Venmo vs GunTab

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Buyers frequently get scammed with Venmo, but not with GunTab.

Venmo is increasing its pricing by over 50%: "Effective July 1, 2024, the fee is 2.99% per transaction. Until that date, the fee is 1.9% + $0.10."

What is Venmo?

Venmo is an alternative to GunTab. It is a payment platform that transfers money from one party to another through a smartphone app. It describes itself as "fast, safe, social payments". It offers two services. Family & Friends service is free but has no purchase protection, only for transactions between people who totally trust each other. Goods & Services has a fee but includes purchase protection, for transactions between people who don't know each other well.

Do scammers use Venmo?

Yes, scammers frequently request payment by Venmo because it does not protect buyers. As indicated by StopGunScams.com, Venmo is one of the most commonly accepted payment methods for gun scams.

Side-by-side comparison

GunTab Venmo F&F Venmo G&S
Guns & ammo allowed Yes No No
Gun parts allowed Yes No No
Card payments Yes Yes Yes
Bank payments Yes Yes Yes
Unlimited amounts Yes No No
Buyers safe Yes No Yes
Sellers safe Yes No No
Guaranteed Yes No No
Guided steps Yes No No
Automations Yes No No
Service fee 2.9% or less None 3%
Card fee 3% 3% 3%

How good is Venmo?

Venmo is a very popular way for people to handle payments online. But it prohibits gun-related transactions and makes users vulnerable to various scams.

Guns, ammo, parts, and accessories prohibited

Like all the payment platforms, Venmo strictly prohibits gun-related transactions, saying: "You may not use Venmo to conduct transactions that ... involve ammunition, firearms, firearm parts or accessories". If Venmo catches you violating its policy, it will permanently ban you and may even seize your money.

Buyers vulnerable

Venmo F&F includes no scam protection for buyers, so buyers are fully exposed to scammers.

Venmo G&S includes scam protection for buyers. However, buyers are not protected if they are violating Venmo policy by buying ammunition, firearms, firearm parts or accessories. Plus, Venmo G&S is more expensive than GunTab.

Sellers vulnerable

Sellers are vulnerable to chargebacks on every payment. Venmo says: "If you receive a payment through a business profile or for otherwise selling goods and services (such as when a sender identifies a payment as for goods and services) and that payment is later refunded or invalidated for any reason, you are responsible for the full amount of the payment sent to you plus any fees".

Which is better?

In short, using Venmo for guns, ammo, or accessories is a big mistake. You have no protection from scams or chargebacks, and you even put your money at risk of being seized by Venmo. GunTab is totally safe, and even helps you complete your transactions. GunTab is clearly the better choice.

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