Payments in Messages
Using Payments
These instructions are for using messages on facebook.com. For help with the Messenger app or messenger.com, visit the Messenger Help Center.
You can send or receive money in messages (example: send your friend $10 for lunch or receive $500 from your roommate for rent) after you add a debit card issued by a US bank to your account.
To send money:
- Open a chat with the person you want to send money to
- Click
and enter the amount you want to send
- Click Next to add your debit card and then click Pay
To receive money:
- Open the conversation containing the money
- Click Add Debit Card in the conversation and add your debit card to receive money. Keep in mind your bank may take up to 3 business days to make the money available to you.
If you already have a debit card or have received the money through Messenger before, money is transferred right away to the card on file, but your bank may take up to 3-5 business days to make it available to you.
If the sign in Messenger is grayed out or missing, or you don't have access to Payments in Messenger, please let us know.
sign in Messenger is grayed out or missing, or you don't have access to Payments in Messenger, please let us know. Note: Payments in Messenger is currently only available in the United States.
You can send or receive money in messages if you and your friend:
- Live in the United States
- Are at least 18 years old
- Add a Visa or Mastercard debit card issued by a US bank to your accounts
- Set your preferred currency to US dollars
- Aren't disabled from sending or receiving money on Facebook
If the sign in Messenger is grayed out or missing, or you don't have access to Payments in Messenger, please let us know.
sign in Messenger is grayed out or missing, or you don't have access to Payments in Messenger, please let us know. These instructions are for using messages on facebook.com. For help with the Messenger app or messenger.com, visit the Messenger Help Center.
To request money from a friend in a message:
- Open a chat with the friend you want to request money from
- Click
- Click the Request tab and enter the dollar amount you want to receive (example: $10)
- Click Request
To send money back to your friend:
- Open the chat with the friend who requested money
- Click Pay below the dollar amount in the message (example: $10)
- Click Pay again or click Next to add a debit card to your account
These instructions are for using messages on facebook.com. For help with the Messenger app or messenger.com, visit the Messenger Help Center.
To turn your Facebook password on or off when sending money in messages:
- Click
in the top right of Facebook and select Settings - Click Payments in the left menu
- Click Account Settings
- Below Preferences, select On or Off next to Password
These instructions are for using messages on facebook.com. For help with the Messenger app or messenger.com, visit the Messenger Help Center.
You can only decline money someone has sent you if you haven't added a debit card issued by a US bank to your account.
To decline money someone has sent you:
- Open the conversation containing the money someone sent you
- Click Add Debit Card
- Click Next
- Click Decline Payment at the bottom
If you already have a debit card on file, money is transferred right away to the card on file, but your bank may take up to 3-5 business days to make it available to you. If you do not want this payment, you can send the money back to them. Just note that if you send the money back to the person, it may take up 5 business days for their bank to make the money available to them.
No, Facebook won't charge you to send or receive money over messages. This feature is free for everyone who can use it.
These instructions are for using messages on facebook.com. For help with the Messenger app or messenger.com, visit the Messenger Help Center.
To pay someone who requested money from you:
- Go to the conversation where someone requested money from you
- Click Pay below the amount that was requested
To decline a request for money:
- Go to the conversation where someone requested money from you
- Click Decline below the amount that was requested
Note: If someone has already sent you money, you can only decline it if you haven't added a debit card issued by a US bank to your account.
These instructions are for using messages on facebook.com. For help with the Messenger app or messenger.com, visit the Messenger Help Center.
If you don't live in Minnesota and no longer want to send or receive money in messages, you can remove your debit card from your account. If someone sends you a payment in a message and you don't have a debit card added to your account, the payment will be returned to the person.
If you live in Minnesota and no longer want to send or receive money in messages, you'll need to send a written request to the following address:
- Facebook Payments Inc. 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025
Once your request has been received and processed, we'll disable Facebook payments for you.
These instructions are for using messages on facebook.com. For help with the Messenger app or messenger.com, visit the Messenger Help Center.
No, you can't cancel money after you send it in a message. When you transfer the payment, the money is automatically taken out of your account and sent to your friend, which is why it cannot be cancelled.
