Zelle Discontinues Standalone App Amid Shift to Bank-Based Services

NEW YORK — Zelle, the widely-used peer-to-peer payment application, shut down its standalone app on April 2, 2025, as the company pivots to focus on integration with banking institutions. This change follows a steady decline in standalone use, with only 2% of Zelle transactions occurring through the app.

Starting Tuesday, former users are directed to utilize Zelle through their bank’s platforms, with over 2,200 banks and credit unions participating. A message appears upon sign-in to the Zelle app, stating, “The service is no longer available for sending and receiving money,” urging users to enroll through their financial institutions instead.

Launched in 2017, Zelle quickly rose to prominence, garnering over 151 million users. Most accessed Zelle through their banking apps, making the standalone approach redundant. The company acknowledged that the decline in app usage was a primary reason for the decision to discontinue it. Despite the shutdown, Zelle will remain accessible as a resource for consumer education regarding scam awareness and other banking-related guidance.

According to Zelle, the app had reached significant transaction volumes, exceeding $1 trillion in 2024, securing its place as the leading platform for safe peer-to-peer transfers. The firm emphasized in a statement, “The growth of Zelle since 2017 is a testament to the valuable role the service plays and the national consumer demand for a way to send and receive funds directly from insured and regulated bank accounts.”

The transition away from the app was anticipated after the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) filed a lawsuit against major banks, including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo in 2024. The CFPB claimed that these banks failed to effectively protect customers on the Zelle platform, resulting in losses of over $870 million due to fraud. Zelle contested these allegations, asserting the claims were “meritless” and unfounded.

Former users of the app were previously alerted about the impending shutdown through emails and in-app notifications, ensuring no disruption to their ability to send and receive money through their bank’s online systems.