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Does Venmo accept prepaid cards

Yes, Venmo can accept prepaid cards, but only certain types and only when all other verification steps are already complete.

Venmo supports prepaid cards that are branded with Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Discover. They must be able to be added like a normal debit card. If your account is fully verified and nothing else is missing, you can usually add the prepaid card without issues. Still, prepaid cards on Venmo can be unreliable, and Venmo may reject them even if they look valid.

 

How Venmo handles prepaid cards

 

  • Brand matters: The card must have a Visa, Mastercard, AmEx, or Discover logo. Store‑specific cards (for example, a Walmart MoneyCard) may or may not work depending on their setup.
  • Needs online capability: The card must allow online transactions. Some prepaid cards block this by default.
  • Address match: Venmo checks the billing address tied to the card. If you never set one up on the card’s website, Venmo often rejects it.
  • Identity verification still required: To actually transfer money, Venmo usually requires you to verify identity using legal documents. A prepaid card alone cannot replace that step.
  • Cash‑out limits are stricter: Even if the card works, Venmo might limit transfers or request extra review if prepaid cards are involved.

 

If you already meet all other requirements

 

  • You can simply add the prepaid card: Go to the Venmo app, choose “Add bank or card,” select “Card,” and enter the card details.
  • Expect a small authorization charge: This is temporary and will disappear. It’s Venmo checking the card’s validity.
  • If it fails: The card issuer is usually blocking online use. Log into the card’s website and enable online payments or register your billing address.
  • If it still fails: Venmo does not override card restrictions. In that case, using a regular bank debit card is the most stable option.

Learn how Rentaba supports students

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Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about rent reporting, simplified and explained.

What is Rentaba and what does it do?
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My university does not have this program yet. Can Rentaba help me build credit?
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Do I need to keep uploading my payments? When?
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Why do I need to wait 3 months to see my credit score change?
I started my lease 6 months ago, can I get credit for my past payments?
What impact will I see on my credit score?

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