Why Does It Say “That Didn’t Work… Something Went Wrong Here”?
Venmo has revolutionized the way that everyday people deal with money. This free account allows us to pay friends and family without cash and sending and receiving payment is just a few clicks away. However, sometimes, there are problems and the ease of payments is brought to a standstill. This can be incredibly frustrating, especially if the issue appears to be a login issue or you keep having errors when trying to complete a transaction. If you find yourself having to deal with this error code, do not feel like you are alone. Venmo has millions of users and there are thousands of reports online about account holders encountering this message, so it is a fairly common issue. If you are receiving this message from Venmo, it is potentially an issue with Venmo’s server; however, you can certainly attempt to troubleshoot your problem through your account. If you have fallen into the group that has found this dreaded message, there are different things that you can try to make sure that the problem is not with your account.
1. There’s an Issue With Your Bank
Venmo is a great way to complete transactions without having to deal with cash; however, Venmo only works if the information that you provided for your specific bank account is correct. If there is an issue with your bank, then any service that you use that is tied to your bank account will also suffer. If the information you provided when you set up your Venmo account is no longer current, completing transactions will be impossible. If you used a card, you might need to see if the card information is still current. If the account information is no longer correct, or if you entered in the account information incorrectly, you will not be able to send or receive money until the problem is resolved.
Fix – Remove the Bank Account You’ve Linked and Re-Add It
If you are having a problem and encountering error messages whenever you are using Venmo, you can log in to your account and remove the bank account that you have chosen to link, and then go back and re-add it to your account. Keep in mind that if you remove your bank account information, you will be unable to transfer the balance of your Venmo to your bank account without incurring a charge. If you have also connected your debit card to your payment information, you will have the option to pay for an “Instant Transfer”. To do this on a phone or tablet, complete the following steps:
- Access Venmo on either your phone or your tablet. On your phone, the Venmo app is blue with a white “V”. Once you have tapped it, you will be prompted to sign in before you can access any of your account information.
- Select the three horizontal line icon in the upper left corner of your screen. A drop down menu will appear.
- Scroll down and select “Settings”. There will be a small gear icon next to it.
- Towards the top of the menu that appears after you select “Settings”, locate and tap the “Payment Methods” options.
- Once you have accessed your payment methods, you will see the different accounts that you have linked to send and receive money through your Venmo account. Your bank account will be the first option, and will have a small credit card looking icon next to it. You may also see your PayPal information if you provided that when you established your account.
- Tap on the account that you want to unlink. In this case, you will want to choose your bank account. Choose “Remove”. You will see a confirmation message to make sure that you want to remove the bank account from your Venmo account. To remove your bank account on your Venmo using your PC, complete the following steps: Access your Venmo account’s sign in page by going to their URL on your computer’s web browser. Provide your account information and click the sign in button. The sign in might require a verification if you have not logged in to Venmo lately; this will be done by sending you a code through a text message. Enter the code into the box on your browser to verify your identify and access your account.
- On the upper portion of the page, you will see a blue bar. On the bar, locate and click “Settings”.
- On the left of the screen, select the “Payment Methods” option.
- Click on the “Edit Payment Methods” button, which will cause a pop up menu to appear.
- Once you have accessed your payment methods, you will see the different accounts that you have linked to send and receive money through your Venmo account. You may also see your PayPal information if you provided that when you established your account.
- Click on the account that you want to remove from your Venmo account. In this case, you will want to choose your bank account. Choose “Remove”. You will see a confirmation message to make sure that you want to remove the bank account from your Venmo account.
Fix 2 – Contact Your Bank
If you believe that the issue is something wrong with your bank account and unlinking and relinking your bank account did not resolve the problem, you may need to contact your bank’s customer service to figure out if the problem is with them and not with Venmo. Though the way to do this varies depending on what bank you use, you can normally look at the back of the debit card tied to the account to locate a customer service number. You can also search on your phone or PC within Google or other search engine to find your bank’s phone number and available hours.
2. Bank Servers Are Down
Sometimes, the problem has nothing to do with the user and everything to do with the bank’s platform itself. If you’re having problems with your bank and not with Venmo, it could be that the bank’s server is down due to a technical issue on their end. If that is the case, you will not be able to access your bank account on your phone or on your computer until they have resolved their issue. There are free websites online that will allow you to check if the issue is your bank’s server rather than an issue with your account. A few possibilities include DownDetector or IsItDownRightNow.
