3 awkward situations Zelle^® can help avoid

Whether you need to gently nudge people to pay you back, split a check or manage payroll as a small business, mobile payments can cover money matters in minutes.¹

With Zelle^®, you can outmaneuver potentially awkward social situations with payments in minutes1 between different bank accounts and institutions.

Just for fun, here are a few of our favorite scenarios. We’re certain you’ll think of other heart-pounding situations to add to the list.

1. When the direct approach feels a little too direct

You graciously took care of the neighbors’ dog during their vacation. They’ve been back for two weeks, but there’s still no sign of the check they promised you. You know they have the best of intentions, but you’ve budgeted your monthly spending around that extra infusion of cash. It’s time to take matters into your own hands.

Rather than ringing their doorbell to ask what’s taking so long, you can let Zelle^® do the talking. Zelle^® has a “Request” function² that eliminates the need for a potentially uncomfortable conversation about when, where and how much to please hand over ASAP.

You don't even need to know if your pals down the block bank with an institution that offers Zelle^®. When you use Zelle^® in your bank's mobile app, you're able to send a payment request to someone whose bank is not yet offering Zelle^®. They will receive your request and some easy instructions on how to enroll with the Zelle^® standalone app to send you your money."

If they’re already enrolled with Zelle^®, it’s even easier. Select “Request” and choose the individual from whom you’d like to request money. Input the amount you agreed on. You can choose to add a polite thanks-in-advance note for a quick turnaround. Just like that, you’ve ensured your first face-to-face chat can focus totally on tales of their amazing travels.

2. When payroll gets a little complicated

In addition to payments to family and friends, Zelle^® is also available for many small business accounts. Many payments made this way help power the gig economy – but that isn’t their only application.

Say your new small business lands a dream account with a high-power client. To celebrate, you arrange a last-minute dinner with both account teams. Slight hiccup: There’s no time to authenticate an expense account that will let your project manager bankroll a proper soirée.

Take a deep breath. You certainly don’t have to settle for the fast food joint down the block. You can use Zelle^® to float your project manager a reasonably generous budget behind the scenes to cover dinner at a place everyone will remember. You’ll make a great impression on your new partners, and set the tone for a profitable endeavor all around.

3. When your bank or credit card gets a little blocked

It feels like a bad dream. That uncomfortable moment when you go to pay and the server / sales associate / bartender frowns, saying, “I’m sorry, but your card was declined.”

Don’t panic. Remember cards get declined for all sorts of reasons, many having nothing to do with an actual ability to pay. Maybe someone tried to make an unauthorized purchase on your account. Or the person running the card entered the number incorrectly. Perhaps a minor scratch on the plastic compromised the magnetic strip.

If you’re with a friend, ask them to cover you, and you can pay them back in a matter of minutes¹ with Zelle^®. Better yet, do servers a kindness and plan to split the cost of the bill² intentionally using Zelle^®. With mobile payments, there’s no reason to go through the hassle of splitting bills on separate cards. Zelle^® makes it easy to quickly split the bill with a built-in calculator. Just use the Split function, select the people in your group and enter the total amount you want to split. Zelle^® sends a request to everyone for their share."

Keep in mind payments made with Zelle^® cannot be canceled (unless the recipient has not yet enrolled). So, make sure you’re sending money to the correct person. Neither Zelle^® nor most banks offer a protection program for any authorized payments made with Zelle^®. As long as you stick to this guideline, mobile payments can virtually wipe out the need to ever have another awkward conversation about money again (at least in public).

Download the U.S. Bank Mobile App to start using Zelle^®.

¹To send money in minutes with Zelle®, you must have an eligible U.S. Bank account and have a mobile number registered in your online and mobile banking profile for at least three calendar days. U.S. checking or savings account required to use Zelle®. Transactions between enrolled consumers typically occur in minutes and generally do not incur transaction fees. Terms and conditions apply.

²Requests for money with Zelle® (including Split requests) sent to a U.S. mobile number require that the mobile number first be enrolled with Zelle®.

Zelle® and the Zelle® related marks are wholly owned by Early Warning Services, LLC and are used herein under license.