To request money using Zelle, open your banking app or the Zelle app, tap “Request,” select a contact or enter their email or phone number, type the amount, and hit send. The recipient gets a notification and can pay you directly from their bank account. The whole process takes under a minute, but a few details are worth knowing before you start.
Sending a Basic Money Request
Zelle is built into most major banking apps, so you likely don’t need to download anything separate. Open your bank’s mobile app and look for the Zelle section, which is usually found under payments or transfers. If your bank doesn’t offer Zelle, you can download the standalone Zelle app and link your bank account directly.
Once you’re in Zelle, tap “Request” (as opposed to “Send”). You’ll be prompted to choose a recipient. You can pick someone from your existing contacts or enter their U.S. mobile number or email address. Then enter the dollar amount, add an optional memo describing what the money is for, and submit the request. Zelle sends the other person a notification, and they can approve the payment with a few taps on their end.
One important limitation: payment requests can only be sent to people who are already enrolled in Zelle. If the person you’re requesting money from hasn’t set up a Zelle profile, they won’t receive your request. You’ll need to let them know to enroll first through their own bank or the Zelle app.
Splitting a Bill With Multiple People
If you’re dividing a dinner tab, rent, or a group gift, some banks offer a “Split a bill” feature within Zelle that lets you request money from up to 10 people at once. Not every bank supports this feature, but if yours does, the process works like this:
- Start the split. Navigate to Zelle in your banking app and choose “Split a bill” instead of the standard request option.
- Select your group. Pick the people you want to split with from your existing recipients, or add new ones by entering their contact info.
- Enter the total bill amount. This should include your own share. Zelle uses the total to calculate how much each person owes, but your portion won’t be deducted from your account.
- Adjust individual amounts. By default, the total is divided evenly among everyone. If someone owes more or less, tap the dollar amount next to their name and change it. The system automatically recalculates the remaining shares so everything still adds up to the total.
- Add a memo and review. Describe what the split is for, choose which bank account should receive the funds, and confirm the request.
Each person in the group gets their own individual request notification and pays separately. This is much faster than sending five or six individual requests manually.
What Happens After You Send a Request
Once your request goes out, the recipient sees a notification in their banking app or via text and email. They can choose to pay the full amount, ignore it, or decline it. You’ll get a notification when they pay, and the money typically lands in your bank account within minutes.
There’s no official published expiration window for money requests the way there is for unclaimed payments (which expire after 14 days if the recipient hasn’t enrolled). In practice, pending requests sit in the recipient’s Zelle inbox until they act on them or you cancel. If someone hasn’t responded, a quick follow-up message is usually more effective than sending another request.
Zelle doesn’t charge fees for personal accounts. The money moves directly between bank accounts with no transaction cost on either side. If you’re using a business account, fees may apply depending on your bank, so check with your financial institution before relying on Zelle for business collections.
Using Zelle Requests for a Small Business
Not all banks that offer Zelle for personal accounts also offer it for business accounts. If you want to request payments from customers or clients, you’ll need to confirm with your bank that Zelle is available for your specific business account type. Some banks also let eligible small business accounts create a “Zelle tag,” a short custom identifier that makes it easier for customers to find and pay you.
The request process works the same way it does for personal accounts, but keep in mind that you can only request money from people already enrolled in Zelle. For businesses that need to collect from a wide range of customers, this can be a limitation since not everyone uses the service.
Handling Requests You Didn’t Expect
Because anyone with your email or phone number can send you a Zelle request, you may occasionally receive requests from people you don’t recognize. A request alone doesn’t take money from your account. You have to actively approve and send a payment for any money to move. If you get an unexpected request from an unknown person, simply ignore or decline it.
Scammers sometimes send fake requests hoping you’ll pay without thinking, or they may follow up with a phone call or text pretending to be your bank. Never share your banking login, one-time passcodes, or personal details in response to a Zelle request or message. If something feels off, contact your bank directly using the number on the back of your debit card rather than responding to the message itself.