Venmo is a mobile payment service that allows users in the US to send instant money transfers. It’s user-friendly, very popular, and commonly used to split bills and make small payments. So you might be wondering, is Venmo available in Canada?
Is Venmo in Canada?
Can Canadians use Venmo? Unfortunately, the answer is no. Venmo is available in the US only, so you can’t use it in Canada.
But the good news is that there are several alternatives available. If you want to send free instant money transfers via Interac e-Transfer, or if you want user-friendly platforms for buying and selling crypto, here are the top Venmo alternatives in Canada.
What can Canadians use instead of Venmo in Canada?
When most people think of Venmo, they think of fast, cheap peer-to-peer (P2P) payments. And while you can’t use Venmo outside of the US, there are comparable services in Canada that essentially offer the same thing. The most straightforward alternatives to Venmo in Canada are:
- Interac e-Transfers
- Money transfer apps
Top Venmo alternatives in Canada
These Canadian apps and accounts offer free and low-fee instant money transfers, just like Venmo:
Top Venmo alternatives in Canada for crypto trading
Venmo also offers crypto trading in the US. If you’re looking for an equivalent service in Canada for crypto trading, these platforms offer Canadians similar features to what Venmo’s crypto trading offers in the US:
Does Venmo work in Canada?
No, Venmo does not work in Canada — it’s only available in the USA. So if you want to send fast and free payments to friends and family, or buy and sell cryptocurrency, you’ll need to consider Venmo Canada alternatives.
Does Canada have Venmo or anything like it?
One of Venmo’s main selling points is that it allows you to send money instantly to someone else for free. But as you’re probably already aware, we already have that in Canada with Interac e-Transfers. e-Transfers arrive within minutes, they’re simple to send and receive, and they’re widely available at Canadian financial institutions.
They’re also available with no-fee bank accounts. So if you open an EQ Bank Personal Account or a Tangerine No-Fee Daily Chequing Account, for example, you can send free e-Transfers and not have to worry about any monthly account fees either.
Can you use Venmo in Canada?
If you’re a US resident with a Venmo account, you might be wondering if you can use Venmo while vacationing in Canada.
The answer is no. You can’t sign in to your Venmo account when you are outside the US. So if you need to send a payment while in Canada, you’ll need to consider other payment providers — Venmo’s support page suggests creating an account with its parent company, PayPal.
Can you download the Venmo app in Canada?
No, the Venmo app is not available for download in Canada. If you’re searching for an app you can use to transfer money or buy crypto, you’ll need to consider other options.
Is Venmo available in any country outside of the US?
No, Venmo is only available in the USA. You’ll need to be physically located in the United States to use Venmo.
You can only open a Venmo account if you’re a resident of the United States or one of its territories and at least 18 years old or the age of majority in your state.
Venmo meaning: What does it mean to “Venmo” someone?
To “Venmo” someone means to send them money using the Venmo app. Venmo is a peer-to-peer mobile payment service that makes it quick and easy to send money to other people. It’s commonly used to split bills between friends and family or pay for shared purchases.
So if someone says they will “Venmo” you, this means they will send money to your Venmo account.
How does Venmo work?
Venmo offers the following products and services to users in the USA.
Mobile payments
Venmo offers fast and easy mobile payments, allowing you to send instant transfers to friends and family. It’s free to send money from a linked bank account, debit card or your Venmo account, but there’s a 3% fee when you send money using a credit card. You can also use Venmo to pay for purchases online, in-store and in apps.
Many of the accounts featured in our list of Venmo alternatives offer similar features. Chequing accounts like the Tangerine No-Fee Daily Chequing Account and the Simplii Financial No-Fee Chequing Account support free e-Transfers, while they also offer debit cards that you can use to pay for purchases.
Direct deposit
You can choose to have your pay direct deposited into your Venmo account. If you do so, you could receive your paycheque up to two days earlier than if you have it sent to your bank account.
If you need some extra funds to help you get through to your next payday, check out our guide to 10 apps like Venmo in Canada.
Venmo Debit Card
The Venmo Debit Card allows you to spend using your Venmo balance. You can earn up to 15% cashback on your purchases, and Venmo doesn’t charge any international purchase fees. Venmo also offers a Teen Debit Card with no monthly fee, and with the ability for parents to track spending and set card limits.
Simplii Financial and Tangerine offer convenient debit cards on their chequing accounts. And if you want to earn cashback on your spending, prepaid cards from EQ Bank, KOHO and Neo allow you to do exactly that.
Venmo Credit Card
The Venmo Credit Card pays up to 3% cashback on eligible purchases, and there’s no limit to the amount of cashback you can earn. There’s also no annual fee to worry about, and the card can be added to Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay.
If you’re searching for credit cards like Venmo in Canada, there are plenty of options worth checking out. The BMO eclipse rise Visa Card has no annual fee and a 0.99% introductory rate on balance transfers for the first 9 months. It also allows you to earn five times as many BMO Rewards points for every $2 you spend on recurring bill payments, groceries, dining and takeout.
The Neo Financial Mastercard offers up to 5 cashback on gas and groceries, depending on your Neo Money Account balance. It’s also available with no annual fee.
The RBC Cash Back Mastercard is another popular option that offers unlimited cashback and a $0 annual fee. It also offers fuel savings at Petro-Canada along with a range of other perks.
Cryptocurrency
You can start trading crypto with as little as $1 on Venmo. You can use the app to buy and sell popular crypto assets like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, Solana, Chainlink and PayPal USD, while the cashback you earn from the Venmo Credit Card can also be used to automatically purchase crypto.
Coinbase, Kraken and Paybis are three Venmo alternatives in Canada that all support a wider range of cryptocurrencies. These three providers all support multiple deposit methods too, and they offer user-friendly apps to make it quick and easy to buy and sell crypto.
Bottom line
While you can’t use Venmo in Canada, there are several great alternatives worth checking out. So whether you want to send fast transfers or buy and sell crypto, compare a range of options to find the best alternative to Venmo for your transaction needs.
Frequently asked questions about Venmo
Sources
More guides on Finder
-
Cash App Canada alternatives for banking
Your guide to alternatives to Cash App in Canada, including how each one works.
-
SoFi Canada banking alternatives
Your guide to the best apps and accounts like SoFi in Canada.
-
Monzo Canada alternatives
A detailed look at seven Monzo app alternatives in Canada, including the pros and cons of each.
-
N26 Canada alternatives
N26 isn’t available in Canada, so check out these six alternatives.
-
Alternatives to Chime
These Chime alternatives offer no-fee online and mobile banking along with a host of other perks.
-
6 best Nubank alternatives in Canada
The Canadian neobanks and fintechs worth considering if you’re searching for Nubank alternatives.
-
Is Revolut available in Canada? No, but these 8 accounts are
Looking for Revolut alternatives in Canada? These Canadian banks and financial apps may be just what you need.
-
What is open banking?
Open Banking can pave the way to new products and services for Canadians. Find out all you need to know from APIs to regulations with our guide.
-
6 Starling Bank Canada alternatives
We compare six Starling Bank Canada alternatives to help you find the right digital bank for you.
