How to Delete a Venmo Account
Table of Contents
What Does Venmo Do?
Venmo is a mobile finance service developed by PayPal; Venmo members enjoy a variety of benefits through the platform, including sending and receiving money, options for splitting bills, and some social networking interactions. Since its launch in 2009, Venmo has become a web-wide name, with many e-commerce stores offering Venmo deals and payment options. When last reviewed, Venmo reported an audience of 77.7 million active users, with projections reaching over 100 million users by 2026.
Users are attracted to Venmo because of its customizable experiences. Anyone can hop on, connect their financial accounts, and access all the associated data in one place. Those same users can apply for a Venmo credit card or debit card or open minors' accounts, allowing dependents to wield a traceable debit card using their guarantors' financial accounts. Adult accounts also offer options for managing crypto and investments. There is much to love about Venmo, but the company has faced controversy in the past, particularly regarding the security of its users' data. Consequently, whether leaving Venmo to secure information better, or to find a credit card with a lower APR, users may want some help; this is how to delete a Venmo account.
How to Delete My Venmo Account Permanently
Users cannot request to cancel a Venmo account without an applicable password; they can reset the password, then make a request, or speak with Support about their options, but they won't get very far without confirming their identity. Users with applicable passwords can delete their Venmo account from a computer browser or a phone app, whichever works for the user's needs. The tutorial section below offers outlines for both methods, descriptions, and screenshots for each step.
What to Know Before You Delete a Venmo Account
Depending on how and how often a user uses Venmo will dictate how straightforward their deletion options are. Users who have only used Venmo for sending and receiving money and do not have additional ties to the platform should have an easy time requesting a deletion (below).
On the other hand, users with additional ties to Venmo, like credit, debit, or Teen accounts, may have more aspects to consider before requesting a deletion. For example, those with an active Venmo credit card must close that card before making a deletion request, reducing the due amount to zero and paying back any missing money due to Venmo. The system will not allow users to close their accounts if their credit card remains active or has a balance.
In comparison, those with Venmo debit cards and Teen accounts must ensure they remove any lingering money within those areas. These account elements immediately cancel when users request a deletion. In other words, those with a Venmo credit card must cancel it before making a deletion request; however, those with Venmo debit cards and Teen accounts don't need to cancel before making a request.
How to Delete Your Venmo Account: Guided Steps
How to Delete Venmo Accounts Without a Password
Venmo's status as a finance platform ensures that users take steps to verify and confirm their identity before deleting the account; consequently, users cannot delete a Venmo account without an applicable password. Users can request a password reset online, but unless they have access to the recovery methods (email or phone associated with the account), they may be out of luck. In such times, users should speak directly with a Support representative.
How to Delete My Venmo Account on a Computer
Step One:
Those deleting their Venmo account from a computer browser must first sign in to the website.
Step Two:
Once inside the account, refer to the left-hand column and click the blue (+) beside the "Settings" option.
Step Three:
After clicking the (+), a subsection will appear, offering various account-specific pages. Click the first option, "Profile", to continue.
Step Four:
At the bottom of the Profile page, find the "Close Venmo account" hyperlink.
Step Five:
Click the blue "Begin closing my account" button to continue.
Step Six:
"Confirm" the request by clicking the red button.
When done, the system should instantly log out the user and return them to the login page.
How to Delete Venmo Accounts on a Phone
Step One:
Alternatively, users can request an account deletion via their Venmo app. Start by signing in (if prompted).
Step Two:
Refer to the bottom of the app window and tap the "Me" profile icon on the right.
Step Three:
In the top right corner of the profile page, tap the Settings gear.
Step Four:
Next, tap the "Account" option within the "Preferences" subsection.
Step Five:
The subsequent page offers only a few options. Tap the last one, "Close Venmo Account", to continue.
Step Six:
Tap the blue "Continue" button in the pop-up in the bottom half of the screen.
Step Seven:
The entire page should refresh with a red "Confirm" button; tap it to finish.
Once the system finishes the preliminaries for the request, the user is logged out and returned to the sign-in page.
Finish by Confirming the Deletion Request
Although users return to a sign-in page upon the system accepting the request, this doesn't mean they have finished the process. Users must check on their account twice before deeming the process done; the first time, users can attempt to sign into their account immediately after requesting a deletion. When successful, they should be unable to access the account. They'll also need to return after 180 days; users can discover and correct any internal errors after their second check.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does the Deletion Do to My Venmo Data?
Users who request a deletion from Venmo ask that the system delete from storage everything associated with the account. Users must move funds to another account, the system must finish any pending transactions, and all Venmo entitlements (Teen Accounts, debit cards, etc.) will dissolve. (However, those with a Venmo credit card must close the card before being allowed to delete the account.) Users may have up to 180 days to recover their account before the system dissolves it entirely.
Can I Recover a Deleted Venmo Account?
Deletion requests ask that the Venmo system delete history associated with the account, but this doesn't occur immediately. Users may have up to 180 days to recover their account or stop the deletion from completing; however, individuals will need assistance to recover their profile. Users can speak with Support to recover their lost account if officials didn't suspend it due to a failed payment.
How Does Venmo Handle Account Deactivations?
Some platforms offer an alternative to deletion through a deactivated status. When users request to deactivate their accounts, they generally intend to return and continue using them. Comparatively, deletions don't offer this return ability. Venmo does not offer a traditional "deactivation" option for user accounts. Instead, users can deactivate their Payname through the app or website, which provides a similar function; with the Payname deactivated, the account cannot accept or send money to others.
How to Delete Friends on Venmo?
Some users add friends and acquaintances to Venmo; it's encouraged by Venmo to help ensure money is going to the right places. However, if a falling out happens or the relationship changes, users may need to remove or delete people from their Friends List. Removing people is as easy as deleting messages on other platforms; users must sign in, navigate to the friend's profile, click the three menu dots, and select "Remove as friend" from the available options. Otherwise, those on the app can tap the "Friends" checkmark to toggle the "Unfriend" status.
How to Delete Transactions on Venmo?
Users cannot delete transactions from Venmo because, ideally, the account owner would be already involved in the process. Instead, Venmo allows users to change the privacy settings of their payment activity. These settings influence who sees the transaction in the social portion of Venmo's platform; specifically, toggling these settings to "private" restricts the visual appearance of transactions to only the involved parties. (However, if the user is in a Venmo Group, some activity will remain visible to others.)
Users only need to log in and head to their account Settings to restrict the visual portion of a transaction history. From there, they can find their way to "Privacy" and navigate the app (or browser) to set their "Public" "Friends'' to "Private" or alter the "Default Privacy Setting" to something more appropriate.
How to Delete Venmo Business Accounts?
Users looking to delete a Venmo Business account can do so in two ways. If they also want to dissolve a personal account, they can make the deletion request as usual (above); however, users can also delete business accounts without impacting the personal account. To delete only a business account, users must contact Support to garner clearance from officials.
Deleting a business account impacts the business profile and the personal account, but the personal account remains active. Additionally, those who close only a business account lose access to data associated with that profile; for example, business profiles cannot be reanimated after they dissolve, nor can the user link a new business to the personal account.