Fix – Wait For Bank Servers to Resolve
If the issue is in fact the bank’s server, there isn’t much that you can do on your end except to wait for the technical issue to be resolved. Fortunately, issues with most bank’s servers are normally fixed in a short amount of time. If you have been receiving error messages when trying to access your bank account, most banks recommend that you wait a little while and then attempt to log in again due to a technical problem.
3. You Have Insufficient Funds in Your Bank Account
If you are able to access your Venmo account and are only receiving an error message whenever you are trying to complete a transaction, the problem could be that you have an insufficient amount of funds available to you in your bank account, meaning that the transaction cannot be completed on Venmo. Venmo is not the same thing as a credit card, which allows you to perform a transaction and then pay all or a partial amount at a later date; to send money on Venmo, the money has to already be in your bank account.
Fix – Check Downdetector.com/status/venmo
Like mentioned earlier, services like Down Detector can allow you to see if the server for a particular business or company is down, which could be the reason for your error messages and problems. Most, including Down Detector, are free to use. If there is an issue with Venmo’s server, your ability to send money will be stalled until the server is brought back up. Check Venmo’s Down Detector page by clicking here to see if there is a problem with their server.
Fix – Make Sure You Have Enough Money
If the bank account that you have linked to your Venmo has insufficient funds, your transaction will not go through and you will receive an error message. Check your bank account to view your balance and make sure that there is, in fact, money for you to send. Remember that there is a difference between your available money in your checking account and your savings account. If you are trying to send money through Venmo and you see that there is money in your account, it is possible that you linked the wrong bank account. Go back to your settings and see which account you have linked. You can add another account if you mean for the money to come from a different bank account and did not realize that you were trying to make a withdrawl from the wrong account. You can also transfer the money through your bank’s app or website, though these funds may not be available immediately. The restrictions vary depending on the bank that you use, so you may want to check with your bank to see how long it will take for a transfer to occur.
4. The Bummer of Them All….Venmo is Down
Sometimes, the problem has nothing to do with the user and everything to do with the program itself. If you’re having problems using Venmo, it could be that Venmo’s server is down due to a technical issue on their end. If that is the case, you will not be able to access Venmo on your phone or on your computer until they have resolved their issue.
Fix – Wait For Venmo Servers to Correct Itself
If the issue is in fact Venmo’s server, there isn’t much that you can do on your end except to wait for the technical issue to be resolved. Fortunately, issues with Venmo’s servers are normally fixed in a short amount of time. If you’ve been receiving error messages, specifically “Bad State” error messages, Venmo recommends that you wait a little while and then attempt your transaction again due to a technical problem. If your transaction was a payment or a bank transfer, check your transaction history first to see if it went through before trying again. To check your transaction history on your computer, open Venmo and log in. Once logged in, click on “Statements” on the left-hand side of your screen. Your transaction history will then be visible. If you would rather see your transaction history through the app, open the Venmo app on your phone and click on “Me” in the bottom left corner. This will show you your Venmo balance as well as all of the transactions you’ve completed.
5. Is it Possible You’ve Got A Bug?
Venmo is a really convenient way to pay and receive money, but sometimes there are issues with your account. If you’re getting 400 or 403 messages, it could be because you’re trying to do something on the app or online that Venmo either doesn’t allow or cannot do. If the issues are related to a payment or bank transfer, make sure that you haven’t gone over your limits. Further, Venmo will only allow you to log in from the U.S., so if you’re traveling abroad, that could be the reason for your problem. When you are trying to log in, be sure that you’re choosing to “Sign In” instead of “Sign Up”, as you could be attempting to create a new account with information that Venmo already has assigned to another user. Finally, check and make sure your financial information is correct and verified. If your information is wrong, you won’t be able to complete any transactions. If you’ve done everything above and are finding that you are still unable to complete your transactions or are receiving error messages, try the fixes below to see if they resolve your problem:
Fix – Log Out and Log In
It could be possible that you need to log out and log back in to your account to fix the issue. To do this through the Venmo app, open the app and select “Me” in the bottom right corner. From here, you will see a gear icon for your Venmo settings on the top right corner. Tap the gear icon and scroll all the way down to the bottom. The final option is the “Sign Out” button. Tap this and Venmo will prompt you to verify your decision. Tap “Ok” and you will be logged out of the app. Wait a few minutes and then log back in using your email and password. If you are using an internet browser, log in to Venmo and you will see your home screen. Scroll down and look on the left side menu. The final option is to sign out. Click on “Log Out” and you will be taken back to the login screen. Wait a few minutes, log back in, and see if your problem has been resolved.
