Send & Receive Money with Zelle^{®^}

FAQs

• What is Zelle®?
  Zelle® is a fast, safe and easy way to send money directly between almost any bank accounts in the U.S., typically within minutes¹. With just an email address or U.S. mobile phone number, you can send money to people you trust, regardless of where they bank².
• Does Zelle® or TowneBank offer a protection program?
  Neither TowneBank nor Zelle® offers a protection program for any authorized payments using Zelle®.
  
  Please remember: While Zelle® is a great way to send money to family, friends and people that you know and trust (such as your personal trainer, roommate, babysitter or a neighbor), we recommend you do not use Zelle® for potentially high-risk transactions (for example, if you don't know the person) or aren't absolutely certain you'll get what you paid for (for example, items bought from an online bidding or sales site).
• I'm unsure about using Zelle® to pay someone I don't know. What should I do?

  If you don’t know the person, or aren’t sure you will get what you paid for (for example, items bought from an online bidding or sales site), you should not use Zelle® for these types of transactions.

  These transactions are potentially high risk (just like sending cash to a person you don’t know is high risk). Neither TowneBank nor Zelle® offers a protection program for any authorized payments made with Zelle® – for example, if you do not receive the item you paid for or the item is not as described or as you expected.

• Who can I send money to with Zelle®?
  You can send money to friends, family and others you trust².
• How do I use Zelle®?

  You can send, request, or receive money with Zelle®. To get started, log into your mobile banking app and select “Send Money with Zelle®”. Following the prompts, enter the information requested, accept the terms and conditions, and you’re ready to start sending and receiving with Zelle®.

  To send money using Zelle®, simply select someone from your mobile device’s contacts (or add a trusted recipient’s email address or U.S. mobile phone number), add the amount you’d like to send and an optional note, review, then hit “Send.” In most cases, the money is available to your recipient in minutes¹.

  To request money using Zelle®, choose “Request,” select the individual from whom you’d like to request money, enter the amount you’d like to request, include an optional note, review and hit “Request”².

  To receive money, just share your enrolled email address or U.S. mobile phone number with a friend and ask them to send you money with Zelle®.

• Someone sent me money with Zelle®, how do I receive it? 

  If you have already enrolled with Zelle®, you do not need to take any further action. The money will move directly into your bank account, typically within minutes¹.

  If you have not yet enrolled with Zelle®, follow these steps:

  1. Click on the link provided in the payment notification you received via email or text message.
  2. Select your bank or credit union’s name.
  3. Follow the instructions provided on the page to enroll and receive your money. Pay attention to the email address or U.S. mobile phone number where you received the payment notification - you should enroll with Zelle® using that email address or U.S. mobile phone number to ensure you receive your money.
• What types of payments can I make with Zelle®?

  Zelle® is a great way to send money to friends, family and people you are familiar with such as your personal trainer, babysitter or neighbor¹.

  Since money is sent directly from your bank account to another person’s bank account within minutes¹, Zelle® should only be used to send money to people you trust.

  Neither TowneBank, nor Zelle®, offers a protection program for any authorized payments made with Zelle® – for example, if you do not receive the item you paid for or the item is not as described or as you expected.

• What if i want to send money to someone whose bank or credit union doesn't offer Zelle®?
  You can find a full list of participating banks and credit unions live with Zelle® here.
• How does Zelle® work?
  When you enroll with Zelle® through your banking app, your name, your financial institution’s name, and the email address or U.S. mobile number you enrolled is shared with Zelle® (no sensitive account details are shared – those stay with your bank or credit union). When someone sends money to your enrolled email address or U.S. mobile phone number, Zelle® looks up the email address or mobile number in its “directory” and notifies your financial institution of the incoming payment. Your bank or credit union then directs the payment into your bank account, all while keeping your sensitive account details private.
• Can I use Zelle® internationally?
  In order to use Zelle®, the sender and recipient’s bank accounts must be based in the U.S.
• Can I cancel a payment?

  You can only cancel a payment if the person you sent money to hasn't yet enrolled with Zelle®. To check whether the payment is still pending because the recipient hasn't yet enrolled, you can go to your activity page, choose the payment you want to cancel, and then select "Cancel This Payment."

  If the person you sent money to has already enrolled with Zelle®, the money is sent directly to their bank account and cannot be canceled. This is why it’s important to only send money to people you trust, and always ensure you’ve used the correct email address or U.S. mobile number when sending money.

  If you sent money to the wrong person, we recommend contacting the recipient and requesting the money back. If you aren’t able to get your money back, call our customer support team at 844-638-6714 team so we can help you.

• How long does it take to receive money with Zelle®?

  Money sent with Zelle® is typically available to an enrolled recipient within minutes¹.

  If you send money to someone who isn’t enrolled with Zelle®, they will receive a notification prompting them to enroll. After enrollment, the money will move directly to your recipient’s account, typically within minutes¹.

  If your payment is pending, we recommend confirming that the person you sent money to has enrolled with Zelle® and that you entered the correct email address or U.S. mobile phone number.

  If you’re waiting to receive money, you should check to see if you’ve received a payment notification via email or text message. If you haven’t received a payment notification, we recommend following up with the sender to confirm they entered the correct email address or U.S. mobile phone number.

  Still having trouble? Call our customer support team at 844-638-6714 so we can help you.

• Will the person I send money to be notified?
  Yes! They will receive a notification via email or text message.
• Is my information secure? 
  Keeping your money and information safe is a top priority. When you use Zelle® within your mobile app, your information is protected with the same technology we use to keep your bank account safe.
• What if I get an error message when i try to enroll an email address or U.S. mobile number?

  Your email address or U.S. mobile phone number may already be enrolled with Zelle® at another bank or credit union.

  If you would like to move your email address or U.S. mobile phone number from the financial institution where you initially enrolled with Zelle®, simply click "Transfer" when prompted during the Zelle® enrollment process and confirm your desired changes.

  Once you transfer your email address or U.S. mobile phone number, it will be connected to your bank account at the financial institution you selected and you can start sending and receiving money with Zelle® right away.

• Can I pay a small business with Zelle®?

  Some small businesses are able to receive payments with Zelle®. Ask your favorite small business if they accept payments with Zelle®. If they do, you can pay them directly from your mobile banking app using just their email address or U.S. mobile number.

  Neither TowneBank, nor Zelle®, offers a protection program for any authorized payments made with Zelle®, so you should only send money to people (and small businesses) you trust. Also, always ensure you’ve used the correct email address or U.S. mobile number when sending money.

• Why do I have to enter a secure code? 
  This is an additional step for security to help protect our members.