Instant digital payments are all the rage today. Gone are the times you had to wait three or more business days for your money – now you can send cash at lightning speed, all at the tap of a button. Dominating the burgeoning digital payments space is Zelle, a network that moves money directly between US bank accounts.
Unfortunately, Zelle isn’t available in other countries at the moment, so you won’t be able to take advantage of the payment network’s features if you live outside the United States and don’t have a US bank account.
If you want to send money internationally or receive transfers from abroad, you’re also out of luck – Zelle doesn’t support cross-border payments at all.
There is a second change worth knowing before you go looking for the app: the standalone Zelle app was discontinued on 1 April 2025. Zelle now works only inside the app or website of a participating bank or credit union.
In this article, we’ll take a look at Zelle’s availability, expansion plans and discuss some Zelle alternatives that are available to you if you live abroad.
What is Zelle, and why has the company become so famous in the U.S.?
Zelle is a digital payment network operated by Early Warning Services, a company jointly owned by seven US banks, created to enable cross-bank payments. Consumers and businesses using the network can seamlessly transfer money to other participants’ US bank accounts, instantly and for free, even if they hold accounts at different banks.
What sets Zelle apart is its ability to route transfers directly into a recipient’s bank account, without requiring either the sender or recipient to maintain a separate account linked only to the payment network.
For example, let’s say that you wanted to send a friend some money. Using Zelle, you could transfer funds directly from your bank account, and the money would appear in your friend’s bank account mere moments later. If you used a Zelle competitor, like PayPal, you would first have to fund your PayPal account using your bank account. Once you pay your friend, funds will appear in her PayPal account, but to spend or withdraw the amount, she would then have to initiate another transfer from PayPal to her bank.
The scale explains the fame: Zelle had around 151 million enrolled users in early 2025 and moved more than $1 trillion during 2024, the most ever sent in a single year by a person-to-person payment service.
The standalone app is gone
Since 1 April 2025 you can no longer send or receive money through the purple Zelle app. Early Warning Services shut it down because fewer than 2% of users relied on it, and the app was fully closed in August 2025.
In practice, this means Zelle is only available if you bank with one of the 2,200 or so US banks and credit unions in the network, including Bank of America, Chase, Wells Fargo, Capital One and many smaller institutions. If your US bank is not a participant, Zelle is no longer an option for you at all.
So, how does Zelle make money?
Not from you. Zelle does not charge consumers to send or receive money, and it does not hold your balance either, since the money moves from one bank account to another.
The network earns its revenue from the financial institutions that offer it, which pay to participate in the network and to process payments for their customers. Those banks, in turn, may pass a cost on to merchants and small businesses that accept Zelle payments for goods or services: the fee, when there is one, is set by your bank rather than by Zelle, so it is worth checking your own bank’s business account pricing before you rely on it.
For individuals, Zelle’s own guidance is to confirm that your bank does not charge a fee, because the network itself does not.
Which countries is Zelle available in?
As mentioned above, Zelle is available exclusively in the United States and can only send and receive payments domestically.
Notably, Zelle requires both the sender and the recipient to have a U.S. bank account at a participating institution, meaning the network doesn’t support cross-border payments of any type, even those that originate from or are received by a U.S. account holder.
For example, Zelle wouldn’t be able to process a payment from your U.S. bank account to a relative in Germany, nor would your relative be able to send money to you. Interestingly, one exception exists: if your relative also had a U.S. bank account (despite living in Germany), they would be able to send and receive money using Zelle.
As a result, it doesn’t matter where you’re physically located when sending or receiving money. What matters is that you and the other person you’re trying to pay both have a U.S. bank account at a bank that is part of the Zelle network.
Does Zelle have plans to expand abroad?
Zelle hasn’t made public any plans to expand internationally. If anything, the direction of travel has been the opposite: after adding business payments in 2020, the network narrowed its footprint in 2025 by closing the standalone app and tying itself entirely to participating US banks. Nothing suggests a cross-border product is coming.
Zelle Worldwide Alternatives
You don’t live in the United States and can’t use Zelle – bummer! Not to worry, though – there are plenty of other payment networks available, many of which offer features similar to Zelle.
Let’s take a look at a few of them. There are several options that will work nearly anywhere in the world:
Wise
Formerly Transferwise, Wise is a cross-border payment processor that sends money to more than 160 countries, including all countries within the European Economic Area (EEA). The service offers some of the lowest fees available to a consumer for cross-border payments, making it an attractive alternative to international wire transfers.
Revolut
One of the fastest-growing digital banks, now with more than 60 million customers. Revolut provides free transfers between users, low-cost currency conversion, and even the possibility to invest in stocks and cryptos.
Paypal
PayPal allows you to transfer money to and from over 200+ countries worldwide. However, PayPal does charge a fee for international transfers, though the exact amount depends on the country you’re based in and where you’re sending your funds to, along with the size of your transaction and its funding method.
