I heavily rely on instant transfers to go by everyday and Zelle ACH transfers never seem to disappoint me. Zelle is a great option for quick, safe, and easy monetary transactions but, as it turns out, the platform does not support transfers to a couple of other apps. If you are stuck, like I was for once, trying to figure out can I send money from Zelle to PayPal, here’s the answer!
Are Zelle To PayPal Transfers Possible?
Possible? Yes! Directly? Unfortunately, No.
When you log in your Zelle account, it would not directly present you with an option “send money to PayPal”, neither can you add your PayPal account to Zelle for the transfers.
This is because PayPal does not accept Zelle as form of payment method and it is not compatible with the app.
There is a work-around to take care of that problem. You can either link the two apps to the same bank account and use it as a middleman to complete the transaction or you can link Zelle to PayPal debit card
How To Send Money From PayPal To Zelle?
When you are using a bank account to act as a middleman for transfer from Zelle to PayPal, there is hardly anything that can go wrong. You just have to know how to connect both apps to the same bank account and, obviously, have sufficient funds in Zelle to make the transfer.
1. Zelle To Bank Account
Majority of the banks support Zelle online banking services. You can create the account and start with transactions right away. So to say, sending money from Zelle to a bank account should be a piece of cake.
Do visit Zelle official website to confirm if your bank supports the app.
You can then log in your account and link it to the particular bank account. The transfer is direct and instant plus it does not require you to pay any fee. Since the bank is already link to your app, you won’t have to spend time on entering details whenever you have to make a transfer.
2. Bank Account To PayPal
Have the funds in your bank account now? The next step is as easy as the previous one! Simply send the funds from the bank to PayPal. For this, obviously, you will have to link PayPal to the same bank account by following the steps as:
- Open your PayPal account and click on Money.
- Then tap on Link a Bank.
- Choose the specific bank from the list.
- Provide banking details and tap on Agree and Link.
Keep in mind that un-verified PayPal account can only send up to $500 per month. You have to verify your account to remove this cap but even then only $10,000 can be sent in a single transfer.
Another thing to note here is that PayPal automatically makes two micro-deposits of $2 to the bank account when you link it manually. This is verification step to confirm that you are adding the right details. Micro-transactions saves you from losing the money in case you have linked wrong bank.
Can I Send Money From Zelle To PayPal Cash Card?
Another way to make Zelle to PayPal transfers work is by using a PayPal Cash Card. This is a type of a debit card that all PayPal accountholders can get and use for making payments.
The debit card is issued by The Bancorp Bank and luckily, it is supported by Zelle for direct transfers. You first have to add the card successfully to your Zelle account. This can be done so:
- Open your Zelle account.
- Click on Gear icon in the main menu.
- Then tap on Account option.
- Click on Switch Accounts to add a new bank or card to Zelle.
- Then click on Don’t See My Bank option.
- Proceed to Link a Card.
- Now enter PayPal cash card details that are required.
- Provide billing address, expiration date, CCV, etc.
- Wait for the confirmation message once the card is linked.
Can I Send Money From Zelle To Someone Else’s PayPal Account?
I shared with you how to send money from Zelle to bank account. Now, from this point onwards, it is up to you whether you want to transfer the funds to your PayPal account or someone else’s but there is not direct method to send money from Zelle to another PayPal.
If you have linked Zelle to bank and wish to use it as a source of funds to transfer money to someone else’s PayPal account, you can’t do so unless you have a PayPal account too. What you have to do is:
- Use mediator bank account to get funds from Zelle.
- Open your PayPal account and receive funds.
- The tap on Send and Request button on the main menu.
- Provide email ID and contact number of recipient PayPal account.
- Enter the amount of money you want to share.
- Confirm the transaction.
Can I Cancel a Transfer From Zelle to PayPal?
I did mention that Zelle transfers are instant. Where that may sound as good catch, it also means that you can not reverse a payment once it has been initiated.
You can not cancel transfers from Zelle whether you are sending money to PayPal or any other platform.
There is an exception though. When you send money to a non-Zelle user, the transaction would be put on hold until the recipient creates a Zelle account to receive the funds. Only in this case, can you cancel the payment by following the steps as:
- Open your Zelle account.
- Go to the Activity Page from the main home page.
- Then find the specific payment that you want to cancel.
- Tap on Cancel This Payment.
Can I Cancel Transfer From PayPal To Zelle?
PayPal transfers are not as instant as Zelle but still, you can not cancel a payment once it has been initiated. Similar to how Zelle works, however, you can cancel a pending transaction and get the money back by:
- Open your PayPal account.
- Click to open the Summary Page.
- Then find the Pending Payment.
- Tap on Cancel next to the pending payment.
- Then again click on Cancel Payment.
PayPal payments are also automatically reversed if they remain pending for more than 30 days. Then the payments from debit/credit card are reimbursed to the card within 30 days and payments from back account are refunded as well, within 3-4 days.
What Accounts Do Zelle Support?
More than 30 financial institutes in the US came together to launch Zelle so, needless to say, it is supported by all the contributing banks and credit unions. Some major candidates on this list are Bank of America, Citi, Capital One, and Chase.
Non-bank users can create Zelle account as well. They may be limited in terms of access to different features by instant transfers to other accounts is still do-able.
Is Zelle Safe For Payments?
Zelle has layers of security features such as data encryption to keep your transfers safe at all times. Moreover, it reports to IRS and operated under proper guidelines from pioneering banks.
There is, although, growing concern about the safety of not just Zelle but other peer-to-peer payment apps as well. Mt two-cents on this matter is that all apps are doing what they can to protect you from online frauds and scams. At the end of the day, however, there is a responsibility on your shoulders as well.
You must follow general guidelines on how to make online apps safe for you. These include not sharing your login information, not interacting with accounts you don’t personally know, purchasing from reliable merchants only and using personal devices to log in.
Should You Make Zelle or PayPal Account?
There is no way to reliably determine if Zelle is better than PayPal or vice versa. It all depends on what you expect from the payment app that you are using. Both of these platforms carry their own pros and cons so they don’t really stand as alternatives to one another.
Zelle is better for instant transfers and requires no fee to do so. It is also supported by multiple banks and can be integrated with their online apps for a seamless experience.
The downside is that Zelle does not work with online merchants for purchases. That’s when PayPal steps in! Not only can you use the later option to buy things online such as Visa gift card, etc. you will also have buyer’s protection and flexibility to get a refund within 180 days of purchase.
As I said before, it depends on what you want from the payment app. In terms of security, both options are safe and completely trustworthy.
But, wait! Do you really have to choose one of the two apps? Since the platforms have different features and somewhat, different usability, wouldn’t it be better to have access to both accounts?
You can create Zelle and PayPal account easily. They do not charge a monthly fee so you can keep the accounts active even with minimal use.
Before You Go!
Zelle and PayPal do not support each other for direct transfers but you can always use the work-arounds that I have discussed above. These do not incur additional charges and won’t take up much of your time either!
If Zelle transfers are causing you trouble, don’t forget to read my simple guides on Zelle to Cash App money transfer and how to send funds from Zelle to Venmo!
Miriam Caldwell is a dedicated & expert freelance writer to educate people about personal finance management and budgeting. She shared her knowledge and published the articles at TheBalance.com, GOBankingRates, and BlissfullyDomestic.com. Many financial institutes pick Caldwell as the brilliant source for educational personal finance content.
