Venmo froze my account - what to do?

Updated: March 07, 2023
6 min read
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Venmo froze my account - what to do?
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by Dmytro Sywyi
Tech Expert & Writer
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Venmo is an advantageous payment platform designed by PayPal to make personal transactions easier. So, with a handy app for your mobile phone, you can transfer and receive cash immediately using your Venmo account. The service is especially popular among friends, relatives, and colleagues willing to split bills for dinner, movies, rent, etc. Considering all the perks of the application, a blocked account causes a lot of inconveniences. Many people get into despair and run for help to Howly asking “why is my Venmo frozen?” Unfortunately, such issues aren’t rare, but there’s nothing difficult in solving them. In this guide, we reveal possible causes of the problem and provide actionable solutions on how to unfreeze a Venmo account quickly.

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Venmo froze my account with money on it - is it legal?

Users often claim “Venmo froze my account with money in it” doubting the legitimacy of such actions. It’s important to understand that the service deals with monetary operations directly, so its primary goal is to ensure the best level of security to the customers. Thus, the company has full authority to suspend suspicious accounts, request additional payment confirmation, cancel financial transactions, and so on. The problem may lie in non-compliance with the bank card rules, Venmo user agreement violation, and a number of other issues. So account freezes are legal even if your money is still there.

How do I know if my Venmo account is frozen?

It’s easy to determine that your Venmo account is frozen – the company immediately informs you about the problem. Thus, you receive an email explaining the reasons for your blockage as well as options to resolve the issue.

One more indicator of a blocked account is an error message you encounter when trying to complete financial transactions. You’ll get it in case you haven’t received the email notification.

What’s more, you may have issues with the payment receipt. This is another indication that the Venmo account got suspended. So, a person who is trying to send you cash will also get a notification about transaction failures.

Why is my Venmo account frozen?

Venmo account frozen

A Venmo account can be frozen for a variety of reasons:

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  • You have insufficient balance on your account when performing transactions.
  • You've overreached the daily payment limit.
  • You might encounter an issue of a suspended Venmo account because of legal violations.
  • You may be requested to provide certain documents if Venmo detected strange behavior or suspicious activity in your profile.
  • Venmo can freeze your account with money on it with the purpose of protecting your cash from scammers. It happens when the system detects third-party account usage or authorization.

How do I unfreeze my Venmo account?

Before exploring how to unfreeze your Venmo account, it’s important to realize that there are quite a lot of methods to deal with the issue since the reasons for account blocks vary. Let’s consider the most popular ones and also ways to fix them:

Your account is suspended because you owe money to Venmo

  1. Enter account.venmo.com/sign-in and access your account.
  2. Pick your bank in the window that pops up. Keep in mind that you should first verify your bank account before completing the transaction to exclude the possibility of the Venmo frozen account problem.
  3. Specify the sum you’re willing to transfer (no less than the amount you owe).
  4. Once you send the money and pay off your debt, it takes 2 to 3 days to unfreeze your Venmo account (on average).

Venmo account was suspended because of user agreement violation

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Many users wonder “why did Venmo freeze my account?” without even suspecting that they’ve violated the terms spelled out in the user agreement. So when the company notices any prohibited activities, they put your account on hold and notify you about temporal account deletion. The problem can be fixed with a company representative, and the process is easy:

  1. Contact their customer service right in your application:
    1. Launch the app.
    2. Hit Menu in the upper corner.
    3. Opt for the Get Help option.
    4. Pick Contact Us.
    5. Tap Chat with Us to identify how to unfreeze the Venmo account. Thus, you’ll start a live chat with a support representative who will tell you how to deal with the problem.
  2. Inform their support team that your account has been frozen.
  3. Clarify the reason why you’ve violated the terms of the platform.
  4. Wait for the company's decision regarding unlocking your Venmo profile.
Venmo account frozen

Venmo account was frozen owing to suspicious activity

As it’s indicated in the Privacy Policy, Venmo is committed to ensuring the best possible level of security protection to their customers. So if they notice any doubtful behavior associated with your account, you may get a notification that your Venmo account is frozen due to suspicious activity. It sometimes happens that users type the incorrect password multiple times in a row or use the same account from multiple locations at once and thus get temporarily locked. So what are the options to recover the account?

  1. Access venmo.com/recover and fill in your credentials.
  2. Reply to the email from Venmo informing you about your account blockage. Attach a picture of your valid ID so their support team can check your identity.
Venmo account frozen

Venmo account was suspended for less than $1

Your Venmo account may also be banned in case your balance is currently lower than $1. The easiest and quickest solution is to notify the support team about your problem and describe its reason. In this case, it may take them up to 7 days to sort things out and unblock you.

How can I avoid getting my Venmo account frozen?

Venmo accounts are often blocked both because of the funds shortage and excessive spending. And to avoid such troubles, you should first learn more about acceptable spending limits. There are some other tips worth taking into consideration to ensure you won't bother with the question "how to unfreeze my Venmo account?"

  • Check out your balance and automatic payments each week to make sure you have no debts.
  • Deposit money more frequently.
  • Remember your password or write it somewhere in a safe place.
  • Access your account via one device at a time.

You can also reach out to customer support for more information by calling 855-812-4430. The phone line is available on weekdays from 10:00 am and up to 6:00 pm.

F.A.Q.

How long does it take Venmo to unfreeze your account?

The time to unfreeze a Venmo account may vary depending on each particular case. So, if you owe cash to Venmo, you can get your account unlocked in 2-3 days after paying off the debt. But if your issue is more complicated, you may wait 7-10 days to unblock your account.

