- $56 billion in payments processed on 230 million transactions during Q4 2019; growth of 14% and 17%, quarter-over-quarter, respectively
- $187 billion in payments processed on 743 million transactions in 2019; growth of 57% and 72% year-over-year, respectively
- Consumers Prefer Money Instead of Physical Gifts Bringing 2019 to a Successful Year End Close[1]
Scottsdale, AZ., Jan. 28, 2020
Early Warning Services, LLC, the network operator behind Zelle®, today announced its Q4 2019 and 2019 full year results. In Q4 2019, the Zelle Network® processed 230 million transactions, totaling $56 billion in money sent — an increase of 14% and 17% quarter-over-quarter, respectively. For the 2019 calendar year, the Zelle Network processed $187 billion in payments on 743 million transactions. Year-over-year payment values increased by 57%, while transaction volume increased by 72%.
“2019 was a monumental year, with one in two U.S. adults with a bank account gaining access to Zelle in their mobile banking app,” said Lou Anne Alexander, Chief Product Officer at Early Warning. “We achieved strong growth across the network including onboarding hundreds of national and regional financial institutions. We will continue growing and evolving Zelle with the hope that everyone with a bank account in the U.S. will have access.”
Currently, 766 financial institutions are contracted to participate on the Zelle Network, including 378 that are live today and processing transactions, representing nearly 70% of all U.S. checking accounts. In Q4 2019 alone, more than 100 additional financial institutions, national and regional, joined the Zelle Network, helping further the way to national ubiquity.
Everyday Usage of P2P
At the close of 2019, person-to-person (P2P) was used as a payment vehicle by roughly 70% of online U.S. consumers[2]. For many consumers, Zelle became a larger part of their typical day-to-day interactions with friends, family members and coworkers. Gifting and splitting shared everyday costs—utilities, rent, meals, cell phone plans, tickets, etc.—continue to be the most common usages of Zelle amongst friends and family. Sending money with Zelle for birthday and holiday gifts is an increasing trend, as a recent 2019 Zelle survey found that money was the #1 preferred holiday gift.[3]
Financial Education
“We also made a commitment in 2019 to educate consumers on safe digital banking,” said Alexander. “We introduced new campaigns and partnered with organizations on financial literacy. At the center of innovation for the financial services industry, we have a responsibility to ensure that consumer protections are at the forefront.”
In 2019, Zelle launched its Pay it Safe campaign aimed at educating consumers on how to safely send money digitally and avoid scams and fraud. The brand also partnered with Stacks House, the first pop-up with a purpose to promote women’s financial literacy and EVERFI, the leading social impact education technology company. By partnering with EVERFI, Zelle will provide more than 1,000 high schools and 50,000 students with free financial education courses on how to bank responsibly in the ever-changing digital era.
About Zelle®
Brought to you by Early Warning Services, LLC, an innovator in payment and risk management solutions, Zelle makes it fast, safe and easy for money to move. The Zelle Network® connects financial institutions of all sizes, enabling consumers and businesses to send fast digital payments to people they know and trust with a bank account in the U.S. Funds are available directly in bank accounts generally within minutes when the recipient is already enrolled with Zelle. To learn more about Zelle and its participating financial institutions, visit www.zellepay.com.
About Early Warning Services, LLC
Early Warning Services, LLC is a fintech company owned by seven of the country’s largest banks. For almost three decades, our identity, authentication and payment solutions have been empowering financial institutions to make confident decisions, enable payments and mitigate fraud. Today, Early Warning is best known as the owner and operator of the Zelle Network®, a financial services network focused on transforming payment experiences. The combination of Early Warning’s risk and payment solutions enable the financial services industry to move money fast, safe and easy, so people can live their best financial lives. To learn more about Early Warning, visit www.earlywarning.com.
# # #
Zelle and the Zelle related marks are property of Early Warning Services, LLC.
[1] Show Them the Money: 2019 Top Holiday Gifting Trends by Zelle®
[2] Early Warning’s Digital Adoption Tracking Study, December 2019
[3] Early Warning 2019 Holiday Survey detailing gift-giving desires and trends, December 2019