Venmo has single-handedly eliminated the stress of splitting dinner bills among friends. The mobile payment service makes it easy for people to transfer money from their bank account to other app users.

The way it works is that once someone sends money to your Venmo account, it'll show up in the "Me" tab under "Venmo balance." While you can transfer these funds right to your bank account, you can also keep them in the app. As long as you have enough money in your Venmo balance to cover what you owe, you can pay people and retailers (that accept Venmo payments) directly through the app.

But, can you add money from your bank account directly into your Venmo balance? Yes, you can — but there's a catch. You must have a Venmo debit card to add money to your Venmo balance. While Venmo's customer support told us that there are plans to expand this feature to non-cardholders, this functionality does not exist for Venmo's wider user base at this time.

Whether or not you have a Venmo debit card, here's what to know about how to add money to Venmo, and how you can use your balance to pay others right through the app.

How to sign up for the Venmo debit card

As aforementioned, you must sign up for the Venmo debit card before you can add money to your Venmo balance.

To start the sign-up process, you must first verify your identity. For security purposes (such as preventing scams), Venmo only allows users who've verified their identity to be eligible for the Venmo debit card. If you haven't done this, follow the below steps:

Once Venmo has confirmed that your identity has been verified, follow the below steps to sign up for the Venmo debit card.

How to add money to Venmo?

Once you have a Venmo debit card, you can add money to your Venmo balance from a bank account or debit card that you've already linked through the app by following these steps:

How long will it take for your funds to arrive? If you've selected a debit card as your funding source, the funds should show up in your Venmo balance instantly. If you've selected a bank account, however, the funds will take 3-5 business days to transfer. Having a Venmo debit card also allows you to pair your Venmo balance with a smartphone Wallet app like Apple Wallet to use for contactless payments in stores.

How to pay someone with your Venmo balance?

Regardless of whether or not you're a Venmo debit card user, anyone can use their Venmo balance to pay others (or participating businesses) through the app. Here's how:

Your Venmo in-app balance will always be the default payment method, as long as you have the funds to cover your transaction. At this time, there is no way to split a payment between your Venmo balance and another linked account.

If you want to pay someone an amount that exceeds your current Venmo balance, your other linked accounts will be the default payment method. In this case, your Venmo balance will be grayed out and unselectable.