However, if you accidentally send money to someone in a message, you can do one of the following:
- Ask them to send the money back.
- Ask them to decline the money if they haven't added a debit card to their account yet. If the payment isn't accepted after 7 days, it'll be automatically canceled.
- Require a password/PIN each time you send money so you can review your transaction before sending.
Note: If your money is sent back to you or is declined, your bank may take up to 3-5 business days to make it available to you.
If your friend is having any trouble sending the money back, let us know.
No, sending or receiving money in messages should only be done with your friends and family. If you send or receive money in messages for your personal business, you may lose the option to use payments features on Facebook (example: Payments in Messenger, ads).
Keep in mind you should never ask anyone for their payment info in messages.
No, you can't send or receive money to another account that has the same debit card as you. If you try to send money to someone who has the same debit card added to their account, the money will be immediately canceled and refunded to you.
No, sending or receiving money in messages should only be done with your friends and family. If you send or receive money in messages for your personal business, you may lose the option to use payments features on Facebook (example: Payments in Messenger, ads).
Keep in mind you should never ask anyone for their payment info in messages.
No, you can't send or receive money to another account that has the same debit card as you. If you try to send money to someone who has the same debit card added to their account, the money will be immediately canceled and refunded to you.
These instructions are for using messages on facebook.com. For help with the Messenger app or messenger.com, visit the Messenger Help Center.
You can send money to one person at a time or request money from multiple people while in a group conversation.
To request money in a group conversation:
- Start a group conversation with your friends
- Click
- Click Continue
- Enter the amount you want to request and click Request
- Start a group conversation with your friends
- Click
- Click Continue
- Enter the amount you want to send and click Pay
Keep in mind everyone in the group conversation can see the amount of money that's sent or received.
Managing Payments and Accounts
To add or remove a payment method from your account:
- Click
in the top right of Facebook and select Settings.
- Click Payments in the left menu.
- Click Account Settings.
- Below Payment Methods, click Add Payment Method to add a new one. To remove a payment method, click Remove.
If you receive an error that says you have too many cards on file or if you're still having trouble, let us know.
Note: If your credit card is the primary payment method for your Facebook Ads account, you won't be able to remove it unless you add a new payment method from your ads manager. You can also close your Facebook Ads account to stop all advertising and remove all cards from your account.
These instructions are for using messages on facebook.com. For help with the Messenger app or messenger.com, visit the Messenger Help Center.
To view a history of your payments in messages:
- Click
- Click Payments in the left column
- Click the dollar amount next to the person you sent money to or received money from
You can send or receive money in messages using a Visa or Mastercard debit card issued by a US bank. We currently use debit cards so we can deposit the money you receive into your bank account. Keep in mind you should never give anyone your payment info.
We currently don't support the following payment methods:
- Credit cards
- Prepaid cards (example: Visa Prepaid, Discover Prepaid, H&R Block Emerald)
- Reloadable prepaid cards
- PayPal
- Government-issued bank cards for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment or disability
- Preloaded health care flexible spending cards
If you're having issues adding a US bank-issued Visa or Mastercard debit card, let us know.
When you send or receive money in messages, we securely store your debit card information after you enter it for the first time. This allows you to send or receive money later without having to re-enter your info.
If you don't want us to store your debit card info for future use, you can remove it from your payment methods. Keep in mind that if you remove your debit card, you won't be able to send or receive money until you add a new card.
If you have received a message from the Payments team to update your account information, please follow the instructions below to edit your Legal Name on your Facebook Payments account:
- Click on the top right of Facebook and select Settings
- On the left hand menu, click on Payments
- Click on Account Settings
- In the “Legal Name” area under Preferences, click on Update
- Enter your full legal name as shown on your ID
- Click Save
To expedite the verification process, please ensure the Legal Name on your Facebook Payments account exactly matches the name on the ID you submitted.
Status and Payout Information
Once you've added a debit card issued by a US bank to your account, money is transferred right away to your account, but your bank may take up to 5 business days to post it to your account.
If you've been sent money but it hasn't appeared in your account after 5 business days, try contacting your bank by calling the number on the back of your debit card to see why they haven't posted this to your account.
