PNC Bank Not Working With Venmo, CashApp, Google Pay, and other money transfer apps
Customers of PNC bank may have noticed a recent change in their ability to use third party finance apps. In a security update some months back, PNC made security changes in an effort to further secure user’s checking accounts. Unfortunately for tech-savvy customers of PNC, those security updates had effects which reached further than anticipated. Since the update, unhappy customers have flooded the bank’s social media pages with complaints about how PNC won’t connect with Venmo or Cash App.
So What’s the Problem, Exactly?
Since a security update in August of 2019, customers have noticed that their bank accounts won’t connect with apps like Venmo or Cash App. Third party apps like these have become important financial tools for many Americans. People rely on them to coordinate the paying of bills or send money to friends. Increasingly, they are utilized to receive wages from employers, particularly for people who work remotely or freelance. If PNC won’t connect to Venmo or Cash App or PayPal, it can limit your financial freedom tremendously.
PNC’s Defense Leaves Customers Unsatisfied
Chief security officer Debbie Guild responded to customer complaints. In a statement, the longtime employee said that the bank currently doesn’t “have a timeline at this point” to resolve issues. Since the problem has been going on for some months, customers are understandably upset.
Customer service also hasn’t been especially helpful. After complaining to a representative about his bank account’s lack of connectivity to Venmo, Jim Hargreaves received the following message: “If you are having this difficulty, you may want to explore alternative means of money movement, such as Zelle, or work directly with the third-party applications to explore other alternatives.” Some users have even theorized that PNC’s financial relationship with Zelle may be a reason for their connection problems.
Many have taken to Twitter in an effort to complain in a public space, with most voicing their frustrations. “Hey PNC why can I not add my PNC account to Venmo? I have tried multiple times,” asked one user. One visibly frustrated customer called out the bank directly: “What the heck. I can’t use @Venmo, or @Joingiftya or @coinbase because of you. FIX THIS.” Some have even gone so far as to say they have plans to change banks. One thing is clear: Users are upset.
PNC Blames Third Party Company For Issues
Guild blames the problems that PNC is experiencing on third party applications. The bank claims that the financial problems are rooted in Plaid, a third party company. According to Plaid’s website, “Plaid provides developers with the tools they need to create easy and accessible experiences for their users. Today, tens of millions of people in North America (and counting) have successfully connected their accounts to apps they love using Plaid.” Plaid officials weighed in on the situation, and basically cleared themselves of any wrongdoing. They also added that they were more than willing to help PNC with resolving any and all connectivity issues.
For the time being, it looks like PNC won’t connect to Venmo or Cash App. Whether this means customers will leave is up in the air for now, but one thing is for sure – Zelle stands to see more use. That is, if customers do stick around.
