Blocking someone on Venmo stops them from sending you money requests and viewing your transaction history

When you block a contact on Venmo, that person can no longer see your past transactions, send you payment requests, or add you to group payments. They cannot see your profile or search for you by name. If you have already sent them money or they have sent you money, those past transactions stay in your account history — blocking does not erase them — but the blocked person cannot view them on your profile.

Blocking is permanent until you manually unblock the person. Venmo does not notify the blocked person that you have blocked them, but they will notice if they try to search for you or send you a request and cannot find you.

Key Takeaways

  • Blocking someone on Venmo prevents them from viewing your profile, sending you requests, or seeing your transaction history going forward.
  • Past transactions between you and the blocked person remain in your account but are hidden from their view.
  • You can block someone from their profile page or from a past transaction with them.
  • Unblocking is just as straightforward as blocking and can be done from your settings at any time.
  • Blocked users do not receive a notification that you have blocked them.

How to block someone from their Venmo profile

Open the Venmo app and search for the person's name or username using the search icon at the top of the screen. Tap their name when it appears in the results to open their profile.

Once you are on their profile, look for the three dots (menu icon) in the upper right corner and tap it. A menu will appear with several options. Select "Block User" from that menu. Venmo will ask you to confirm — tap "Block" again to finalize the action.

After you block someone, their profile will no longer appear in your search results, and they will not be able to find you or interact with your account.

How to block someone from a past transaction

If you have already sent money to or received money from the person you want to block, you can block them directly from that transaction. Open the Venmo app and find the transaction in your feed or in your account history.

Tap the transaction to open its details. Look for the three dots (menu icon) and tap it. Select "Block User" from the menu that appears. Confirm the block when Venmo asks you to verify.

This method is often faster if you remember the specific payment but cannot recall the person's exact username.

What happens to shared payments and group transactions

If you and the blocked person are part of a group payment, blocking them does not remove them from that group or cancel the transaction. The group payment will remain visible to all other members, but the blocked person will not be able to see your profile or send you new requests.

If the blocked person owes you money through a group payment, you can still settle that debt through the group. However, they cannot send you individual payment requests after you block them.

How to unblock someone on Venmo

Open the Venmo app and tap the profile icon (usually your photo or initials) in the lower right corner. Tap "Settings" and then scroll down to find "Blocked Users" or "Privacy Settings."

You will see a list of everyone you have blocked. Find the person you want to unblock and tap the minus sign or "Unblock" button next to their name. Confirm when Venmo asks you to verify. Once you unblock someone, they can search for you, view your profile, and send you requests again.

When to block versus when to report

Blocking is the right choice when you straightforward do not want someone to contact you through Venmo or see your activity. It is a privacy tool that keeps someone out of your account without involving Venmo's support team.

You should report a user to Venmo instead of just blocking them if they are harassing you, sending threatening messages, or attempting fraud. To report someone, open their profile, tap the three dots, and select "Report User." Describe what happened, and Venmo's support team will investigate. Reporting does not automatically block the person, so you may want to block them as well for when ready protection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the person I block know that I blocked them?

Venmo does not send a notification to the blocked person. However, they may realize they are blocked if they try to search for you, visit your profile, or send you a request and cannot. There is no way for them to know for certain from Venmo itself.

Can I block someone who has already sent me money?

Yes. Blocking someone does not affect past transactions. The money you received stays in your account, but the blocked person will not be able to see that transaction on your profile or send you future requests.

What if I block someone by accident?

You can unblock them at any time through your Settings menu under "Blocked Users." Once unblocked, they will be able to search for you and see your profile again as if the block never happened.

Does blocking someone on Venmo block them on PayPal too?

No. Venmo and PayPal are separate apps with separate block lists. If you want to block someone on both, you will need to block them in each app individually.

Can I block someone if I do not know their Venmo username?

If you have a past transaction with them, you can find them through your transaction history and block them from there. If you do not have a past transaction, you will need to search for them by name or phone number to locate their profile first.