Is Venmo Safe? Everything You Need to Know Before Sending Money in 2026

Venmo is safe for peer-to-peer payments between people you know — it uses bank-level 256-bit encryption, multi-factor authentication, and is FDIC-insured through Venmo's bank partners up to $250,000. But Venmo has specific risks: the default public transaction feed exposes your payment activity, its purchase protection is limited compared to PayPal, and scams targeting new users are common. Here's what you actually need to know before using it.