To let someone send you money through Zelle, all you need to share is the email address or U.S. mobile phone number you registered with Zelle. That’s it. The sender types that into their Zelle app or banking app, enters the amount, and the money goes directly to your linked bank account. You never need to share your bank account number, routing number, or any login credentials.
What Counts as Your “Zelle Info”
When you first set up Zelle, either through your bank’s app or the standalone Zelle app, you register with a U.S. mobile phone number, an email address, or both. Whichever one you registered is your Zelle identifier. That’s the only piece of information the other person needs to send you money.
One important detail: each email address and each phone number can only be linked to one bank account at a time. If you’re not sure which email or phone number you registered, open your banking app, navigate to the Zelle section, and look for a settings or profile area. Your enrolled contact info will be listed there. If you use the standalone Zelle app instead, you’ll find it under your profile settings.
How to Share It
There’s no special process. You can text it, say it out loud, email it, or write it on a sticky note. Just tell the person, “Send it to [your email]” or “Send it to [your phone number],” and they can look you up in Zelle from their end. When they enter your info and send the payment, you’ll get a notification, and the funds typically arrive within minutes if your bank supports Zelle directly.
Many banking apps also let you generate a Zelle QR code, which saves the other person from typing anything. To find yours, open your bank’s mobile app, go to the Zelle section, then look for Zelle settings or your Zelle profile. There should be an option to view your QR code. From that screen, you can share it by text or email, or simply hold up your phone and let the sender scan it. The QR code automatically fills in your contact details on their end.
If You Haven’t Set Up Zelle Yet
If someone wants to send you money and you haven’t enrolled, they can still send a payment to your email or phone number. You’ll receive a notification with instructions to register. Once you complete enrollment and link a bank account, the payment will go through. Most banks and credit unions in the U.S. offer Zelle directly inside their mobile app, so check there first. If your bank doesn’t support it, you can download the standalone Zelle app and connect your debit card.
When enrolling, keep in mind that only U.S. mobile numbers work. International numbers, landlines, and 1-800 numbers are not accepted. If you register with a phone number that’s already enrolled at a different bank, you’ll need to unenroll it there before you can use it at your new bank.
What You Should Never Share
Receiving a Zelle payment requires only your email or phone number. No one sending you money needs your bank account number, routing number, debit card number, online banking password, or any verification codes sent to your phone. If someone asks for any of that information while claiming they need it to “complete” a Zelle transfer, that’s a scam.
Phishing attempts tied to Zelle often involve an urgent message, sometimes disguised as a text from your bank, asking you to click a link or provide account details. Zelle payments are meant to be used with people you know and trust. Sharing your registered email or phone number with a friend, family member, or someone you’re doing business with in person is perfectly fine. Sharing it with a stranger online who contacted you out of the blue carries more risk, not because they can steal from you with just your email, but because it can be the opening move in a broader scam.