Cash App Review
What is Cash App?
Cash App is an online money payment platform mainly used for receiving and sending money instantly. It is a type of digital wallet where you can put or save money and use it for your daily transactions. This app was developed by Square Inc. and was initially released in October 2013. Users can use this by first downloading a mobile app and creating an account under this platform. Users can enjoy hassle-free money sending and requests with just a few taps on their smartphones through this app.
How does Cash App work?
In Cash App, users can enjoy convenient money payment, banking, and investing transactions. This becomes a form of digital wallet, and allows its users to send money for payments or any other purposes and request money as well from other people using the app. Users are also given a debit card called “Cash Card” which they can put funds to and allow them to purchase or invest or make other transactions using the app. Initially, the app mainly focused, but it expanded to bitcoin trading in January 2018.
Here are the four main services offered by Cash App to its users and how you can use it:
Pros and Cons
Cash App is an online money payment platform mainly used for receiving and sending money instantly. It is a type of digital wallet where you can put or save money and use it for your daily transactions. This app was developed by Square Inc. and was initially released in October 2013. Users can use this by first downloading a mobile app and creating an account under this platform. Users can enjoy hassle-free money sending and requests with just a few taps on their smartphones through this app.
How does Cash App work?
In Cash App, users can enjoy convenient money payment, banking, and investing transactions. This becomes a form of digital wallet, and allows its users to send money for payments or any other purposes and request money as well from other people using the app. Users are also given a debit card called “Cash Card” which they can put funds to and allow them to purchase or invest or make other transactions using the app. Initially, the app mainly focused, but it expanded to bitcoin trading in January 2018.
Here are the four main services offered by Cash App to its users and how you can use it:
- Banking – Cash App is a platform that allows you not only to send or receive money, but also to deposit funds to your account. However, you must take note that you must first have a Cash App card in order to enjoy this feature. You can obtain a Cash Card by ordering it from their website. Here is a short and easy instruction on how you can deposit funds to your Cash App account using your smartphone:
- Open the Cash App app.
- Once the app is opened, tap on the icon with the dollar symbol at the bottom-left corner of the screen.
- On the next screen, tap on the option that says Add Cash.
- Once you tap on Add Cash, enter the amount you want to deposit to your Cash App account, and then tap on Add.
- Once you tap on Add, you will be asked to verify your identity by typing in your full name. Enter your full name, and then tap on Next.
- On the next screen, you will be asked for your date of birth. Enter your date of birth, and then tap on Next.
- Once you tap on Next, you will be asked for the last four digits of your Social Security Number (SSN). Enter the last four digits of your SSN, and then tap on Next.
- Once you tap on Next, you will see a confirmation that the amount has been added to your Cash App balance. Tap on Done to finish your action
- Money Sending – Cash App is a type of digital wallet that not only allows you to store funds, but also to send money for different kinds of transaction purposes. Here are short step-by-step instructions on how you can send money using the Cash App app.
- Open the Cash App app.
- Once the app is opened, enter the amount of money you want to send, and then tap on the option that says Pay at the bottom right part of the screen.
- Once you tap on Pay, enter the name, $Cashtag, phone number, or mobile address of the person you want to send money to. You can also add an additional note if you wish to.
- Once you have entered the contact information of the person you want to send money to, tap on Pay at the upper-right corner of the screen.
- Receiving money - Aside from money payment, you can also receive money on Cash App. Here are step-by-step instructions on how you can receive cash on Cash App:
- Open the Cash App app.
- Once the app is opened, enter the amount you want, or you are supposed to receive and then tap on the option that says Request at the bottom right part of the screen.
- Once you tap on Request, enter the name, $Cashtag, phone number, or mobile address of the person you want to request money from. You can also add an additional note to that person for your request if you wish.
- Once you have entered the contact information of the person you are requesting money from, tap on Request at the upper-right corner of the screen.
- You can check if the payment has already been sent to you or your transaction progress, by tapping on the Activity icon with the clock symbol at the bottom-right corner of the screen.
- Investing – Aside from banking and receiving and sending money in Cash App, you can also invest using the Cash App app. Cash App offers investments for stocks and bitcoin. Here is an example of how you can invest with Bitcoin using the Cash App app.
- Open the Cash App app.
- Once the app is opened, you will see several icons at the bottom of the screen, including an Investing icon with the Bitcoin symbol. Tap on the Investing icon.
- Once you tap on the Investing icon, you will see two tabs on the screen: Stocks and Bitcoin. Tap on Bitcoin.
- Once you tap on Bitcoin, tap on the tab at the bottom of the screen that says Buy.
- Once you tap on Buy, you can select the amount you want to purchase on the suggested amounts given on the screen. However, if you want a custom amount, tap on the tab with the three dots.
- Once you have set the amount you want to purchase, tap on Next.
