Payment apps make it easy to make purchases, send money to friends and family, pay rent or split expenses like restaurant bills and tips with a group. And because these apps make sending money so seamless, many people seem to prefer digital payments to more traditional methods.

                By                    Scott Jeffries
  • Cash App
  • Google Pay
  • PayPal
  • Western Union
  • Xoom
  • Zelle
  • Venmo
  • Pros and Cons
  • How To Choose

Venmo may be one of the most popular peer-to-peer payment platforms, but it isn’t the only option. In fact, there are more ways to send money now than ever before. Here’s a look at the seven best payment apps of 2023.

7 Best Payment Apps: A Detailed Look

Each of the following payment apps has excellent user experiences and features that help you send money and make payments online. Here’s a comparison of their compatibility, pay limits and fees so you can decide which one’s best for you.

More From Your Money: Choose a high-interest saving, checking, CD, or investing account from our list of top banks to start saving today.

1. Cash App

Cash App allows you to send and receive money via $Cashtag, phone number or QR code.

Learn more about how to use Cash App.

2. Google Pay

Google Pay is Google’s digital wallet and payment system. You can send money to individuals or even groups to split expenses, but you can’t send peer-to-peer payments from your credit card — only your bank account, debit card or your Google Pay balance.

3. PayPal

PayPal’s app lets you send or receive money directly to and from friends and family. But if you’re planning to use your credit card to send money, be prepared for high fees.

4. Western Union

Western Union lets you send money to friends and family in more than 200 countries worldwide.

5. Xoom

Xoom is a user-friendly payment app offered by PayPal that lets you send money to friends and family, whether in the U.S. or abroad.

6. Zelle

Zelle is a U.S.-based payments service integrated with hundreds of bank and credit union mobile apps around the country.

7. Venmo

Venmo is a payment app that lets you send payments and split expenses with a group. You can also send payments to businesses with the app.

Pros and Cons of the 7 Best Payment Apps of 2023

The aforementioned seven apps all have advantages and disadvantages. Here’s an overview of the best ways to send money, including the pros and cons of each.

Next, consider some of these questions you might ask before choosing your payment app.

Key Questions To Ask Yourself

The payment apps listed above have many of the same features. Which one’s best for you comes down to how you want to use it. Here are some questions to ask yourself as you evaluate the options:

Once you’ve answered these questions, the right payment app for you will probably become apparent.

Consider the Following:

  • Do you need to send money internationally?
  • Do you need to send large amounts of money?
  • Do you want a separate app and account login?
  • Will you make purchases, or are you just planning on sending money?

Cynthia Measom, Gabrielle Olya and Daria Uhlig contributed to the reporting for this article.

Information is accurate as of Jan. 6, 2023.