Grand Ways to Send Cash
Sending cash or even checks through the mail just isn’t safe anymore. A colorful birthday envelope with tremulous handwriting is a sure sign of enclosed dollar bills. You want it to get to the intended recipient, and you want that smile, that they knew you were thinking of them.
Dollar bills can still be fun. Use our Pinterest page for an unexpected origami approach like this one, and pop it in a box. Yes, that takes effort – the crafting, the right-sized box, the addressing, the postage, the wait… It would have to be a bigger bill to make it worth the effort. Grandmas are busy! We need some easy answers.
Apple Pay – “Cashless Made Effortless” You both need to be iphone or ipad users, but once you set it up with your bank account through Wallet, the option appears right on your messaging toolbar, so instead of inserting an emoji, you pop in some instant $ with your message “Thinking of you this morning! Coffee is on me!” or “Heard you were on your way home for Spring break. Here’s a little gas money!” Chances are you’ll get a thank you text back!
Google Pay - Google Pay is a digital wallet platform and online payment system developed by Google to power in-app and tap-to-pay purchases on mobile devices, enabling users to make payments with Android phones, tablets or watches. Send and request money in the app or in Gmail and Android Messages. Google Pay never charges fees for sending or receiving money. Easily send or receive money using a bank account or debit card from the app or your Google toolbar. Settings are right there – who knew?!
Cash App – Available for both iphone and Android users. You must be at least 18 to open an account. And U.S. users can make payments to U.S.-based recipients only, according to a company spokesperson. (UK residents can use Cash App to send and receive money within the UK.) It is free to send, receive, and transfer money. You need to be sure you are transferring to the right “John Smith,” because payments are instantaneous, and non-refundable.
Zelle – Click the link to see if your banking app already has Zelle, a fast-growing way to send funds directly from your account. If you have an account at a participating bank, you can send cash with same-day transfers to anyone else with an account at a participating bank. The growing list of participating banks includes titans such as Chase, Bank of America, Citi, U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo and online banking leaders, Ally and Capital One.
Venmo – “The fun and easy way to send, spend, and receive money” Pay friends and family with a Venmo account using money you have in Venmo, or link your bank account or debit card quickly. Venmo doesn't charge for basic services like sending money from a linked bank account, debit card or your Venmo balance, receiving/withdrawing money into your Venmo account or using our standard transfer to your bank account. Venmo also has no monthly or annual fees. Venmo includes a privacy tutorial pop-up for all new users – be sure to adjust your privacy settings to keep your transactions private (Venmo wants to show off how many people use their service!).
Paypal – Has been around a long time, and free for friends and family, but has fees otherwise and if you don’t connect it to a bank account. You probably already have a Paypal account and options for paying online, but the Grands might not.
Starbucks eGift - Even if they don’t drink coffee, there is something for everyone on a Starbucks Menu. You can buy Starbucks giftcards from anywhere and send through snail mail or order an eGift online. Your eGift will be sent via email on the delivery date you choose, with rare exceptions for processing delays. For same-day delivery, most eGifts are sent within 24 hours of the purchase transaction. For future delivery, eGift are sent on the morning of the scheduled delivery date, unless you have selected a specific delivery time. You will receive a confirmation email when your order has been sent.
I’ve used all of them at different times for different reasons - are you in need of a comparison chart at this point?! HERE is one, but it was written before Apple Pay was on pace to account for 10% of all global card transactions!