipient will typically receive the money in minutes if they are already a member of Zelle. They’ll receive instructions on obtaining the funds via email or text if they are not enrolled.
- Step 5: Verify the payment. You should always follow up, contacting the recipient to make sure they received the money. You should also check your bank account to ensure it deducted the proper amount from your account.
What Are the Benefits of Using Zelle?
One of the biggest benefits of using Zelle is that it is free and there are no fees to send or receive money. Most competitors charge a small fee if you use a Visa, Mastercard, debit card or credit card to send money, while others charge to transfer funds received to a bank account. Zelle can offer the service at no cost to customers because money is sent directly between bank accounts with no middleman.
While there’s no cost to use Zelle, you can only use your checking, savings or debit card to send or receive money, and you can’t make credit card payments. To be sure, you should check with your bank or credit union to make sure it doesn’t charge extra fees for using the Zelle feature.
An additional benefit of using Zelle over another payment application is the instant nature of the service. The money is immediately transferred to your recipient’s bank account because there’s no intermediary. It takes a few days to transfer funds from the app to a bank account with other services. Other platforms that do offer instant transfers charge a fee for the service.
Final Take To GO
Your bank must have a partnership with Zelle for you to access its features. More than 2,000 financial institutions in the U.S. offer Zelle to their customers. Financial institutions typically incorporate Zelle’s capabilities into their mobile banking apps.
If your financial institution offers Zelle, you should contact it directly to inquire about its daily and monthly sending limits. If your bank or credit union does not provide the service, you must download the Zelle app to send and receive payments.
FAQ
Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Zelle.
- Can I get paid with Zelle?
- While Zelle is a popular way to send money, it's also an easy way to receive money from individuals, companies, government agencies and even academic institutions. For instance, it may be possible to request payment via Zelle if you are owed a refund from a university or government agency. Sending money through Zelle is free for both parties and quickly ensures you get the funds.
- Can businesses use Zelle?
- Just like PayPal, any individual or business with an account at an institution that uses Zelle can use the feature to send or receive money. Many business owners use the service to send and receive money because there are no fees involved. You may want to encourage your customers to send payments via Zelle if the amount is within their daily Zelle transfer limits. It may be necessary to accept other methods for large payments.
- Can you send $10,000 through Zelle?
- The amount you are able to send through Zelle depends on your bank's set limits. Many banks allow you to send $10,000 in a month, but not in one day. Check with your financial institution to find out your daily and monthly sending limits.
- Can I send $5,000 through Zelle?
- Zelle transfer limits vary from bank to bank, however, if you bank with Chase, you can send up to $10,000 a day with Zelle. You can check your personal transaction limits in the Chase app or on the online portal.
- Does Zelle have a daily limit?
- Yes, Zelle has both daily and monthly limits that will vary depending on what bank you use. Here are some examples of national bank daily limits for individual users:
- Wells Fargo: Up to $3,500
- Capital One: Up to $2,500
- Bank of America: Up to $3,500
- Chase: Up to $10,000
- TD Bank: $1,000 for instant transfers and $2,500 for scheduled transfers
- Citi: $500 for new enrollment accounts and up to $5,000 for existing accounts
- Yes, Zelle has both daily and monthly limits that will vary depending on what bank you use. Here are some examples of national bank daily limits for individual users:
- Can I increase my Zelle transfer limit?
- You can contact your bank or credit union to ask if they can increase your transfer limit.Some banks may increase your limit based on your sending history, for example, if you consistently send money to the same person.Your financial institution might allow you to increase your limit through identity verification and other requirements.
- What happens if I exceed my Zelle transfer limit?
- If you exceed your Zelle transfer limit, the transaction may be declined or your bank's security protocols may make the transaction harder to go through.Though Zelle doesn't typically charge fees for exceeding limits, you may incur penalties or transaction fees from your bank for unauthorized or excessive transfers.
Caitlyn Moorheadand Cynthia Measom contributed to the reporting for this article.
Data is accurate as of August 19, 2024, and is subject to change.
The article above was refined via automated technology and then fine-tuned and verified for accuracy by a member of our editorial team.
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