If you're still having issues, let us know.
Once you've added a US bank-issued debit card to your account, money is transferred right away to your account, but your bank may take up to 5 business days to post it to your account.
If you haven't received the money you were sent in Messenger, try:
- Double-check to see which debit card the payment was transferred to and the associated online bank account
- Contacting your bank by calling the number on the back of your debit card
If you're still having issues receiving money, let us know.
Facebook takes your security very seriously and verifies information about people sending and receiving money before processing payments. Most payments will be reviewed within 24 hours. Over 99% of payment transfers will be processed immediately and payments pending will be reviewed within 24 hours
Once a payment is reviewed and processed, money is transferred right away to your account, but your bank may take up to 5 business days to post it to your account.
If your payment is still pending after 24 hours, let us know.
Learn more about how we protect your payment information here.
Facebook takes your security very seriously and verifies information about people sending and receiving money before processing payments. Most payments will be reviewed within 24 hours.
If your payment is still pending after 24 hours, let us know.
If you're trying to send money in a message and your payment was canceled, it may be because:
- Your friend didn't accept the money you sent
- Your friend hasn't added a debit card to their account, and any payment not accepted after 7 days will be automatically canceled
Any canceled payments sent in a message will be refunded to your debit card, typically within 3-5 business days. If you have any further questions about canceled payments, let us know.
If you're trying to send money in a message and it's not working, it may be because:
- Your friend declined the money or didn't add a Visa or Mastercard debit card issued by a US bank to their Facebook account.
- Your friend's payments are disabled.
- There may be issues with your debit card. Try contacting your bank by calling the number on the back of your debit card.
If you're still having issues after talking with your bank, let us know.
Privacy and Security
Here are a few things you can do to keep your account safe when sending and receiving money in Messenger:
- Set up a PIN/password for your account
- Only send to or receive money from people you know
- Watch out for common money scams
- Report scammers who message you
- Turn on two-factor authentication for your account
- Never click suspicious links, even if they come from a friend you know
- Don't accept friend requests from people you don't know
- Always log in at www.facebook.com
- Never tell anyone your account password or debit card info
Learn more about keeping your account secure.
In the rare case there is a money scam on Facebook, cyber criminals will either create fake accounts or hack into existing Facebook accounts of people you may know. The fake or compromised accounts will then try to trick you into giving them money by sending you personalized messages. If a scammer tries to message you, report them.
Here are some common money scams you should look out for when sending and receiving money in messages:
- Romance scams: Romance scammers typically send romantic messages to people they don’t know, often pretending to be divorced, widowed or in a bad marriage. In order to pay for things like flights or visas, they'll engage in online relationships in hopes of receiving money. They may use photos they've found online of representatives from official institutions like the military, or government agencies. Their goal is to gain your trust, so the conversations may continue for weeks before they ask for money.
- Lottery scams: Lottery scams are often carried out from accounts impersonating someone you know, or fake profiles pretending to represent an organization. The messages will claim that you're among the winners of a lottery and that you can receive your money for a small advance fee. The scammer may ask you to provide personal information, such as your physical address or bank details.
- Donation scams: These scams are done by accounts impersonating famous religious figures, or by accounts pretending to be representatives from various charities or orphanages. In the messages, the scammers will ask for donations.
- Inheritance scams: The scammer will claim to be a lawyer or from another legal authority, pretending to represent the estate of a deceased person. The messages will state that you're entitled to the inheritance. The scammer may ask you to provide personal information such as your physical address or bank details.
- Loan scams: Loan scammers send messages and leave posts and comments on Pages and in Groups offering, or claiming to know someone offering, instant loans at a low interest rate for a small advance fee.
To protect yourself from scammers, watch out for the following:
- People asking you for money who you don’t know in person
- People asking you for advance fees in order to receive a loan, prize or other winnings
- People asking you to move your conversation off of Facebook (example: a separate email address)
- People claiming to be a friend or relative in an emergency
- Poor spelling and grammatical mistakes
Learn more about keeping your account secure.
