By Carlos Daniels, Independent Technology Author
Spending money online has never been easier. There are plenty of ways to transfer money and pay for goods, services, and games all around the world. Several apps and payment providers now allow you to spend with the touch of a button.
Venmo
A person holds a smartphone and two $1 bills via Pexels.com
The term ‘Venmo’ is now synonymous with paying your friends back and it’s no wonder why over 2 million retailers are now using it. Simple to use, Venmo is ideal for those times when you’re strapped for cash.
Did your friend pay for dinner when you forgot your wallet? Venmo them the money by opening the app on your smartphones and setting it up. It also allows you to split purchases, which is useful for people who always forget to follow up on those ‘IOUs’.
Trustly
Trustly is ideal for those who just want to pay or receive funds using their bank account with no hassle. One of the biggest benefits is that you don’t have to sign up for a Trustly account; you just need access to your bank account in order to make fast and secure payments.
For instance, Ninja Casino allows users to use Trustly in order to play online casino games. Not only does it make playing incredibly simple, with no registration required, but the Trustly integration means that players can cash-out in five minutes with BankID.
Circle
Like Venmo, Circle also promises an easy way to pay your friends back. Only, unlike Venmo, Circle works like a messaging app rather than a payment service.
You can send your friends GIFs, messages and photos as you transfer money, making it feel like a casual, low-pressure affair. Helpfully, you can use groups to keep track of all of your activities too.
Facebook Messenger
A stack of notepads and a pen sit next to a smartphone with the Facebook website loaded on it via Pexels.com.
Facebook Messenger is another app that wants the act of paying your friends back to feel simple and casual – and not at all like a money transaction.
Facebook Messenger payments are now available in the UK as well as the United States. To send money, all you have to do is hit the blue plus symbol and go to payments before adding your debit card information. It’s secure and speedy, which is ideal when you’re paying someone in a rush.
WorldFirst
WorldFirst has been around since 2004 and now offers an app designed to help you make international money transfers easily. In addition to fast and secure transfers (must-have features for any payment app), it also promises no hidden foreign exchange rates and says that its users will always know what they’re paying from the get-go. WorldFirst also has a strong track record, having dealt with over £60 billion worth of transfers.
As more of us opt to pay for goods online and make the move to digital currencies, you can expect more payment apps to crop up. The ones listed above are some of the most popular and best-reviewed but expect even more competitors to land on the scene in future.
