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As more folks opt for cashless and contactless payments, tech firms have stepped up to make sending and receiving money a breeze right from your smartphone. Cash App is one of these services, offering some nifty features not found in other money transfer options. These include investing in stocks, snagging special savings at select merchants and restaurants, and buying and selling bitcoin.
Keep reading to discover more about Cash App, its perks, and any potential downsides.
What Is Cash App and How Does It Work?
Cash App, brought to you by Block Inc., is a handy peer-to-peer money transfer service. With Cash App, you can easily send and receive money, whether it’s chipping in for utilities with your roommates, reimbursing a friend for coffee, or splitting the cost of a trip. It’s a breeze to handle all sorts of money tasks with fellow Cash App users.
Think of Cash App as having your own bank account: You can even get a debit card, aka “Cash Card,” to make purchases using the funds right from your Cash App account. Plus, the app offers the option to invest your money in stocks and dabble in buying and selling bitcoin.
How to Add Money to Cash App
To send payments through Cash App, you’ll need a bank account, debit card, credit card, or prepaid card. Loading money onto the Cash App is easy: just go to the Money tab on the app’s home screen, select “Add Cash,” and enter the amount you want to add from your linked account. After that, confirm the transaction by entering your app PIN or using Touch ID.
How to Send Money With Cash App
First, you’ll need an external funding source, like a bank account or debit card (although you can also use a credit card or prepaid card). This is where you’ll load money into your Cash App account and where funds you withdraw from Cash App will be deposited. Next, download the Cash App on your smartphone. The app will guide you through the signup process, where you’ll create a user account and link your bank account or other funding source.
Once you’re set-up, you can use your linked bank account, debit card, or another funding source to send money to other Cash App users and transfer money from your Cash App account to your bank account. It works similarly to services like Venmo and PayPal, where you link a bank account to send money, and you can also hold any received funds in the app until you’re ready to withdraw them.
To send a payment:
- Open the Cash App mobile app.
- Enter the amount you want to send.
- Tap Pay.
- Enter the email address, phone number, or “$Cashtag” (another person’s username in the app).
- Enter what you are sending the payment for.
- Tap Pay.
How to Receive or Deposit Money With Cash App
To check the details of a received payment, just tap the “Activity” button. You’ll also notice your total Cash App balance displayed at the bottom left of the app’s home screen.
Furthermore, you can easily set up direct deposit for your paycheck into your Cash App account. Also, if you need to add physical cash to your account, you can do so at select retailers for a small fee.
Benefits of Cash App
There are no fees for basic services with Cash App. That means no monthly fees, no charges for sending or receiving money (unless you’re using a credit card), no penalties for inactivity, and no foreign transaction fees.
Cash App offers an optional free debit card called the “Cash Card.” It lets users make transactions and withdraw funds from their Cash App account. This card, issued by Sutton Bank, is exclusive to each user’s Cash App account and isn’t linked to a personal bank account or another debit card.
If you set up direct deposit, you can make ATM withdrawals for free. Otherwise, there’s a $2.50 fee for ATM transactions using the Cash Card.
Cash App provides money-saving offers for users with the Cash Card. By selecting offers in their account, users can save on purchases from specific vendors. Only one offer can be active at a time, but users can switch offers as often as they like.
You can earn a cash bonus for referring friends to Cash App. When your friends sign up using your referral code, you’ll receive a cash bonus for each friend who joins.
Cash App also offers the option to invest. Users can buy stocks in individual companies with any amount of money they choose. Stocks can be purchased using funds from the Cash App account, and if there’s not enough money in the app, the remaining amount will be drawn from the linked bank account.
Cash App supports Bitcoin transactions but with fees. Users can buy and sell Bitcoin, although Cash App may charge a fee, which is displayed before completing the transaction. Additionally,
depending on how quickly you want to receive Bitcoin withdrawals, there may be a fee for withdrawals.
Things to Consider About Cash App
Your funds aren’t FDIC-insured unless you have a Cash Card or a sponsored account. (More details on sponsored accounts below.) While Cash App may resemble a bank in some ways, it’s important to note that there’s a clear distinction between the app and a fully chartered financial institution.
FDIC insurance ensures that if your bank were to fail, your funds would be federally insured, usually up to $250,000. Cash App funds are FDIC-insured only if you also have a Cash Card or a sponsored account. For instance, Cash App users aged 13 to 17 need an adult sponsor for certain features, and both the sponsor’s and the teen’s accounts are FDIC-insured.
Funds in Cash App aren’t held or transferred through Sutton Bank and thus don’t receive FDIC insurance. Therefore, if you don’t have a Cash Card or a sponsored account, it’s safer to transfer your Cash App balance to your FDIC-insured bank account.
Using a credit card isn’t free. Cash App charges a 3% fee to send money via a linked credit card. This fee is standard among money transfer apps; for instance, Venmo also charges 3% to send money with a linked credit card. To avoid this fee, use your linked bank account or the funds in your Cash App account.
Cash Card has spending limits. The maximum spending limit per transaction and per day is $7,000, and $10,000 per week. The monthly spending limit is $25,000.
Cash Card also has withdrawal limits. The maximum amount you can withdraw at an ATM or store register cash-back transaction is $1,000 per transaction, $1,000 per day, and $1,000 per week.
Instant deposits of Cash App funds to your bank account incur a fee. You’ll pay 0.50% to 1.75% for immediate transfers. Standard transfers to your linked account, which take one to three business days, don’t incur any fees.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cash App
Here are answers to some common questions about using Cash App.
What is Cash App?
Cash App is a peer-to-peer money transfer service that allows users to send and receive money easily. It’s not just about money transfers; Cash App operates much like a traditional bank account. Users are provided with a debit card, known as a “Cash Card,” enabling them to make purchases using the funds available in their Cash App account. Additionally, Cash App offers the option for users to invest in stocks and buy or sell bitcoin directly through the app.
How Does Cash App Work?
Cash App is a mobile application, so to get started, you’ll need to download the app to your mobile phone. Once you have the app, you’ll need to create a Cash App account, which involves linking it to your bank account or another external funding source. When you want to pay someone or request a payment through Cash App, simply enter the other person’s $Cashtag, email address, or phone number after tapping “Pay” or “Request.”
Is Cash App Safe?
Cash App is safe for sending and receiving money among people you know. The information you send on the app is encrypted, and it’s equipped with fraud detection technology.
To ensure your Cash App experience stays secure, it’s a good idea to follow some best practices. Stick to using it for transactions with friends and family only. You can also enhance security by activating features like requiring a passcode, fingerprint, or face recognition for payments. Additionally, consider enabling email or text notifications to stay informed about every Cash payment.
Do You Need a Bank Account to Use Cash App?
Nope, you don’t need a bank account to use Cash App. You can also link a debit, credit, or prepaid card to the app.