 TITLE: Can You Use a Credit Card on Venmo? CONTENT: 6 Tips for Using Venmo Safely\n-----------------------------\nWhether you're paying on Venmo with your bank account, debit card, Venmo balance or credit card, you should follow some basic precautions to help keep your money and identity secure.\nHere are six tips for using Venmo safely:\n1.  Create a strong password. When it comes to your financial accounts, one of the easiest ways to protect yourself is creating a complex password. Avoid dictionary words, instead selecting a series of lower- and uppercase letters, numbers and symbols.\n2.  Add additional security measures. By setting up a PIN, biometrics and multi-factor authentication, you'll make it much more difficult for fraudsters to gain access to your account.\n3.  Only Venmo those you trust. Venmo's user agreement states you should only transact with \"people you know and trust.\" If you send a stranger money—either due to error or a scam—you'll have a tough time getting it back.\n4.  Stay on top of notifications. Opt into text notifications that immediately alert you to account activity, such as transfers or attempted logins, so you'll know if something fishy is going on.\n5.  Avoid public Wi-Fi. Never sign into your Venmo account while connected to a public Wi-Fi network. Hackers have been known to set up spoof networks or compromise existing ones in order to steal login details and other personal information.\n6.  Go private. With Venmo's default settings, your payment activity is public, offering identity thieves a sneak peek at your financial habits. Changing your settings will keep your transactions private.\nIf you ever notice a potentially fraudulent Venmo transaction, contact a customer service representative as quickly as you can. The Venmo app has a built-in chat feature you can use to get help.  \n4 Alternative Mobile Payment Services\n-------------------------------------\nNot thrilled with Venmo? No sweat: You've got plenty of other mobile payment services at your fingertips. Here are several other platforms to consider:  \n### Google Pay\nThough Google Pay is mostly used for shopping online or in stores, you can also use it to send money to your loved ones. You can't, however, use credit cards to fund such P2P transactions. You can only use bank transfers or debit cards, neither of which will trigger a transaction fee.\n### Zelle\nUnlike other mobile payment apps, Zelle allows you to send money directly from one checking account to another. The recipient doesn't need to be a Zelle user—and, if your bank is one of its partner institutions, you won't need to download an app. Best of all, sending payments via credit card doesn't incur any fees.\n### PayPal\nSending money to friends and family is free if the money comes from your PayPal balance or a bank transfer, but if you want to pay with a credit or debit card, you'll get hit with a 2.9% fee (plus a flat charge that can vary). If you're paying in U.S. dollars, the flat charge is 30 cents.\n### Cash App\nCash App has several unique features, including the ability to get your paychecks two days early, sign up for a free debit card that works in stores and at ATMs, and invest in stocks or Bitcoin. Just want to send money to friends? You'll pay a 3% fee to use a credit card; transfers funded via debit card or bank account are free.\nHow to Decide Whether to Add Your Credit Card to Venmo\n------------------------------------------------------\nThere's no doubt about it: Venmo and other P2P payment services are incredibly convenient, and often free of charge. Unless, of course, you're using a credit card—in which case you'll usually pay a fee to do so.\nWhen deciding whether to add your credit card to your Venmo account, you'll need to weigh the added security versus the added fee, and decide which one matters more to you. END