Fix 2 – Clear the Cache
A cache is a form of temporary storage on your computer or phone that stores information from websites and apps. Some users don’t really pay attention to this storage, but if it becomes too full, it can slow down or time out programs like Venmo. To clear your cache through Venmo on your phone, open your settings and locate your apps. Search for Venmo or scroll through your apps and select Venmo. Choose “Storage” and select “Clear Cache”. This will clear the cache for Venmo on your phone. If you are wanting to clear your cache on your browser, it will depend on what browser you use. If you are using Google Chrome, open Chrome in a browser or your app and click on the three vertical dots in the right corner. A dropdown menu will appear, and you will need to hover your mouse over “More Tools”. A new menu will pop out, and you will click on “Clear Browsing History”. A new menu, entitled “Clear Browsing History”, will appear. Select your time range from the drop down options. If you are wanting to clear everything, choose “All Time”. There are three boxes that you can select to clear your information, so be sure that the “Cookies and Other Site Data” and the “Cached Images and Files” boxes both have blue check marks next to them. Click the blue “Clear Data” box. Depending on how long it has been since you’ve cleared this information, it may take a few minutes. Once complete, the box will disappear. This will clear the cache for your entire browser, however, and not just Venmo.
Fix 3 – Update the App
Apps are constantly being updated, and an outdated version of Venmo could be preventing you from completing your transactions. To remedy this problem, you need to see if your app version is up-to-date. If you use Google Play, open it on your phone. Select your image on the top right hand corner and select “My Apps & Games”. Your screen will then show you all of the apps that you have installed on your phone. Check to see if Venmo appears under the “Update Pending” list. If it is there, click on the white “Update” box next to the app so that you have the latest version. If you use an iPhone or iPad, you can manually check for updates by accessing the App store. Once the App store is open, select your profile icon at the top of your screen and check your pending updates. If Venmo requires an update, select “Update” next to the app. If you choose to, you can also delete the app from your phone and then reinstall it using either the Google Play store or the App Store for Apple products. Deleting and reinstalling the app will not affect your account with Venmo.
Fix 4 – Use Venmo on a Browser instead of an a App
One potential reason that you are experiencing issues with Venmo could be due to your phone. If the app is updated but you are still having problems, try accessing Venmo through your preferred internet browser. In the search bar, access Venmo through their URL (www.venmo.com). Log in using the same email and password that you use on the app. Though the interface is a little different than the app, you will still be able to see your transactions, pay or request money, and make adjustments to your account.
Fix 5 – Contact Venmo
If you’ve verified that Venmo’s servers are not down and you’ve tried all of the fixes above and you’re still unable to complete or receive transactions, it may be time to contact Venmo. Venmo has a form that you can fill out with your information so that someone on their team can take a look into your issue and assist you further. You can also include attachments, so consider including screenshots of your problem so that the tech can better assist you with your specific issue. Always be sure to protect your privacy by covering any identifiable personal information before including screenshots, including your credit card information or your banking information. There is also the option to “speak” with a Venmo chatbot to help you trouble shoot your problems. When you click on the help link above in an internet browser, the option to speak with the chatbot automatically appears in the bottom left-hand corner. Choose to “try it now” and the chatbot window will open. The chatbot provides you with different subject areas to try to help you troubleshoot, including “Login Issues”, “My Transactions”, “Missing Payment”, “Getting Started”, “Bank Transfers”, “Disputes”, “Declines”, and “Venmo Issued Cards”. Select your specific problem and the chatbot will continue to provide you with prompts to select to narrow down the setback. Once you have progressed through all of the sections, the chatbot will provide you with instructions and then ask if your problem has been resolved. If the problem is fixed, you’ll just select “Yes, I’m all set”; however, if the problem still exists, you can choose “No, I need more help”. The chatbot will then tell you to fill out the form so that a member of customer support can help. While that may be a little disheartening, the overall goal of the chatbot is to help you troubleshoot to potentially fix the dilemma before you’re forced to wait on customer service. Venmo does have a verified Venmo Support Twitter to assist your through your social media. Their Twitter handle is @VenmoSupport. You can tweet Venmo directly, but be sure not to put any of your private information in the tweet. The typical response is for them to request a DM with your name, phone number, and the email address you have on file with Venmo. According to Venmo’s help page, their fastest service is available by speaking with a representative through the app on your phone. There are hours of operation, however, so be sure that you’re doing so during their business hours. They are available Monday through Friday from 6:00am to 11:59pm Central Time, and Saturday and Sunday from 8:00am to 10:00pm Central Time. If you’d rather speak with someone directly, you can physically call customer service at (855) 812-4430 from 8:00am to 8:00pm Central Time, any day of the week.