How to get money out of a frozen Venmo account?

When your Venmo account is frozen with money, you can’t withdraw the funds until you unblock it. But there’s no need to worry about your money being lost or debited. Venmo holds user savings in frozen accounts for up to 180 days.

Is it still possible to receive a payment if my Venmo account is frozen?

Absolutely. Money can still be deposited to your Venmo account even if it’s on hold. In case you have a debt, the received funds will be primarily used for its dischargement.

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Comments

41 comments
Andrew
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I hope venmo improves its account freezing protocols to minimize inconvenience for its users
Oscar
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The tips provided in this article are helpful not just for Venmo freezes but also for similar issues with other online platforms. Good to know!
Lucas Lewis
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seems like account freezing is a common issue across various payment platforms🤔
Matthew Parker
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How long does it usually take for Venmo to unfreeze an account?
1 reply
  1. maxi71
    Invalid Date
    Matthew Parker, I had a similar issue, and Venmo's customer support was able to unlock my account within a day. Make sure to provide all the necessary information!
joshua
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quite practical advice!
T.Thomas
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Venmo froze my account once, but customer support help me quickly resolved it
Maisie
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I'm grateful for the information shared in this article. It saved me from the panic of dealing with a frozen venmo account without a clue
Ethan Bud
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is there any legal recourse if venmo refuses to unfreeze acct without a valid reason?
Lil K.
Invalid Date
Thank you for instructions! I followed the steps mentioned, and Venmo helped me regain access to my frozen account👍👍
jane
Invalid Date
your support team helped me a lot!
Sparkle4
Invalid Date
The suggestions are practical and straightforward. I highly recommend following them if you encounter a frozen venmo acct
Jameson
Invalid Date
Zelle froze my account once, and it was a hassle to resolve. It's a common issue across different platforms
Dash
Invalid Date
Venmo froze my account without any warning! It took forever to resolve the issue😡
Louie27
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A huge shoutout to the author!
Tribe Butler
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Has anyone tried the solutions mentioned in this article? Did they work for you?
1 reply
  1. pippi
    Invalid Date
    Tribe Butler, I followed the steps mentioned in the article, and it worked! Venmo unfroze my account within a day🔥
BRadley
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I faced a similar situation with my PayPal account. It's frustrating when your funds are temporarily inaccessible…
Sherlock88
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I'm glad I came across this article. Dealing with a frozen Venmo account can be overwhelming, but now I have some strategies to handle it.
Chelsea Collins
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Wow! It's important to know what steps to take if your Venmo account gets frozen
Lori L Russell
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Can you please send me the information I need to reactivate my Venmo account?
1 reply
  1. Howly
    Invalid Date
    Lori L Russell , hello! Thank you for your question. If you need personal expert advice, please type your question in the Chat window at the top of this page. Howly experts are always there to help you! 
Lily Vogelsong
Invalid Date
My account has been froze na di do not know why. I go to and it brings me to the home page. I called and got left on hold for 10 minutes. I need to get my money out now.
1 reply
  1. Howly team
    Invalid Date
    Lily Vogelsong, hello! Thank you for your question. If you need personal expert advice, please type your question in the Chat window at the top of this page. Howly experts are always there to help you! 
Rico Lazzereschi
Invalid Date
My account got froze. I'm trying to figure out the reason for it and to be able to access it
Ryan burmeister
Invalid Date
My account has been frozen for a couple days now and I needed to be unfroze
1 reply
  1. Howly team
    Invalid Date
    Ryan burmeister , hello! Thank you for your question. If you need personal expert advice, please type your question in the Chat window at the top of this page. Howly experts are always there to help you! 
Kristie Goodhard
Invalid Date
I’d like to get my account unfrozen… it’s been 2 weeks and I have not heard from Venmo
1 reply
  1. Howly team
    Invalid Date
    Kristie Goodhard, hello! Thank you for your question. If you need personal expert advice, please type your question in the Chat window at the top of this page. Howly experts are always there to help you! 
Robin Lynch
Invalid Date
My account was frozen and I need to unfreeze my account please
1 reply
  1. Howly team
    Invalid Date
    Robin Lynch , Hello! We are not Venmo official support service. Howly is the questions-and-answers marketplace, where people get high-quality personalized consultations from top professionals 24/7. If you need help with your issue, please use a chat window to contact our experts. Have a nice day!
Angela Gimple
Invalid Date
My account is frozen & I don’t know why? How do I unfreeze?
2 reply
  1. Howly team
    Invalid Date
    Angela Gimple, hello! Thank you for your question. If you need personal expert advice, please type your question in the Chat window at the top of this page. Howly experts are always there to help you! 
  2. Valariebrown
    Invalid Date
    Angela Gimple, Can u please unfreeze my account i have bills to pay
    1 reply
  3. Howly
    Invalid Date
    Valariebrown, Hello! We are not Venmo official support service. Howly is the questions-and-answers marketplace, where people get high-quality personalized consultations from top professionals 24/7. If you need help with your issue, please use a chat window to contact our experts. Have a nice day!
Jake Butler
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Account frozen
Kay Brown
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I need to speak to a representative to re-open the Venmo account I closed in November, 2022.
Arlinda ground
Invalid Date
unfrezze my account
Johnathan Barnes
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Can y’all please unfreeze my accounts it’s important!
ANNETTE SEARCY
Invalid Date
My account is frozen and I don’t know why. Need it unfrozen please assist
Christy
Invalid Date
My account is frozen. How do I get it fix?

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