Zelle App Shuts Down Today. Here’s How to Send Money Instantly for Free

If Zelle is your go-to method for sending money digitally, listen up: Starting today, you won’t be able to use the digital payment app anymore.

There’s no need to panic, however. This change applies only to the standalone app. If your bank offers Zelle through its mobile app or website, you can continue to use it. And if it doesn’t, you have plenty of other ways to send money electronically to friends and family.

Here’s what you need to know about this change and your future options.

Read more: Best Digital Wallets and Payment Apps

Why the Zelle app is shutting down

When Zelle launched in 2017, only around 60 US financial institutions offered the service by the end of that year. Today, that number is over 2,200. As a result, less than 2% of Zelle transactions occur through the standalone app. Zelle has been phasing out the ability to make transactions on its mobile app since October 2024.

“Today, the vast majority of people using Zelle to send money use it through their financial institution’s mobile app or online banking experience, and we believe this is the best place for Zelle transactions to occur,” Zelle said in an October 2024 press release. 

Last December, Zelle was in the spotlight when the Consumer Financial Protected Bureau sued the company and three of the largest US banks for failing to protect consumers from widespread fraud on the peer-to-peer payment network. The lawsuit has since been dropped.

Other ways to send money digitally

You can still use Zelle through your bank’s app or website if it belongs to the Zelle network. You can also switch to another popular digital payment app, such as:

• Venmo
• PayPal
• Apple Wallet
• Cash App

Take some basic precautions when using Zelle or any other digital payment service. These apps are a frequent target for scammers, and Chase Bank has started blocking some Zelle payments it believes could be fraudulent. Only send money to people you know and trust, and watch for red flags like an urgent message claiming to be from your bank or an online ad for concert tickets that seem impossibly cheap.