Zelle®

WHAT IS ZELLE^®?

Zelle^® is a fast, safe and easy way to send money directly between almost any bank accounts in the U.S., typically within minutes¹. With just an email address or U.S. mobile phone number, you can send money to people you trust, regardless of where they bank¹.

WHO CAN I SEND MONEY TO WITH ZELLE^®?

You can send money to friends, family and others you trust¹.

Since money is sent directly from your bank account to another person’s bank account within minutes¹, it’s important to only send money to people you trust, and always ensure you’ve used the correct email address or U.S. mobile number.

If you don’t know the person or aren’t sure you will get what you paid for (for example, items bought from an online bidding or sales site), you should not use Zelle^®. These transactions are potentially high risk (just like sending cash to a person you don’t know is high risk).

Neither First Internet Bank nor Zelle^® offers purchase protection for payments made with Zelle^® – for example, if you do not receive the item you paid for, or the item is not as described or as you expected. Only send money to people and small businesses you trust and always ensure you’ve used the correct email address or U.S. mobile number when sending money.

HOW DO I USE ZELLE^®?

You can send, request, or receive money with Zelle^®. To get started, log into the First Internet Bank mobile app or online banking, navigate to Move Money and select “Send Money with Zelle^®“

To send money using Zelle^®, simply select someone from your mobile device’s contacts (or add a trusted recipient’s email address or U.S. mobile number), add the amount you’d like to send and an optional note, review, then hit “Send.” The recipient will receive an email or text message notification via the method they used to enroll with Zelle^®. Money is available to your recipient in minutes if they are already enrolled with Zelle^®.

To request money using Zelle^®, choose “Request,” select the individual from whom you’d like to request money, enter the amount you’d like, include an optional note, review and hit “Request”. If the person you are requesting money from is not yet enrolled with Zelle^®, you must use their email address to request money. If the person has enrolled their U.S. mobile number, then you can send the request using their U.S. mobile number.

To receive money, just share your enrolled email address or U.S. mobile number with a friend and ask them to send you money with Zelle^®. If you have already enrolled with Zelle^®, you do not need to take any further action. The money will be sent directly into your First Internet Bank account, typically within minutes.

If someone sent you money with Zelle^® and you have not yet enrolled with Zelle^®, follow these steps:

1. Click on the link provided in the payment notification you received via email or text message.
2. Select First Internet Bank.
3. Follow the instructions provided on the page to enroll and receive your payment. Pay attention to the email address or U.S. mobile number where you received the payment notification – you should enroll with Zelle® using that email address or U.S. mobile number to ensure you receive your money.

WHAT TYPES OF PAYMENTS CAN I MAKE WITH ZELLE^®?

Zelle^® is a great way to send money to family, friends, and people you are familiar with such as your personal trainer, babysitter or neighbor².

Since money is sent directly from your bank account to another person’s bank account within minutes¹, Zelle^® should only be used to send money to friends, family and others you trust.

Neither First Internet Bank nor Zelle^® offers purchase protection for payments made with Zelle^® – for example, if you do not receive the item you paid for, or the item is not as described or as you expected. Only send money to people and small businesses you trust and always ensure you’ve used the correct email address or U.S. mobile number when sending money.

HOW DO I GET STARTED?

It’s easy – Zelle^® is already available within online banking and your mobile banking app! Check our app or sign-in online and follow a few simple steps to enroll with Zelle^® today.

WHAT IF I WANT TO SEND MONEY TO SOMEONE WHOSE FINANCIAL INSTITUTION DOESN’T OFFER ZELLE^®?

You can find a full list of participating banks and credit unions live with Zelle^® here.

If your recipient’s financial institution isn’t on the list, don’t worry! The list of participating financial institutions is always growing, and your recipient can still use Zelle^® by downloading the Zelle^® app for Android and iOS.

To enroll with the Zelle^® app, your recipient will enter their basic contact information, an email address and U.S. mobile number, and a Visa^® or Mastercard^® debit card with a U.S. based account (does not include U.S. territories). Zelle^® does not accept debit cards associated with international deposit accounts or any credit cards.

HOW DOES ZELLE^® WORK?

When you enroll with Zelle^® through your online banking account, or mobile banking app, your name, the name of your financial institution, and the email address or U.S. mobile number you enrolled is shared with Zelle^® (no sensitive account details are shared – those stay with your financial institution).

When someone sends money to your enrolled email address or U.S. mobile number, Zelle^® looks up the email address or mobile number in its “directory” and notifies your financial institution of the incoming payment. Your financial institution then directs the payment into your bank account, all while keeping your sensitive account details private.

CAN I USE ZELLE^® INTERNATIONALLY?

In order to use Zelle^®, the sender and recipient’s bank accounts must be based in the U.S.

Are there any fees to send money using Zelle^®? 

No, First Internet Bank does not charge any fees to use Zelle^® in the First Internet Bank app or online banking.

Your mobile carrier’s messaging and data rates may apply.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO RECEIVE MONEY WITH ZELLE^®?

Money sent with Zelle^® is typically available to an enrolled recipient within minutes¹.

If you send money to someone who isn’t enrolled with Zelle^®, they will receive a notification prompting them to enroll. After enrollment, the money will move directly to your recipient’s account, typically within minutes¹.

If your payment is pending, we recommend confirming that the person you sent money to has enrolled with Zelle^® and that you entered the correct email address or U.S. mobile phone number.

If you’re waiting to receive money, you should check to see if you’ve received a payment notification via email or text message. If you haven’t received a payment notification, we recommend following up with the sender to confirm they entered the correct email address or U.S. mobile phone number.

Still having trouble? Please contact your financial institution’s customer service.

WILL THE PERSON I SEND MONEY TO BE NOTIFIED?

Yes! They will receive a notification via email or text message.

IS MY INFORMATION SECURE?

Keeping your money and information safe is a top priority. When you use Zelle^® within our mobile app or online banking, your information is protected with the same technology we use to keep your bank account safe.

I’M UNSURE ABOUT USING ZELLE^® TO PAY SOMEONE I DONT KNOW. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

If you don’t know the person or aren’t sure you will get what you paid for (for example, items bought from an online bidding or sales site), you should not use Zelle^® for these types of transactions.

These transactions are potentially high risk (just like sending cash to a person you don’t know is high risk). Neither First Internet Bank nor Zelle^® offers purchase protection for payments made with Zelle^® – for example, if you do not receive the item you paid for, or the item is not as described or as you expected. Only send money to people and small businesses you trust and always ensure you’ve used the correct email address or U.S. mobile number when sending money.