Ever wondered how American Express lets you send money to friends and family with such ease? If you're an American Express Card Member, you might have heard of or even used their "Send & Split" feature, which primarily facilitates peer-to-peer payments through Venmo and PayPal. It's a convenient way to manage your money, whether you're sending cash or splitting a bill with friends. Let's dive deep into how this service works, step by step!
The Power of American Express Send: What It Is
American Express Send, often part of the broader "Send & Split" feature, is designed to give eligible American Express Card Members the flexibility to send money directly from their Amex Send Account to Venmo or PayPal users. Think of it as a bridge between your Amex Card and these popular peer-to-peer payment platforms. It's a prepaid, stored balance account that you fund directly from your eligible American Express Card.
The key benefit here is that when you send money from your Amex Send Account to Venmo or PayPal users, there are typically no standard credit card fees that Venmo or PayPal might otherwise charge for using a credit card. This makes it a cost-effective solution for everyday money transfers.
Step 1: Are You Eligible? Let's Find Out!
Before you can send money, the very first thing to determine is if your American Express Card is eligible for this service. This isn't a feature available to all Amex cards, so it's crucial to check.
Sub-heading: Checking Your Eligibility
What kind of cards are eligible? Generally, US-issued Basic Consumer Cards that are issued by American Express National Bank and are not canceled are eligible. This means most personal Amex credit cards.
What's NOT eligible? Unfortunately, Prepaid Cards, American Express Corporate Cards, American Express Small Business Cards, American Express-branded cards or account numbers issued by other financial institutions, and American Express Cards issued outsid
e the United States are typically not eligible. How to check? The easiest way to confirm your eligibility is to log in to your American Express App. Navigate to the "Account" tab and look for "Send & Split." If you see it, you're likely eligible!
Did you find "Send & Split"? If yes, great! Let's move on. If not, your current card might not support the feature.
Step 2: Setting Up Your Amex Send Account
Once you've confirmed your eligibility, the next step is to get your Amex Send Account ready. This involves a few quick actions within the Amex App.
Sub-heading: Enrolling in Send & Split
Open the Amex App: Launch the American Express App on your smartphone.
Navigate to Send & Split: Go to the "Account" tab and tap on "Send & Split."
Review and Agree: You'll likely see a "How it Works" section. Take a moment to review the terms and conditions, then tap "Agree and Enroll."
Open Your Amex Send Account: As part of this enrollment, American Express will open an Amex Send Account for you. This is a stored balance (prepaid) account that uses your existing Card Member profile information. No new credit checks are performed for this.
Sub-heading: Linking Your Venmo or PayPal Accounts
Connect the Dots: To truly leverage Amex Send, you'll need to link your Venmo and/or PayPal accounts. The Amex App will guide you through this process.
New to Venmo or PayPal? If you don't already have a Venmo or PayPal account, you'll need to create one. This is a prerequisite for using Amex Send to send money to others via these platforms.
Why link them? This linkage allows the Amex Send service to interface directly with your Venmo or PayPal for sending funds.
Step 3: Funding Your Amex Send Account
Your Amex Send Account is a prepaid account, meaning you need to add money to it before you can send anything. This is where your eligible American Express Card comes into play.
Sub-heading: Adding Money from Your Amex Card
Inside the Amex App: When you initiate a "Send" transaction, if your Amex Send Account balance is insufficient, the app will prompt you to add money.
Choose Your Card: You'll select the eligible American Express Card from which you want to add funds.
Enter the Amount: Specify the amount you wish to add to your Amex Send Account.
Confirm the Transfer: Review the details and confirm the transaction.
Sub-heading: Important Considerations for Funding
No Fee to Add Money: American Express typically does not charge a fee to add money to your Amex Send Account from your eligible Amex Card.
Charge on Your Card: The money you add will appear as a charge on your American Express Card billing statement. It's essentially like making a purchase on your card, but the "purchase" is funding your Amex Send Account.
Rewards Earning: Crucially, the charge on your Card for an "Add Money" transaction generally does not earn rewards. This is a common point of confusion, so be aware that you won't earn Membership Rewards points or other card-specific rewards for funding your Amex Send Account.
Purchase APR Applies: Since it's treated as a charge, the "Add Money" transaction will be subject to your Card's purchase APR if you don't pay your statement balance in full.
Step 4: Sending Money to Venmo or PayPal Users ✉️
Now that your Amex Send Account is funded and linked, you're ready to send money!
Sub-heading: Initiating a Send Transaction
Select "Send" in the Amex App: Within the "Send & Split" section of the Amex App, choose the "Send" option.
Choose a Recipient: You'll typically be able to select contacts from your phone or manually enter the recipient's information (name, email, or phone number) if they are a Venmo or PayPal user.
Enter the Amount: Input the amount of money you want to send.
