1
To send or receive money with a small business, both parties must be enrolled with Zelle® directly through their financial institution’s online or mobile banking experience.
2
Zelle® should only be used to send money to friends, family or others you trust. We recommend that you do not use Zelle® to send money to those you do not know. Transfers require enrollment in the service with a U.S. checking or savings account and must be made from an eligible Bank of America consumer or business deposit account. Transactions between enrolled users typically occur in minutes and transactions between enrolled consumers do not typically incur transaction fees. We will send you an email alert with transaction details after you send money using Zelle®. Dollar and frequency limits apply. See the Online Banking Service Agreement at bankofamerica.com/serviceagreement for further details. Payment requests to others not already enrolled in Zelle® must be sent to an email address. Data connection required. Message and data rates may apply. Neither Bank of America nor Zelle® offers a protection program for any authorized payments made with Zelle®. Regular account fees apply.
Zelle and the Zelle related marks are wholly owned by Early Warning Services, LLC and are used herein under license.
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Mobile Banking requires that you download the Mobile Banking app and is only available for select mobile devices. Message and data rates may apply.
Bank of America and the Bank of America logo are registered trademarks of Bank of America Corporation.
Zelle is a payment processor that allows you to make peer-to-peer payments.
The payment platform integrates with several banking apps, and also has its own app.
If you’re a US-based business owner, you can connect Zelle to compatible business bank accounts to simplify the payment process.
Many businesses have taken to the platform to keep the ball rolling with real-time online payments. Let’s see if a Zelle business account could be useful for you.
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Is Zelle available for business accounts?
Yes and no. If you’re wondering ‘Can I use Zelle with a business account?’, here’s what to expect:
While Zelle is available for some business accounts, it depends on the bank in question. There is a long list of banks compatible with the Zelle processing system, but there are still some who don’t support it.¹
To make the most of Zelle with your business account, you’ll need to reach out to the bank bank or credit union to make sure they offer this as an option.
The other restriction is that Zelle is only available to US bank accounts. If your bank is based outside the States you won’t be able to use your business account with Zelle.
Which banks use Zelle?
Fortunately, there are many banks that offer Zelle as a payment processing platform for their customers.
Bear in mind that these banks are all based in the US, since Zelle only permits US transactions made in US dollars.²
The first time Zelle came to market with its current name was in 2017, and since then the payment platform has enjoyed a surge in popularity. Zelle now supports a huge number of banks as a result.
Here are some of the most well-known banks that feature Zelle integration for small businesses:
- Chase bank
- Wells Fargo
- US bank
- Bank of the West
- Amerant
- Bank of America
- Citibank
- PNC
Is Zelle free for businesses?
Enrolling with Zelle is completely free of charge, however, there are some fees associated with the various banks that offer it.
Does Zelle charge a fee for business accounts?
Unfortunately, it’s hard to say definitively how much it will cost for you to use Zelle since there is no universal fee. The fee you pay for sending or receiving will largely come down to the bank you use.
While some larger providers of Zelle offer free payments with the service, others don’t.
For example:
Chase Bank, offers its customers free payments through Zelle. Only the mobile carrier’s message and data rates could apply.³
Another top provider of Zelle, Wells Fargo, offers the same conditions.⁴
US Bank is another provider that offers its customers fee-free payments through Zelle.⁵
Some banks, such as Amerant, charge customers a small fee of $2 for each incoming or outgoing transaction made through Zelle.⁶
How much can you Zelle from a business account?
The amount of money you can send through Zelle using your business account will vary depending on your bank.
| Chase⁷ | $5,000 | up to $5,000 | $40,000 |
| Wells Fargo⁸ | Subject to change | Up to $2,500 | $20,000 |
| Bank of America⁹ | $15,000 | Up to $15,000 | $60,000 |
For example, if you want to make a transaction using Zelle and your bank is Chase, you won’t be able to process more than $5,000 in a single day.
These limits should apply only to outgoing transfers, not to the amount of money you receive through Zelle transfers. You should check with your bank to make sure this is the case.
You can also set up a Zelle business account with Wells Fargo. In this case, the limit will also depend on factors such as customer loyalty. New customers might have lower limits than long-term customers.
Is Zelle for business safe?
Yes, for the most part, it’s safe to use Zelle for business.