These instructions are for using messages on facebook.com. For help with the Messenger app or messenger.com, visit the Messenger Help Center.
If you encounter scammers or suspicious activity when sending or receiving money in messages, let us know.
We value the trust you place in us and take many precautions to prevent unauthorized access to information you've saved on Facebook. Please click here for a list of accepted cards to add to receive money.
When you send or receive money in messages, only the dollar amount and your name and profile photo are shared between you and your friend. We won't share any info we may ask for when verifying your identity.
You can remove a credit card or your PayPal account from the Payment Methods section of your Payment Settings. From here, click Remove next to the debit card that you’d like to remove. Please note that if you remove your debit card for Payments in Messenger, you'll be required to input it every time a payment is sent to you.
Learn more about how we protect your payment information here.
This information is for using messages on facebook.com. For help with the Messenger app or messenger.com, visit the Messenger Help Center.
When you send or receive money in messages, only the dollar amount and your name and profile photo are shared between you and your friend. After a payment is made, you can check your payment history to track who you've sent or received money from.
Learn more about how we keep your payment information safe.
In the rare case there is a money scam on Facebook, cyber criminals will either create fake accounts or hack into existing Facebook accounts of people you may know. The fake or compromised accounts will then try to trick you into giving them money by sending you personalized messages. If a scammer tries to message you, report them.
Here are some common money scams you should look out for when sending and receiving money in messages:
- Romance scams: Romance scammers typically send romantic messages to people they don’t know, often pretending to be divorced, widowed or in a bad marriage. In order to pay for things like flights or visas, they'll engage in online relationships in hopes of receiving money. They may use photos they've found online of representatives from official institutions like the military, or government agencies. Their goal is to gain your trust, so the conversations may continue for weeks before they ask for money.
- Lottery scams: Lottery scams are often carried out from accounts impersonating someone you know, or fake profiles pretending to represent an organization. The messages will claim that you're among the winners of a lottery and that you can receive your money for a small advance fee. The scammer may ask you to provide personal information, such as your physical address or bank details.
- Donation scams: These scams are done by accounts impersonating famous religious figures, or by accounts pretending to be representatives from various charities or orphanages. In the messages, the scammers will ask for donations.
- Inheritance scams: The scammer will claim to be a lawyer or from another legal authority, pretending to represent the estate of a deceased person. The messages will state that you're entitled to the inheritance. The scammer may ask you to provide personal information such as your physical address or bank details.
- Loan scams: Loan scammers send messages and leave posts and comments on Pages and in Groups offering, or claiming to know someone offering, instant loans at a low interest rate for a small advance fee.
To protect yourself from scammers, watch out for the following:
- People asking you for money who you don’t know in person
- People asking you for advance fees in order to receive a loan, prize or other winnings
- People asking you to move your conversation off of Facebook (example: a separate email address)
- People claiming to be a friend or relative in an emergency
- Poor spelling and grammatical mistakes
Learn more about keeping your account secure.
In the rare case there is a money scam on Facebook, cyber criminals will either create fake accounts or hack into existing Facebook accounts of people you may know. The fake or compromised accounts will then try to trick you into giving them money by sending you personalized messages. If a scammer tries to message you, report them.
Here are some common money scams you should look out for when sending and receiving money in messages:
- Romance scams: Romance scammers typically send romantic messages to people they don’t know, often pretending to be divorced, widowed or in a bad marriage. In order to pay for things like flights or visas, they'll engage in online relationships in hopes of receiving money. They may use photos they've found online of representatives from official institutions like the military, or government agencies. Their goal is to gain your trust, so the conversations may continue for weeks before they ask for money.
- Lottery scams: Lottery scams are often carried out from accounts impersonating someone you know, or fake profiles pretending to represent an organization. The messages will claim that you're among the winners of a lottery and that you can receive your money for a small advance fee. The scammer may ask you to provide personal information, such as your physical address or bank details.
- Donation scams: These scams are done by accounts impersonating famous religious figures, or by accounts pretending to be representatives from various charities or orphanages. In the messages, the scammers will ask for donations.