Review and Confirm: Double-check all the details – recipient, amount – and then tap to review and complete the transaction.
Connect to Venmo/PayPal: The Amex App will then connect to your linked Venmo or PayPal account to finalize the transfer.
Sub-heading: What Happens Next?
Instant Availability: Once the "Send" is initiated from your Amex Send Account, the money should generally be available in the recipient's Venmo or PayPal account right away. The recipient typically doesn't need to take any action if they already have an account.
No Cancellation: It's important to note that once the "Send" from your Amex Send Account is available in the recipient's Venmo or PayPal account, you generally do not have the ability to cancel the transaction. So, always be sure of the recipient and amount before confirming!
Fees for Sending: There is typically no fee to Send to US recipients. However, PayPal may charge a fee to Send to non-US recipients if you're using PayPal for international transfers. American Express's "Send" feature focuses on US-based Venmo and PayPal users. For international transfers directly from Amex, there are other services like Amex FX International Payments.
The "Split" Feature: A Companion to Send
While this post focuses on "Send," it's worth briefly touching on the "Split" feature, as they are often bundled together. "Split" allows you to divide a past or pending American Express Card purchase with friends and get paid back either as a statement credit to your Card account or to your linked Venmo or PayPal account.
Sub-heading: How Splitting Works
Select a Purchase: In the Amex App, you can tap on a pending or posted purchase from your eligible Amex Card and choose "Split It."
Choose Contacts: Select the Venmo or PayPal users you want to split the purchase with.
Adjust Shares: Amex will suggest an even split, but you can adjust each person's share as needed.
Get Paid Back: When your friends accept the payment request, American Express will apply a statement credit to your Card account or send the funds to your linked Venmo or PayPal account.
Responsibility for Purchase: Remember, you are still responsible to pay the full purchase amount charged to your Card, regardless of whether you are paid back via Split. The Split feature is about managing repayment, not reducing your initial liability.
Earn Rewards on Purchases: You do earn rewards for purchases that you split, just as you would for any other purchase made with your Card.
Advantages and Considerations of American Express Send
Advantages ✨
Convenience: Integrates seamlessly with the Amex App and popular platforms like Venmo and PayPal.
No Standard Credit Card Fees: Avoids the typical fees associated with using a credit card on Venmo or PayPal for person-to-person payments.
Quick Transfers: Funds generally become available to the recipient immediately.
Budgeting: The Amex Send Account acts as a separate balance, which can help in managing funds specifically for peer-to-peer transfers.
Considerations
Eligibility Restrictions: Not all Amex Cards are eligible.
No Rewards on Funding: You typically don't earn rewards when you add money to your Amex Send Account.
Cannot Cancel Transfers: Once sent, transactions are generally irreversible.
US-Centric: The "Send" feature is primarily designed for sending money to US-based Venmo and PayPal users. International transfers via PayPal might incur fees from PayPal.
Linked Accounts Required: You must have a Venmo or PayPal account linked to use the send functionality.
Limits: There are typically limits on how much you can send per transaction (e.g., up to $10,000 per transaction) and rolling 30-day limits.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How to enroll in American Express Send?
To enroll, log in to your American Express App, go to the "Account" tab, and tap on "Send & Split." Follow the prompts to agree to the terms and open your Amex Send Account.
How to add money to my Amex Send Account?
You can add money to your Amex Send Account from your eligible American Express Card directly within the Amex App when you initiate a send transaction or when managing your Send Account balance.
How to send money to someone who doesn't have Venmo or PayPal?
American Express Send works specifically with Venmo and PayPal. To send money using this feature, the recipient must have a Venmo or PayPal account.
How to cancel a send transaction?
Once a send transaction from your Amex Send Account is completed and available in the recipient's Venmo or PayPal account, it generally cannot be canceled.
How to check my Amex Send Account balance?
Your Amex Send Account balance is visible within the American Express App, typically within the "Send & Split" section.
How to split a purchase using American Express?
In the Amex App, tap on a pending or posted purchase from your eligible Amex Card, select "Split It," choose contacts, adjust shares, and confirm to request repayment.
How to know if my American Express Card is eligible for Send & Split?
Most US-issued Basic Consumer American Express Cards are eligible. Check your Amex App under the "Account" tab for "Send & Split" to confirm.
How to contact American Express customer service for Send & Split issues?
You can contact American Express customer service through the contact details provided on their official website or within the Amex App.
How to earn rewards when using American Express Send?
You typically do not earn rewards when you add money to your Amex Send Account. However, you do earn rewards on the original purchases that you choose to "Split" using the "Split" feature.
How to send money internationally with American Express?
While Amex Send is primarily for US-based Venmo/PayPal transfers, American Express offers other services like Amex FX International Payments for global currency transfers. PayPal may also charge fees for international sends.