- Once you tap on Next, you will be asked to set up a PIN number for your security.
- Once you have set up a PIN number, you will then be able to see your transaction details. If everything looks good, tap on Confirm.
Is Cash App safe to use?
Cash App developers made sure to include data encryption and fraud checking technology in their app to make sure that its users' data and identity are safe from possible hackers or information breaches. Although you might want to manually put additional application security like passcodes or in-app
security lock once you have the app already downloaded on your phone, overall users experience claims to have no application and data security issues.
However, you might also want to take into consideration of the fact that Cash App is not Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insured. This means that you may not get the same financial security compared to actual banking institutions. Because of this, you as a user might want to have another bank account for your money and only put a small amount of funds in your Cash App account
Pros and Cons
PROS |
CONS |
Convenience |
Limited service location |
Cash-less transaction |
Not FDIC registered |
Mobile app |
|
Low transaction fees |
|
Cash Card |
|
Investments |
PROS
- Convenience - Cash App offers convenience to its users. Through this app, users can do their financial transactions just by using their phones without actually going to the bank.
- Cash-less transaction – Why bring a heavy purse when you can make your payments without having to use cash? Cash App’s cash-less transactions allow its users to pay, receive, or even invest money without having to get a single penny from their pockets.
- Mobile app - to add more convenience for its users, Cash App offers a mobile app with an easy interface for users to have easier navigation when doing their transactions with Cash App.
- Low transaction fees – Cash App offers lower transaction fees to its clients. This allows them to do transactions without worrying about excessive fees like some other digital wallet platforms.
- Cash Card – Cash App allows its users to have their own Cash Card for free. This Cash Card acts like a debit card that is connected to a Cash App account. A Cash Card owner can purchase items or do transactions online and on a physical setting just like a typical debit card would do. Another fun feature with this Cash Card is that users can customize it and add their personal touch in any way they want to.
- Investments – Cash App is not just like any other digital wallet platform. Aside from the services and features it offers as a digital wallet, you can also make investments through Cash App. The investments you can have in Cash App are not limited to a single category only. You can invest in Stocks or Bitcoin or both.
- Limited service location – Unlike one of the leading digital wallet platforms nowadays which is PayPal, the scope of this platform in terms of availability is only limited to the United States and the United Kingdom. This means that if you are interested in using Cash App but you do not come from any of the abovementioned places, chances are you will not be able to enjoy the services offered by this platform.
- Not FDIC registered – This means that the funds you have on your Cash App account are prone to vulnerability and do not have the same level of security compared to having your funds stored at an actual bank most, especially if the company experiences a sudden shutdown.
Digital wallet in the time of Pandemic
Due to the recent pandemic outlet, health safety has been extra delicate for the general public. Aside from being asked to avoid going to public places like parks, shops, or banks, people have been advised to always sanitize every object they come in contact with. We all know that one of the most unclean we are constantly in contact with almost every day aside from our phones is money. Its use in our day-to-day transactions allows these cash or pennies to be constantly passed on from one person to another. Due to this, we have no way of knowing where the money we are holding actually came from. This is now what makes digital wallets like Cash App important. By having a digital wallet, we do not have to give and receive actual physical money. We can do transactions like payments or fundings without actually having to hold money that came from other people. This means less physical contact, and less physical contact means less risk of infection from viruses or other objects that may cause complications or risks in our health.
How can I enjoy the services offered by Cash App?
For those who have not yet tried using Cash App, you can enjoy its services by first creating a registered account on this platform. You can create an account by browsing through their official website or downloading their mobile application, which is available for Android and iOS users.
Here is a short step-by-step process on how you can create a Cash App account using their mobile application:
- Open the Google Playstore (for Android users) or App Store (for iOS users), and then download and install the Cash App app.
- Once you have downloaded and installed the app, open the app.
- Once the app is opened, you will first be asked to enter your mobile number or email address. You can choose which of these you want to be associated with your Cash App account.
- Once you have entered your email address or your mobile number, tap on Next.
- Once you tap on Next, you will be sent a confirmation code to your mobile number or email address. Enter the confirmation code sent to you by Cash App, and then tap on Next.
- On the next page, you will be asked to add or link a bank using your debit card. Enter your debit card number, and then tap on Next. This part is optional so if you want to do it at a later time instead, you can tap on Skip.
- On the next page, you will be asked to enter your first and last name. Enter your first name and last name, and then tap on Next.
- Once you tap on Next, you will be given a suggested $Cashtag or a Cash App username. You can use this suggested $Cashtag, our you can create your own unique username. Enter your desired $Cashtag, and then tap on Next.
- Once you tap on Next, you will be asked to enter your ZIP code on the following page. Enter your ZIP code, and then tap on Next
- Once you tap on Next, you will be asked to invite your friends to join Cash App and get $15. You can invite friends and then tap on Continue. Or, if you want to skip this step, just simply tap on Skip.
