Sending money on Cash App takes about 30 seconds once your account is set up. You can send to anyone using their name, $cashtag, phone number, or email address, and the payment arrives instantly in their Cash App balance. Here’s exactly how to do it and what to know about fees, limits, and what happens if something goes wrong.
How to Send a Payment
Open Cash App and follow these steps:
- Tap the Payments tab (the $ icon)
- Enter the dollar amount (minimum $1)
- Tap Pay
- Type in the recipient’s name, $cashtag, phone number, or email address
- Add a note describing what the payment is for
- Choose your payment method (Cash App balance, linked bank account, or card)
- Tap Pay to confirm
The money leaves your account immediately and lands in the recipient’s Cash App balance. They can spend it directly from the app, transfer it to their bank, or use it with their Cash Card if they have one.
Sending Limits
Your sending limit depends on whether you’ve verified your identity. Unverified accounts can send and receive up to $1,000 over a rolling 30-day period. That ceiling covers both directions combined, so if you receive $600, you can only send $400 before hitting the cap.
Verified accounts can send up to $40,000 on a rolling 30-day basis. To verify, you’ll need to provide your full legal name, date of birth, and the last four digits of your Social Security number. Cash App may ask for additional documentation in some cases. The process usually takes just a few minutes.
If you plan to send more than occasional small payments, verifying your account is worth doing right away. The $1,000 unverified limit can be restrictive even for splitting rent or covering group expenses.
What It Costs
Sending money from your Cash App balance or a linked bank account is free. Sending from a linked credit card carries a 3% fee, so a $100 payment would cost you $103. Using a debit card to fund a payment is free.
The other fee to know about is for transferring money out of Cash App to your bank. Standard transfers are free and arrive within one to three business days. Instant transfers deposit to your linked debit card right away but cost between 0.5% and 2.5% of the amount, with a minimum fee of $0.25 to $1 and a maximum of $75. Cash App shows you the exact fee before you confirm, so there are no surprises.
Paying Someone New
You don’t need the recipient’s $cashtag to send money. A phone number or email address works just as well. If the person you’re paying doesn’t have a Cash App account yet, they’ll receive a notification prompting them to sign up and claim the funds.
That said, double-check the recipient’s details before you hit Pay. A single wrong digit in a phone number or a typo in a $cashtag sends your money to a stranger, and getting it back isn’t guaranteed.
If You Send to the Wrong Person
Cash App cannot cancel or refund a completed payment. Once the money is sent, it’s in the recipient’s hands. If you accidentally pay the wrong person, your options depend on timing.
Within 30 days of the payment, open the Activity tab on your home screen, select the payment, tap “Report an Issue,” choose a reason, and submit a refund request. This sends a notification to the recipient asking them to return the money, but they aren’t required to do so.
If more than 30 days have passed, you can still try to recover the funds by entering the transaction amount on your home screen, tapping Request, filling in the recipient’s information, and sending a money request directly.
In either case, you’re relying on the other person’s willingness to send the money back. This is why it’s worth taking an extra second to confirm the recipient before completing any payment.
Sending Money Internationally
Cash App works in the United States and the United Kingdom, but person-to-person payments only function domestically within each country. You cannot send money from a U.S. account to a U.K. account, and features like sending payments, adding funds, and withdrawing funds are unavailable outside those two countries entirely. If you need to transfer money internationally, you’ll need a different service.
Choosing a Payment Method
When you send a payment, Cash App lets you pick which funding source to use. Your options typically include your Cash App balance, a linked bank account, or a linked debit or credit card. The app draws from your Cash App balance first by default, then falls back to your linked bank account if the balance is insufficient.
If you have a specific preference, tap the payment method option during the send flow to switch. Sticking with your balance or bank account keeps the transaction free. Credit cards work in a pinch but the 3% surcharge adds up quickly, especially on larger payments. Debit cards offer a middle ground: free to send, and you can receive instant transfers to them for a small fee if you need fast access to incoming funds later.