OFX
Billed as a cheaper and faster way to send money abroad than via bank wire transfers, OFX is a longtime Wise competitor. The service supports 55+ different foreign currencies and 110+ kinds of bank accounts across the world.
Remitly
Primarily built to allow international workers and immigrants to send money to family, friends, and relatives back home, Remitly supports payments from around 30 sending countries to over 100 receiving countries around the globe.
Vivid Money
A digital bank based in Germany whose users can send and request money from other users without charges. Vivid has been shifting its focus towards business accounts, so check what is available for personal use in your country before signing up.
N26
A popular digital bank based in Germany, available across the European Economic Area and Switzerland. Note that N26 closed its US operation years ago, so it is a European option only.
Monzo
This online bank allows for payments within the United Kingdom. It closed its US accounts in June 2026 and is instead expanding into the European Union, using the banking licence it obtained through the Central Bank of Ireland in December 2025.
Cash App
Cash App is now a United States service only. It closed its UK operation in September 2024, so the US to UK transfers it used to support are no longer possible.
Monese
Monese was a digital account aimed at people who struggle to open a traditional bank account. It was acquired by the UK fintech Pockit in 2024 and its consumer business is being folded into Pockit, so check whether new sign-ups are still open before you count on it.
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Service |
Accepts clients from |
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Worldwide Some countries are excluded and the list changes, so check your country on the Wise website before signing up |
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Worldwide Exceptions include Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Turkey, Myanmar, Sudan, Iraq, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Ghana, North Korea |
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55 different currencies and 110+ supported bank accounts |
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Around 30 sending countries and more than 100 receiving countries |
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European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, the United States, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, Brazil and others, with new markets being added |
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European Economic Area, with the focus shifting towards business accounts |
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United Kingdom and the European Economic Area, now part of Pockit |
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Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France (not Overseas), Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland |
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United Kingdom, with a European rollout under way. US accounts closed in June 2026 |
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United States only, since the UK service closed in September 2024 |
Depending on where you live, where you need to send money to, and where you’re receiving money from, some of these payment networks may be more useful to you than others.
If you need to make frequent international transfers to countries in Asia or Africa, PayPal, Wise, OFX, or Remitly may be best for you.
If you’re looking to send money within Europe, Revolut, Vivid Money and N26 may be your best bet, and a plain SEPA transfer from your own bank is free and usually arrives within seconds under SEPA Instant.
Finally, if your payments stay inside the United States or inside the United Kingdom, Cash App and Monzo respectively cover that, but neither of them connects the two countries any more.
Bottom Line
There’s a wide diversity of payment networks out there, even if you live outside the U.S. and can’t use Zelle. Some platforms offer bank-account-to-bank-account transfers. Others highlight low fees and quick transactions. A few networks support worldwide payments, and others primarily serve Europe. With so many different networks to choose from, you’re bound to find one that fits your money transfer needs, whether you live in Europe or elsewhere.
One lesson from the past two years is worth keeping: payment apps come and go by market. Cash App left the United Kingdom, Monzo left the United States, and Zelle closed its own app. Before you build a habit around one of them, check that it still covers both ends of the transfers you actually make.
We hope this article was helpful to you!
If you need further guidance or have questions, feel free to reach out to us. We wish you the best in your investment journey!
FAQs
Can you send and receive money internationally with Zelle?
Unfortunately, not. Zelle only works in the United States.
Is the Zelle app still available?
No. The standalone Zelle app stopped processing payments on 1 April 2025 and was closed in August 2025. To use Zelle you now need an account with one of the 2,200 or so US banks and credit unions that offer it inside their own app or online banking.
Can you make payments to someone in a different country with Zelle?
Nope. Zelle only supports transactions between US bank accounts, and both the sender and the recipient must have one.
Can US users send money to UK users?
No. Users with a U.S. bank account can only send money to other users with a U.S. bank account. If you live in the U.K. but have a U.S. bank account at a participating institution, you may be able to send and receive money using Zelle.
Can you send money from Zelle to Cash App or Venmo?
You can’t. Zelle only supports payments to other US bank accounts. Because your Cash App or Venmo accounts aren’t bank accounts, they’re not supported.
Is Zelle available in Canada? 🇨🇦
Zelle is not available in Canada. Alternatives for Canadian users include Wise and Paypal.
Is Zelle available in Australia? 🇦🇺
Zelle is not available in Australia. Alternatives for Australian users include Wise, Paypal and Revolut.
Is Zelle available in Mexico? 🇲🇽
Zelle is not available in Mexico. Alternatives for Mexico users include Wise and Paypal.
Is Zelle available in the Philippines? 🇵🇭
Zelle is not available in the Philippines. Alternatives for Philippines users include Wise, Paypal and Remitly.
Is Zelle available in Europe?
Zelle is not available in Europe. Alternatives for European users include Wise, Revolut, N26 and Paypal, plus a standard SEPA transfer from your own bank.
