Make a Mobile Payments Mistake? Solving It Proves Tough for Users

We’ve seen a lot of mobile payments tools emerge of late, whether it’s business-to-consumer (B2C) or peer-to-peer (P2P). With all these platforms coming out, and all these people using them, it stands to reason that errors are a part of the picture. Correcting those errors, according to some new reports, is giving users a real headache.

This is a particular problem with Venmo, reports note; while it sends cash quickly to other users, which usually appear on a scrolling list, cash is often deposited quickly in someone else’s account. Getting that cash back in the event of a mistaken send-which is surprisingly easy given how Venmo is set up with that scrolling list-is proving a particular challenge.

While Venmo has taken steps since its launch to address such issues, even it acknowledges that some mistakes can be made. Though its response to addressing those mistakes is somewhat less than satisfying; Venmo urges users to send messages via the app itself asking the unintended recipient to kindly return the money, please and thank you.

It’s likely to get worse before it gets better, too; Venmo recently embarked on a partnership with Uber Eats, which allows Venmo to serve as the payment mechanism for the food delivery service. Adding more potential payment targets to the list may well increase the chance of mistaken payments later.

It seems like there would be a comparatively easy solution to this problem, though, in the form of a short delay built in. If the transaction is delayed even just five minutes, it would allow the sender time to notice the mistake and cancel the transaction before it even goes out. Allowing the sender to override the delay, meanwhile, would add one more step to the process, and still allow for speedy payment. If the transaction is still a mistake at that point, then it should likely be chalked up to an operator problem. Some amount of diligence on the part of the end user is necessary, after all.

This may not be a particularly big problem, but if it can be addressed reasonably simply, then perhaps it should. It would certainly improve the user experience, and keep more users on the Venmo reservation.