Setting up Venmo takes about five minutes: download the app, verify a US mobile number, add your email and a password, then link a bank account or debit card. This guide walks through each step and explains the phone number check that stops most people.
What you need before you start
A smartphone with the Venmo app (iPhone or Android).
A US mobile number that can receive SMS. Venmo often rejects VoIP numbers such as TextNow.
An email address.
A US bank account or debit card to fund payments.
To be in the United States and 18 or older. Teens aged 13 to 17 can use a Venmo Teen Account managed by a parent.
How to sign up for Venmo
Download Venmo from the App Store or Google Play and tap Get started.
Choose a personal account. Business profiles can be added later.
Enter your mobile number. Venmo texts you a code; type it in to confirm the number.
Add your details: your full name, email address and a password. Confirm your email from the message Venmo sends.
Pick a username. This is how friends find you, so something close to your real name helps.
Link a bank or card. Go to Me → Settings → Payment methods and add a bank account or debit card.
Verify your identity when asked. Venmo may request your legal name, date of birth, address and SSN before you can send larger amounts or transfer money out.
Venmo says my phone number is invalid
This is the most common sign-up problem. The usual causes are:
VoIP number. Numbers from Google Voice, TextNow and similar apps are often refused. Venmo wants a carrier mobile number.
Number already in use. A number can only be linked to one Venmo account. If you used it before, log in to the old account instead or remove the number from it.
Non-US number. Venmo only accepts US numbers.
No code arriving. Check that SMS from short codes is not blocked on your plan, then tap resend after a minute.
If your own number will not work, a private non-VoIP US number is a real mobile line that passes the check. You can get a Venmo verification number and only pay if the code arrives. Keep in mind that Venmo uses the number for future logins on new devices, so a rental is safer than a one-time number if you plan to keep the account. Our guide to signing up for Venmo without your real number covers this in more detail.
After you sign up
Turn on a PIN or Face ID under Settings → Security.
Set your transactions to Private under Settings → Privacy; payments are public by default.
Only send money to people you know. Venmo payments are hard to reverse.