If you want to sign up with Cash App on the browser instead, just go to https://cash.app and follow the sign up instructions. Creating an account with Cash App using the browser is just as easy as creating an account using its mobile app!
See? Getting started with Cash App is easy! Once you have created your account, you can now start exploring Cash App and enjoy the different services it has to offer.
What is a Cash Card and should I have one?
A Cash Card is another special feature offered by Cash App to its users that was officially launched on their platform in 2017. This acts like a typical debit card from your banks and is connected with your Cash App account. With a Cash Card, you can withdraw money from an ATM, or you can also use it to purchase items at stores anywhere that accepts Visa cards. However to have a Cash Card, you must it order it from Cash App.
Here are step-by-step instructions on how you can order your very own Cash Card:
- Open the Cash App app.
- Once the app is opened, tap on the icon at the bottom-left part of the screen with the card symbol.
- Once you have tapped on the card icon, tap on Get Cash Card.
- Once you tap on Get Cash Card, you have the option to choose whatever color you want your Cash Card to have. Select your desired Cash Card color, and then tap on Continue.
- Once you tap on Continue, you can customize your Cash Card by adding your $Cashtag or your signature or whatever you want etched to your card.
- Once you are done customizing your Cash Card, tap on Next.
- On the next screen, enter the address you want your Cash Card to be mailed.
- Once you have entered the mailing address for your Cash Card, tap on Next.
- Once you tap on Next, you will be asked to enter your first and last name. Type in your first and last name, and then tap on Next.
- On the next screen, enter your Cash App PIN, and then tap on Next.
- Once you tap on Next, you will see a confirmation on the screen that says your card is ready to use and that your card will arrive within a week. Tap on Continue to finish your transaction.
- You can view your Cash App account balance and Cash Card number by tapping on the tab with the Cash App amount at the upper center part of the screen.
Take note that you can get your Cash Card for free, and that you can immediately use your Cash Card number for your transactions even if your Cash Card has not yet been mailed to you. Also, remember that only those users who are 18 years old and above are allowed to apply for a Cash Card.
Having a Cash Card is just as worth it as having a Cash App account. With a Cash Card, you can do transactions like purchasing from stores just like you do with a typical credit card. If you are not feeling comfortable paying or purchasing items using your Cash App account directly, you can do it instead using your Cash Card. Also, your Cash Card can be used in both online and physical transactions. You can also get it for free and you have the freedom to customize it and give it a more personal touch if you wish. That is not something your banks usually allow you to do with your debit cards, doesn’t it? So, if you are wondering if you should get your own Cash Card and if it is worth it, it is definitely a yes.
Cash App in a Nutshell
CASH APP FEATURES |
|
Minimum required account balance |
$1 |
Initial deposit amount |
No minimum initial deposit amount required |
Account type |
Individual |
Tradable securities/Investments |
Stocks and Bitcoin |
Accessibility |
Mobile app and website browser |
Bonus |
$15 for registered referrals |
Cash App transactions via credit card |
3% of the total transaction amount |
Cash App to debit card instant transfer |
1.5% of the transaction amount |
Cash Card mailing fee |
Free |
Customer service |
Email, FAQ |
Service location |
The United States and the United Kingdom |
Final say: Is Cash App worth it for me or not?
If you have second thoughts on whether to use Cash App or not, why don’t you give it a try? Aside from using it as another measure of protecting our health from viral infections caused by the ongoing pandemic, Cash App is a legit digital platform that not only allows you ta have your own digital wallet that you can use for your daily transactions, but it also allows you to invest and gain interest unlike your typical debit card account. You can buy stocks and Bitcoin if you wish, which is now one of the most popular investing methods nowadays. You do not have to worry about excessive transaction fees because Cash App charges only as high as a 3% transaction fee for some of your transactions and mostly free for most of your other transactions, including investment purchases. Also, you don’t have to worry about high initial deposits upon signing up to this platform because Cash App does not require a minimum initial deposit for newly registered members and only a dollar for a minimum required balance. Very affordable, right? You will also have your own customized Cash App card, which is not usually offered on digital wallet platforms. Although there may be some limitations in using this app, the limitations are minimal compared to its excellent service and features. Cash App can be considered an all-around player in the e-commerce business and is constantly proving its relevance to this type of industry. It is only unfortunate that this platform is only limited to the United States and the United Kingdom because for sure it would gain more users if it would open up its services to a more global reach. But, suppose you are from those two mentioned locations and looking for a platform that would allow you to do your typical day-to-day financial transactions and offer you a platform to invest and increase your savings without charging you over the roof fees. In that case, without a doubt, Cash App is definitely worth the try for you.
Check out our recommended resources here.
Check out our Amazon store here.