Fast
Send money directly from your account to theirs — typically in minutes1.
Safe
Use Zelle® within the app you already trust. No account numbers are shared.
Easy
Send money using just an email address or U.S. mobile number.
What is Zelle®?
Download the Alma Bank App:
Enroll today and send money to friends and family:
1
- Log into the Alma Bank app.
2
- Select "Send Money with Zelle®".
3
- Enroll your U.S. mobile number or email address.
4
- You’re ready to start sending and receiving money with Zelle®.
Zelle® Frequently Asked Questions
What is Zelle®?
Zelle® is a fast, safe and easy way to send money directly between almost any bank or credit union account in the U.S., typically within minutes1. With just an email address or U.S. mobile phone number, you can send money to people you trust, regardless of where they bank1.
How do I use Zelle®?
You can send, request, or receive money with Zelle®. To get started, log into Alma Bank's mobile app and select “Send Money with Zelle®”. Following the prompts, enter the information requested, accept the terms and conditions, and you’re ready to start sending and receiving with Zelle®.
To send money using Zelle®, simply select someone from your mobile device’s contacts (or add a trusted recipient’s email address or U.S. mobile phone number), add the amount you’d like to send and an optional note, review, then hit “Send.” In most cases, the money is available to your recipient in minutes1.
To request money using Zelle®, choose “Request,” select the individual from whom you’d like to request money, enter the amount you’d like to request, include an optional note, review and hit “Request”2. If the person you are requesting money from is not yet enrolled with Zelle®, you must use their email address to request money. If the person has enrolled their U.S. mobile number, then you can send the request using their mobile phone number.
To receive money, just share your enrolled email address or U.S. mobile phone number with a friend and ask them to send you money with Zelle®. If you have already enrolled with Zelle®, you do not need to take any further action. The money will be sent directly into your Alma Bank account, typically within minutes1.
How do I get started?
It’s easy — Zelle® is already available within the Alma Bank mobile app! Check our app and follow a few simple steps to enroll with Zelle® today.
What if I get an error message when I try to enroll an email address or U.S. mobile number?
Your email address or U.S. mobile phone number may already be enrolled with Zelle® at another bank or credit union.
If you would like to move your email address or U.S. mobile phone number from the financial institution where you initially enrolled with Zelle®, simply click "Transfer" when prompted during the Zelle® enrollment process and confirm your desired changes.
Once you transfer your email address or U.S. mobile phone number, it will be connected to your bank account at the financial institution you selected and you can start sending and receiving money with Zelle® right away.
How does Zelle® work?
When you enroll with Zelle® through your Alma Bank app, your name, the name of your bank/credit union, and the email address or U.S. mobile number you enrolled is shared with Zelle® (no sensitive account details are shared – those stay with Alma Bank). When someone sends money to your enrolled email address or U.S. mobile phone number, Zelle® looks up the email address or mobile number in its “directory” and notifies Alma Bank of the incoming payment. Alma Bank then directs the payment into your Alma Bank account, all while keeping your sensitive account details private.
Is my information secure?
Keeping your money and information safe is a top priority for Alma Bank. When you use Zelle® within our mobile app, your information is protected with the same technology we use to keep your Alma Bank account safe.
Who can I send money to with Zelle®?
You can send money to friends, family and others you trust1 even if they have a different bank or credit union.
Since money is sent directly from your Alma Bank account to another person’s bank account within minutes1, it’s important to only send money to people you trust, and always ensure you’ve used the correct email address or U.S. mobile phone number.
I’m unsure about using Zelle® to pay someone I don’t know. What should I do?
If you don’t know the person, or aren’t sure you will get what you paid for (for example, items bought from an online bidding or sales site), you should not use Zelle®.
These transactions are potentially high risk (just like sending cash to a person you don’t know is high risk). Neither Alma Bank nor Zelle® offers a protection program for any authorized payments made with Zelle® – for example, if you do not receive the item you paid for or the item is not as described or as you expected.
What types of payments can I make with Zelle®?
Zelle® is a great way to send money to friends, family and people you are familiar with such as your personal trainer, babysitter or neighbor1.
