It's easiest when your recipient is enrolled with Zelle® to start with. But they don't have to be.

Recipients enrolled with Zelle

When someone is already enrolled, they'll get your payment right away, without doing anything. You'll see a "Z" icon next to their profile image. This is because the recipient is the person who controls whether their email address or mobile phone number is registered with Zelle. They also choose which account is linked to what was registered. 

When money is sent, the recipient is also sent a notification (i.e., mobile number registered, they get a text message; email address registered, they get an email). 

To ensure the transaction goes as smooth as possible, try verifying your recipient is enrolled with Zelle. You can check to see if there's a purple "Z" next to the recipient's name; this indicates they're registered with Zelle.

If that's not available, ask your recipient which item they've registered (phone or email) and if they've verified the item is linked to the deposit account they want. This way there's no confusion on where the funds can be found once it's sent.

Recipients not enrolled with Zelle

If money is sent and the recipient isn't enrolled with Zelle, they'll get a notice with instructions on how to register. If you sent funds to their mobile phone number, they'll get a text message. If you sent funds to their email address, they'll get an email. 

We recommend you share with your recipient which item you sent funds to (phone or email). This way they know which item to register with Zelle. Then, they choose which deposit account they want linked. Once they enroll, the funds should deposit within one to two business days. After that, funds are typically received within minutes. 

More information

• If the recipient's phone number or email address isn't registered within 14 calendar days from the day the payment is sent, the funds are returned to the sender.
• Any Zelle account that's inactive for 18 months gets deactivated. In this case, re-enroll with Zelle to use the service again.