Lock Down Venmo and Cash App Before the Holiday Rush
Venmo activity can be visible to others and Cash App relies on your lock settings. Changes to make before December, plus what each company says it won't ask.
In December payment apps carry the group gift, the cookie-exchange split and the babysitter. They also carry a history other people may be able to see, plus a sign-in code a caller can try to talk out of you. Ten minutes of settings changes both.
This article is about the app already on your phone. Choosing whether to use one for a purchase is a separate question, covered in our guide to payment methods. Our short version of that guide: these apps are for people you know.
Venmo: what to change, and where
Venmo’s help page on payment privacy walks through three separate settings. Menu names can shift between app versions, so if something isn’t where the steps say, look under the settings gear.
- Default privacy. Open the Me tab, tap the gear, choose Privacy, and pick Private. Options are Public, Friends and Private. Venmo says it “will always use the more restrictive setting selected between payment partners.”
- Past payments. Changing the default doesn’t reach back in time. Use the past-transactions option in the Privacy menu to hide your history. Venmo notes “you can only make past payments more private than they were initially.”
- Friends list. Under the settings gear and Privacy, tap Friends List. Venmo says your list may be visible to other users, only your friends, or kept private.
Cash App: the setting that matters most
Cash App’s security page describes Security Lock as a feature “which requires your face, fingerprint, or PIN before any payment goes through.” Turn it on in the app’s security settings. With it on, a person holding your unlocked phone still can’t send money, which matters when phones get passed around at gatherings or left on a table.
Cash App also says it will never ask for your sign-in code or PIN. If someone claiming to be from Cash App asks for personal information, don’t reply, and report it in the app.
What each company says it won’t do
| Scenario | Venmo (Common Scams page) | Cash App (Security page) |
|---|---|---|
| Asking for your code | “Venmo will never ask you for this code under any circumstances.” | Will never ask for your sign-in code or PIN |
| Remote access or apps | Won’t ask to access your device remotely or install a third-party app | Report anyone claiming to be Cash App who asks for personal information |
| “Verify” by sending money | Won’t ask you to send money to “verify” your account | Our rule: treat this the same way, since no legitimate verification costs you a payment |
| Moving you elsewhere | Won’t direct you to send money through another payment platform | Report in the app |
Venmo’s list comes from its help page on common scams. Any request from “support” that crosses one of those lines ends the conversation. Go to the app itself to reach support. Don’t use a number from a search result or a message.
Who you can pay safely
Venmo’s guidance is specific: only buy from strangers through an approved business account, avoid paying people you don’t know, and don’t exchange checks for Venmo payments. It also says marking a payment to a personal profile as a purchase may make eligible items covered by Purchase Protection. Coverage depends on the item and Venmo’s terms, so read them before you count on it.
Two December situations come up often:
A “mistaken” payment arrives from a stranger who asks for it back. Venmo lists this as a scam type. Don’t send your own money in return. Contact support inside the app.
A cousin’s account asks for an emergency gift. Venmo also lists impersonated friends who send or request money. Call the cousin on the number you already have before you send anything.
Backstops
- Phone lock first. A strong phone passcode is the base layer for all of this. An app PIN that matches your phone PIN adds little.
- Linked funding. Check which bank accounts and cards are linked and remove any you no longer use. A single linked card is easier to monitor than four.
- Email and phone on file. Make sure they are current, so account alerts reach you.
- Alerts. Our guide to bank alerts shows how to get a notice for every outgoing payment from the linked account.
- Teen accounts. Venmo says Teen Account transactions are “set to private by default.” If your teen uses an adult account instead, go through the steps above with them.
If someone has already gotten in
Cash App’s guidance after phishing is to change your PIN right away and report through its support channel. For either app, change the password on the linked email account too, since account recovery usually flows through it. Then check your payment history and contact your bank if linked funds moved. Our article on rules for selling online covers buyers who try to pay through these apps, including fake payment screenshots.
A family agreement that takes one minute
Group gifts create the conditions these apps are bad at. One person collects from a dozen relatives, some of whom have never paid that person before, and a wrong handle or a fake “I’m collecting for Mom” message is easy to miss. Agree in the family chat, or better on a call, who is collecting and exactly what their handle is. Ask anyone who receives a different handle to check with the organizer before sending anything.