Since money is sent directly from your Alma Bank account to another person’s bank account within minutes1, Zelle® should only be used to send money to friends, family and others you trust.
Neither Alma Bank nor Zelle® offers a protection program for any authorized payments made with Zelle® – for example, if you do not receive the item you paid for or the item is not as described or as you expected.
Can I pay a small business with Zelle®?
Some small businesses are able to receive payments with Zelle®. Ask your favorite small business if they accept payments with Zelle®. If they do, you can pay them directly from your Alma Bank mobile app using just their email address or U.S. mobile number.
Neither Alma Bank nor Zelle® offers a protection program for any authorized payments made with Zelle®, so you should only send money to people (and small businesses) you trust. Also, always ensure you’ve used the correct email address or U.S. mobile number when sending money.
Can I use Zelle® internationally?
In order to use Zelle®, the sender and recipient’s bank or credit union accounts must be based in the U.S.
Can I cancel a payment?
You can only cancel a payment if the person you sent money to hasn’t yet enrolled with Zelle®. To check whether the payment is still pending because the recipient hasn’t yet enrolled, you can go to your activity page, choose the payment you want to cancel, and then select “Cancel This Payment.” If you do not see this option available, please contact our customer support team at 718-267-2562 for assistance with canceling the pending payment.
If the person you sent money to has already enrolled with Zelle®, the money is sent directly to their bank account and cannot be canceled. This is why it’s important to only send money to people you trust, and always ensure you’ve used the correct email address or U.S. mobile number when sending money.
If you sent money to the wrong person, we recommend contacting the recipient and requesting the money back. If you aren’t able to get your money back, please call our customer support team at 718-267-2562 so we can help you.
What if I want to send money to someone whose bank or credit union doesn’t offer Zelle®?
You can find a full list of participating banks and credit unions live with Zelle® here.
If your recipient’s bank or credit union isn’t on the list, don’t worry! The list of participating financial institutions is always growing, and your recipient can still use Zelle® by downloading the Zelle® app for Android and iOS.
To enroll with the Zelle® app, your recipient will enter their basic contact information, an email address and U.S. mobile number, and a Visa® or Mastercard® debit card with a U.S. based account (does not include U.S. territories). Zelle® does not accept debit cards associated with international deposit accounts or any credit cards.
Will the person I send money to be notified?
Yes! They will receive an email or text message notification via the email or U.S. mobile number they used to enroll with Zelle®.
Someone sent me money with Zelle®, how do I receive it?
If you have already enrolled with Zelle®, you do not need to take any further action. The money will be sent directly into your Alma Bank account, typically within minutes1.
If you have not yet enrolled with Zelle®, follow these steps:
- Click on the link provided in the payment notification you received via email or text message.
- Select Alma Bank.
- Follow the instructions provided on the page to enroll and receive your payment. Pay attention to the email address or U.S. mobile phone number where you received the payment notification - you should enroll with Zelle® using that email address or U.S. mobile phone number to ensure you receive your money.
How long does it take to receive money with Zelle®?
Money sent with Zelle® is typically available to an enrolled recipient within minutes.
If you send money to someone who isn’t enrolled with Zelle®, they will receive a notification prompting them to enroll. After enrollment, the money will be sent directly to your recipient’s account, typically within minutes.
If your payment is pending, we recommend confirming that the person you sent money to has enrolled with Zelle® and that you entered the correct email address or U.S. mobile phone number.
If you’re waiting to receive money, you should check to see if you’ve received a payment notification via email or text message. If you haven’t received a payment notification, we recommend following up with the sender to confirm they entered the correct email address or U.S. mobile phone number.
Still having trouble? Please give the Alma Bank customer support team a call toll-free at 718-267-2562 or get in touch through our support page.
1 U.S. checking or savings account required to use Zelle®. Transactions between enrolled users typically occur in minutes.
2 In order to send payment requests or split payment requests to a U.S. mobile number, the mobile number must already enrolled with Zelle®.
Zelle and the Zelle related marks are wholly owned by Early Warning Services, LLC and are used herein under license.