The software has been designed by banks and safety was one of the main priorities during development. For example, the payment processor relies on data encryption to keep its customers’ data safe. This means the personal information of users is never at risk of being exposed.
However, using Zelle for business is not entirely without risks. The most significant safety concern with Zelle is falling prey to scammers.
To avoid this, some banks such as Chase recommend that you only send payments to people that you know and trust, since the bank won’t cover any purchases you make through Zelle. PNC claims that if you don’t receive an item you paid for with Zelle, it isn’t able to reimburse you for the purchase.
As such, it isn’t recommended to use Zelle to pay for goods or services by some banks.
Fraud should be something to be aware of if you want to use Zelle to buy items online. The convenience and swift payment without account details are one of the service’s pros, but it’s also one of its drawbacks.
There is no chargeback feature, no transaction status, and nothing in place to protect your funds once they have been sent.
If you follow the advice of the banks and only send money to people you know with Zelle then you should be able to avoid this issue.
There is one security feature in place to put you at ease, though. If you didn’t personally authorize a transaction, then it will be reimbursed in full. If someone manages to hack into your account and make purchases, your money will be returned.
One top tip from Business Insider is to use a service such as PayPal for the first payment with a business. Once you know it’s trustworthy, then you can switch to Zelle if you wish to avoid the PayPal fees.¹⁰
How to create a Zelle business account
Can businesses use Zelle? Yes, absolutely, provided that the business owners enroll with Zelle.
To create a Zelle business account, there are just a few steps to follow, provided that your business bank account offers integration with the payment processor.
This process will depend on the bank you have the business account with.
With US Bank, for example:
Log into your account on the website or through the app and selecting Zelle from the drop-down menu.
Once you’ve selected it, choose the option ‘Send money with Zelle’.
At this point, you will be prompted to set up your details, which include your email or US mobile number, and the verification code you then receive.
From here, select the account and continue to enroll with Zelle.
Who can a Zelle business account be a good choice for?
The Zelle business account can be a good choice for any business owner who wants to be able to:
- Accept digital payments. Digital payments are on the rise with a staggering total predicted transaction value of $1,272,816m in 2021.¹¹
- Make fast payments. Transactions take a matter of minutes when the recipient is enrolled with Zelle and has a US email address or mobile number.
- Facilitate easy payments for customers. They just need your business mobile number or email address to make the purchase.
- Get free payments and high limits, depending on the bank that you use.
Can I use Zelle for international payments?
Zelle is exclusive to US senders and recipients, as you must have a US bank account and mobile number to successfully complete a transaction.
You can only send or receive money in US dollars, too, so if you deal in another currency for your business, it won’t be the best option for you.
Wise Business is a great alternative if you do have international customers or employees. As a business owner, you can send payments and get paid as if you were a local in the country, which makes doing business overseas a breeze.
Looking for an international business account? Try Wise
The main drawback with the Zelle business account is that you are limited to US transactions that take place in USD. As such, international payments aren’t on the table. This can be an issue if your business trades on a global scale.
Wise Business is the cost-effective way to send money and get paid from abroad. Wise offers customers local account details such as an account number and sort code in as many as 10 different currencies.
For example, you can get a UK account number, even as a US citizen. You’re free to pay or get paid in whatever currency makes sense for you and your business.
Register with Wise for free!
Wise also connects to payment gateways, such as Stripe. So you can receive payments from overseas customers with ease.
325k+ businesses of all shapes and sizes use Wise Business. You can use it to pay invoices and receive overseas payments without high conversion fees.
Sources:
- I'm a Small Business Using Zelle®
- Get Started With Zelle | List of Bank Partners and Credit Unions
- Zelle® | Chase for Business | Chase.com.
- What is Zelle®? — Wells Fargo
- Zelle for your business | Business banking
- Zelle® for Business | AMERANT
- Send Money to Friends and Family With Zelle® | Chase.com.
- Zelle Transfer Service Addendum
- BoA Zelle transfer limits
- Is Zelle Safe? Yes, but Beware of Scammers
- Digital Payments - United States
All sources checked 21 October 2021.
This publication is provided for general information purposes only and is not intended to cover every aspect of the topics with which it deals. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content in this publication. The information in this publication does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from TransferWise Limited or its affiliates. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether express or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.