Creating a new Cash App account takes about five minutes. You need a phone number or email address, a debit card, and some basic personal information. Here’s exactly how to set it up and what to know about limits, verification, and security once you’re in.
What You Need Before You Start
To create a Cash App account, you must be at least 13 years old and located in the US. If you’re between 13 and 17, you’ll need a parent or guardian to sponsor your account before you can access most features.
Have these ready before you begin:
- A smartphone (iOS or Android) or access to cash.app in a browser
- A phone number or email address
- A Visa, Mastercard, or Discover debit card
- Your legal name and date of birth
Step-by-Step Account Setup
Download Cash App from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. You can also go to cash.app on a computer and click “Sign up.”
Once you open the app, you’ll walk through these steps in order:
- Enter your email or phone number. This becomes your login method, and Cash App will use it to reach you for confirmations and receipts.
- Submit the confirmation code. Cash App sends a one-time code to the email or phone number you provided. Type it in to verify you own that contact method.
- Add your debit card. Enter your card number, CVV (the three-digit code on the back), expiration date, and zip code. Credit cards are not accepted for the initial setup, only debit cards from Visa, Mastercard, or Discover.
- Provide your legal name and date of birth. Use the name that matches your debit card and government ID. This matters later if you verify your identity.
- Choose a $cashtag. This is your unique username, like a handle that starts with a dollar sign. Other people use it to find you and send you money. Pick something you’re comfortable sharing, because changing it later is limited.
- Enter your zip code.
- Create a PIN. This four-digit code is used when you log in or confirm certain transactions.
After these steps, your account is live and you can start sending or receiving money immediately, though with lower limits until you verify your identity.
Verify Your Identity to Raise Your Limits
A brand-new, unverified Cash App account can send and receive up to $1,000 within any rolling 30-day period, with a total lifetime account cap of $1,500. Your stored balance is also capped at $1,000. For casual, small transfers this may be enough, but most people hit these limits quickly.
Verifying your identity removes most of those restrictions. Verified accounts can send up to $40,000 in a rolling 30-day period and hold an unlimited cash balance. To verify, you’ll need to provide your Social Security number and upload a photo of a government-issued ID (driver’s license, state ID, or passport). Cash App walks you through this inside the app under your profile settings.
Verification typically processes within a few minutes, though it can occasionally take a day or two. There’s no fee for it, and there’s really no reason to skip it if you plan to use the account regularly.
Personal vs. Business Accounts
When you first create your account, it’s a personal account. Personal accounts let you send money to friends, receive direct deposits, invest in stocks, and buy Bitcoin, all without transaction fees for standard peer-to-peer payments funded by a debit card or your Cash App balance.
If you’re a sole proprietor, single-member LLC, or nonprofit, you can switch to a business account (or add business features to your existing account) inside the app. A business account lets you accept payments from customers via debit cards, credit cards, prepaid cards, and Cash App transfers. Cash App generates QR codes so customers can find and pay you easily, and it automatically sends the appropriate tax forms at year-end.
The tradeoff is cost. Business accounts pay a processing fee of 2.5% plus $0.15 per transaction on incoming payments. There’s no monthly fee, but those per-transaction costs add up. Standard transfers to your bank take up to three business days, and instant transfers cost extra. If you’re only sending money to friends and family, stick with a personal account.
Set Up Security Lock Right Away
Cash App has a Security Lock feature that requires your fingerprint, face scan, or PIN before anyone can open the app or send a payment. It’s not turned on by default, so you should enable it as soon as your account is created.
To turn it on in the mobile app:
- Tap your profile icon
- Select “Security”
- Select “Security Lock”
- Choose what to protect: opening the app, sending payments, or both
- Create your four-digit security code
- Follow the prompts to save your fingerprint or face scan if your phone supports it
If someone picks up your unlocked phone without Security Lock enabled, they could open Cash App and send themselves money in seconds. Enabling both options (app opening and payment sending) adds two layers of protection with almost no inconvenience.
Can You Have More Than One Account?
Cash App’s terms tie each account to a unique phone number or email address. You can’t create two accounts with the same phone number. If you want a second account, you’d need a different phone number and email, plus a separate debit card. In practice, most people only need one account, and trying to run multiple accounts can trigger Cash App’s fraud detection and get both accounts locked.
If you’re starting fresh because you lost access to an old account, your best option is to recover it through Cash App support rather than creating a new one. Your old $cashtag, transaction history, and any stored balance stay tied to that original account.
Linking a Bank Account
During or after setup, you can link a bank account to move money between Cash App and your checking or savings account. You’ll enter your routing number and account number, or connect through your bank’s login credentials if Cash App supports instant linking with your bank. Once linked, you can cash out your Cash App balance to your bank. Standard transfers are free and arrive in one to three business days. Instant transfers deposit within minutes but carry a small fee.