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Zelle is a mobile payment application that enables you to send money electronically from your bank account to the accounts of family members or friends. Conveniently, the money can appear in the recipient’s account almost instantly, and you don’t need to bother handling cash or writing a check.
While Zelle is commonly used for purposes like friends splitting a check in a restaurant, it can also be used for sending people larger amounts of money — although banks do impose daily and monthly limits. Here we’ll go over what the Zelle transfer limits are at various banks.
Key takeaways
- Zelle is an easy tool for sending money between friends or different bank accounts, but transfers are subject to limitations.
- Depending on the issuing bank, daily limits for Zelle transactions range from $500 or less to $10,000 or more.
- Aggregate monthly transfer limits also apply and range from $10,000 or less to $20,000 or more.
Zelle transfer limits by bank
Below are the Zelle transfer limits various banks impose on personal customers.
| Bank | Daily Zelle transfer limit | Monthly Zelle transfer limit |
|---|---|---|
| Bank of America | $3,500 | $20,000 |
| Capital One | $3,000 | Not disclosed |
| Chase | $500-$10,000 for each transaction, as dynamically determined by Chase | Not disclosed |
| Citibank: Citibank Account, Basic Account, Access Account | $2,500 for enrollments established more than 30 days ago | $15,000 for enrollments established more than 30 days ago |
| Discover Bank | $600 | Not disclosed |
| Quontic Bank | Per transaction: $500; Per day: $1,000 | Not disclosed |
| TD Bank | Instant transfers: $1,000; Scheduled transfers (up to 3 business days): $2,500 | Instant transfers: $5,000; Scheduled transfers (up to 3 business days): $10,000 |
| Truist Bank | $2,000 | $10,000 |
| USAA Federal Savings Bank | $1,000 | $10,000 |
| Wells Fargo | $3,500 | $20,000 |
How banks set Zelle limits
Most banks set Zelle transfer amount limits per day and per month, and some also set weekly limits. Many also set limits per transaction as well. What’s more, banks also commonly offer the option to transfer money through Zelle instantly or through a standard payment that takes between one and three days — and you’ll often be able to send more money when using the standard method.
Alternatives to Zelle
While Zelle comes as part of your bank’s app, there are various other third-party apps you can use to send money to peers, such as Venmo and Cash App. However, these also come with dollar limits of how much you can send to a person in one day.
If you need to send more than the limit for Zelle at your bank, you have a few options. You can usually send larger amounts with a Automated Clearing House (ACH) transfer, if your bank allows it. You can also create a wire transfer. Limits to these transactions depend on the issuing bank and can range anywhere from $1,000 to $250,000 or more per day. You might incur fees though, especially for wire transfers.
As another alternative, you can send up to $60,000 per transaction from a verified PayPal account.
How to use Zelle safely
Overall, Zelle is considered a safe way to send and receive money with your family and friends. Transfers through Zelle are protected through data encryption, and most bank apps also make use of multi-factor authentication.
But there is a fraud risk when using Zelle. To minimize your chances of getting scammed out of your money, follow these safety tips:
- Only use Zelle to send money to people you know and trust.
- Check the recipient’s handle and confirm the last four digits of their phone number to ensure you have the right person.
- Beware of anyone you don’t know who asks you to send them money through any payment system such as Zelle.
- Treat transactions like cash. Remember, if you fall victim to a scammer by transferring money to them through Zelle, there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to recover the money you lost since you technically authorized the transaction.
Bottom line
Sending money to your friends and family members through Zelle is often quicker and easier than paying them through cash, a check or a wire transfer. If you plan to use Zelle to send large amounts of money or to use the service frequently, it’s important to know your bank’s limits per day and month, as well as per transaction.
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