- Inheritance scams: The scammer will claim to be a lawyer or from another legal authority, pretending to represent the estate of a deceased person. The messages will state that you're entitled to the inheritance. The scammer may ask you to provide personal information such as your physical address or bank details.
- Loan scams: Loan scammers send messages and leave posts and comments on Pages and in Groups offering, or claiming to know someone offering, instant loans at a low interest rate for a small advance fee.
To protect yourself from scammers, watch out for the following:
- People asking you for money who you don’t know in person
- People asking you for advance fees in order to receive a loan, prize or other winnings
- People asking you to move your conversation off of Facebook (example: a separate email address)
- People claiming to be a friend or relative in an emergency
- Poor spelling and grammatical mistakes
Learn more about keeping your account secure.
When you send or receive money in messages, the identity and age verification provider IDology may ask you to provide information to verify your identity after you reach a specified amount of money. We do this to help protect you from unauthorized payments activity and to comply with various federal and state laws.
You may be asked to provide one or more of the following to verify your identify:
- Your legal name
- Date of birth
- ZIP code
- Last 4 digits of your Social Security number
- A photo ID
- Answers to multiple-choice questions only you would know
To use Payments in messages, your Facebook profile name and date of birth must match the information found on your ID. Just like other financial institutions, Facebook Payments needs to make sure you are who you say you are. This means that we need to make sure that the information on your government-issued ID matches the information on your account.
We understand that sometimes the name on your ID isn't the name you associate with your authentic self. We're sorry for the inconvenience.
If you have a message from Facebook, please follow the instructions in that message. Otherwise, please follow the prompts on your Facebook account.
Please make sure that the name located on your Payments profile and date of birth on your Facebook account matches the information found on your ID. Learn more about the types of IDs accepted by Facebook Payments.
Payments in messages is a regulated financial service. One regulatory requirement is that Facebook Payments validate your identity at certain times. Just like other financial institutions, Facebook Payments needs to make sure you are who you say you are.
Please make sure that the name located in your Payments settings and date of birth on your Facebook account matches the information found on your ID so that we can re-enable your account more quickly.
Learn more about the types of IDs accepted by Facebook Payments.
Facebook Payments accepts:
- Driver's licenses
- State IDs
- Passports
- Green cards, residence permits or immigration registration cards
- Tribal identification or status cards
- Voter ID cards
Payments in Messenger is a regulated financial service. One regulatory requirement is that Facebook Payments validate your identity at certain times. To send or receive money in messages again, Facebook Payments will need your help to verify your identity.
To use Payments again, please follow the instructions in the email you received. You may need to provide documentation or update your Payments settings and or Facebook profile information.
We value the trust you place in us and take many precautions to prevent unauthorized access to information you've saved on Facebook.
When you spend money on Facebook, we may share your contact or shipping info with sellers and their service providers according to our data policy. However, we don’t share your payment card info or third-party payment login info with sellers or with the recipients of a donation.
Facebook may also store your info so you don't have to enter it again when you make a future purchase. If you don't want us to store your payment info for future use, you can remove the payment methods you've added to your account.
Learn more about how we protect your payment info.
Report or Fix a Problem
If you're trying to send money in a message and it's not working, it may be because:
- Your friend declined the money or didn't add a Visa or Mastercard debit card issued by a US bank to their Facebook account.
- Your friend's payments are disabled.
- There may be issues with your debit card. Try contacting your bank by calling the number on the back of your debit card.
If you're still having issues after talking with your bank, let us know.
Contact Us
Learn how to send or receive money in Messenger here.
In order to be eligible to use Payments in Messenger that you and your friend:
- Live in the United States
- Are at least 18 years old
- Add a Visa or Mastercard debit card issued by a US bank to your accounts
- Set your preferred currency to US dollars
- Aren't disabled from sending or receiving money on Facebook
You'll be able to send or receive money once you've added a debit card issued by a US bank to your account. Money is transferred right away if you're the sender or receiver, but the bank may take up to 5 business days to post the payment if you're receiving money.
If you've been sent money but it hasn't appeared in your account after 5 business days, try contacting your bank by calling the number on the back of your debit card to see why they haven't posted this to your account.
If you're still having issues, let us know.
