Venmo is introducing a new gift-wrapping feature to give users a new way to gift money to friends and family. The new feature is starting to roll out today and gives users access to eight animated gift-wrap designs that can be added to a payment note.
To use the new feature, users need to tap the “Pay or Request” button and add the recipient. From there, you can tap the gift-wrap icon and select the gift-wrap you’d like to send along with the payment. Once you’ve chosen a gift-wrap, you’ll have the option to preview the animation before confirming and sending the payment.
The recipient will then get a notification that they’ve received a gift in the app, where they’ll be able to unwrap the gift and see the animated design. Venmo says both the sender and recipient can rewatch the animation at any time from the payment details screen. The rollout of Venmo’s new gift-wrapping feature starts today for select customers and will be available for all users in the coming weeks.
“The present emoji was one of the top ten emojis that customers used in their payment notes in 2021,” said Darrell Esch, the senior vice president and general manager at Venmo, in a statement. “We’re excited to introduce our new gift-wrapping feature to enhance this experience, enabling customers to celebrate with loved ones, no matter how big or small the moment.”
Venmo says 78% of users have indicated that they’ve sent money as a gift via Venmo or another person-to-person (P2P) payment service in the past year. The company says customers have been increasingly using Venmo to gift payments to others, not just for holidays or special occasions, but also as a way to show they’re thinking of them. It saw this behavior increase especially during the pandemic, as more than half of its customers who have gifted money through Venmo sent payments to say ”thanks” or ”just because.”
The launch of the new feature comes as Venmo underwent a major redesign last year. The company no longer offers a public, global feed of users’ transactions, as part of a significant redesign focused on expanding the app’s privacy controls and better highlighting some of Venmo’s newer features. The company only shows users their “friends feed,” which is the app’s social feed where you can see just your friends’ transactions.
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