Your top ways to transfer money to friends and family online
LifePoints has made transferring money online to friends easier than ever before. By taking a LifePoints survey, you can earn money for some of the biggest payment platforms like PayPal and Venmo. You can then send the money on to your friends and family completely online through those payment platforms.
Whether you're splitting bills, sending a gift, or something else, the step-by-step tools we’re going to look at make any online transfer to friends or family a breeze. These are some of the best ways to transfer money online:
- Venmo
- PayPal
- Bank transfers
- LifePoints can help you send even more
- Bonus money transfer tips
PayPal: one of the most trusted ways to transfer money online
PayPal dates back to 1998 and is one of the most trusted online payment platforms. If you’re wondering how to transfer money to PayPal and then onto friends, follow these four simple steps:
Create an account: If you don't have one already, sign up for a PayPal account using your email address.
Link a payment method: Connect your bank account, credit card or debit card securely to your PayPal account.
Add a recipient: Enter your friend or family’s email address they use for their PayPal account.
- Send Money: Choose how much you want to send and click confirm. You can also include a note or message.
Transferring money is as easy as that.
PayPal also offers a line of credit called 'PayPal Credit.' It works like other credit lines, so you can buy something and pay it back in installments. To learn everything you need to know about PayPal credit, check out our PayPal credit guide.
Venmo: the social online payment platform
Venmo is extremely popular in America. Best known for its user-friendly interface and social network features, Venmo is a fantastic way to transfer cash. To learn how to transfer money on Venmo, follow these five simple steps:
Download Venmo: start by downloading Venmo from the iOS and Google Play stores. It's easy to find; just search for 'Venmo' in the search bar.
Create your account: sign up for a Venmo account using your email address or mobile number. You'll need to choose a unique username and password.
Link your payment method: add your card or bank details and Venmo will securely connect them to your account. Once added, you'll be ready to send money to other Venmo accounts.
Add friends: find your friends on Venmo by searching for their usernames, phone numbers or email addresses. Or if you're with them in person, Venmo can make a QR code that you can scan and add your friends. Once connected, you can easily send money to them.
- Send the money: to send money, tap the "Pay" button. To request money from friends, click the "Request" button. Select the person you're sending money to from your friends list and choose how much the transfer will be worth. Add a note or emoji so they know what the transfer is for and to personalize it.
Bank transfers: a classic way to send money, now online
An oldie, but a goodie. If you want a more traditional way to send money, bank transfers are still a reliable option. To do an online bank transfer, follow these steps:
Access your online banking: login to your bank's online portal. Or visit a local branch if you want to do this in person.
Add your recipient's bank information: add the person's name, account number, and the bank's routing number. Make sure all details are accurate. If you get this info wrong, your bank will help you but you'll have to go through customer service, which can be stressful.
Choose how much you want to send: add the amount you want to transfer.
Review the info to make sure everything is correct: carefully look through all the transaction details and confirm the transfer.
- Wait for the transfer to hit the account: bank transfers can take a couple of business days to go through. Knowing this, make sure you've given enough time so your friend or family member can get their money in time.
LifePoints: share your LifePoints rewards with your friends
So where does LifePoints come in? Well, both Venmo and PayPal are part of our rewards offering. When you take surveys with us you can earn free cash on Venmo and PayPal. You can either keep it to spend on this for your own needs or use the hints and tips above to share those rewards with friends and family.
Sign up, take some surveys and get points called LifePoints. Once you have enough LifePoints, you can choose a reward from our list of over a dozen rewards. You can even get rewards from payment platforms talked about earlier, like Venmo or PayPal cash.
So, if you need to send people money LifePoints helps you send that money for free.
Extra things to consider when transferring money to friends or family online:
Safety and security: make sure you know all the safety and security protections available. For example, with traditional bank transfers, you're often only protected up to a certain amount.
International transfers: some of the methods discussed don't allow international transfers. So if you need to send money abroad, make sure your method lets you.
Budgeting and tracking expenses: some options, including your bank, can help you budget. This can help you make the most of your money and save more for your future.
Customer support: nothing is perfect and mistakes happen, even with money transfers. Because of this, look into the customer support options for these platforms. You want to make sure you're protected if things go wrong. Look at FAQs, live chats, customer support info and other info on their sites.
Now you're set to seamlessly send money to your friends and family
Sending money to friends and family has never been easier with PayPal, Venmo and bank transfers. What's more is with LifePoints that money can reach your destination without a penny leaving your bank account.
In the last year, LifePoints has rewarded community members with over $23 million worth of rewards.
Join LifePoints today or download the app to get started.
