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Send and receive money with Zelle®

It’s fast and free in the Desert Financial mobile app!

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Zelle® is a convenient way to send and receive money with friends, family and others you trust. Whether you’re splitting the cost of a meal, gift or trip, Zelle® makes it easy to pay your share. Over 100 million people are enrolled with Zelle®, so you can send money to friends and family even if they don't bank at Desert Financial.1

Why use Zelle®?

Free

Send and receive money at no cost using the Desert Financial mobile app.2

Fast

Money goes straight into your account and is available to use in minutes.1

Secure

All you need is an email address or U.S. mobile number. Your account information and activity stay private.

Make the switch to Zelle®

Download the Desert Financial mobile app to get started.

Download on the App Store button
Get it on Google Play button

Enroll with Zelle® in 3 simple steps

1

Log in to the Desert Financial mobile app.

2

Select More > Pay and Transfer > Send Money With Zelle.

3

Enroll using your email address or U.S. mobile number.

You’re ready to start sending and receiving money! Zelle® transactions show up in your checking account activity, so you can easily keep track of your money.


Next time you need to send money, use Zelle®!

Frequently asked questions

Zelle® is a convenient way to send and receive money with friends, family and others you trust through your bank or credit union’s mobile app or online banking. All you need is your recipient’s email address or U.S. mobile number, and money will be available to use in minutes if they’re already enrolled with Zelle®. Your account information and activity stay private. Zelle® is available in over 2,200 bank and credit union apps, so you can send money to friends and family even if they don’t bank at Desert Financial.1

You can send, request or receive money with Zelle®. To get started, log in to the Desert Financial mobile app. Select More > Pay and Transfer > Send Money With Zelle.

To send money using Zelle®, simply select someone from your mobile device's contacts (or add a trusted recipient's email address or U.S. mobile number), add the amount you'd like to send and an optional note, review, then hit "Send." The recipient will receive an email or text message notification via the method they used to enroll with Zelle®.2 Money is available to your recipient in minutes if they are already enrolled with Zelle®.

To request money using Zelle®, choose "Request," select the person you’d like to request money from, enter the amount you'd like, include an optional note, review and hit "Request". If the person you are requesting money from is not yet enrolled with Zelle®, you must use their email address to request money. If the person has enrolled their U.S. mobile number, then you can send the request using their U.S. mobile number.

To receive money, just share your enrolled email address or U.S. mobile number with a friend and ask them to send you money with Zelle®. If you have already enrolled with Zelle®, you do not need to take any further action. The money will be sent directly to your Desert Financial account, typically within minutes.

If someone sent you money with Zelle® and you have not yet enrolled with Zelle®, follow these steps:

  • Click on the link provided in the payment notification you received via email or text message.2
  • Select Desert Financial Credit Union.
  • Follow the instructions provided on the page to enroll and receive your payment. Pay attention to the email address or U.S. mobile number where you received the payment notification — you should enroll with Zelle® using that email address or U.S. mobile number to ensure you receive your money.

Keeping your money and information secure is a top priority at Desert Financial. When you use Zelle® in our mobile app, your information is protected with the same technology we use to keep your Desert Financial account safe.

Neither Desert Financial nor Zelle® offers purchase protection for payments made with Zelle® – for example, if you do not receive the item you paid for, or the item is not as described or as you expected. Only send money to people and small businesses you trust and always ensure you’ve used the correct email address or U.S. mobile number when sending money.

Please contact our customer support team at (602) 433-7000. Though Desert Financial and Zelle® do not offer purchase protection, qualifying imposter scams may be eligible for reimbursement.

In order to use Zelle®, the sender and recipient’s bank or credit union accounts must be based in the U.S.

No, Zelle® payments cannot be reversed. You can only cancel a payment if the person you sent money to hasn’t yet enrolled with Zelle®. To check whether the payment is still pending because the recipient hasn’t yet enrolled, you can go to your activity page, choose the payment you want to cancel, and then select “Cancel This Payment.” If you do not see this option available, please contact our customer support team at (602) 433-7000 for assistance with canceling the pending payment.

If the person you sent money to has already enrolled with Zelle® through their bank or credit union’s mobile app, the money is sent directly to their bank account and cannot be canceled. This is why it’s important to only send money to people you know and trust, and always ensure you’ve used the correct email address or U.S. mobile number when sending money.

You are responsible for reviewing the Zelle® transaction activity on your account. If you believe there is a transaction error, call us immediately at (602) 433-7000 or (800) 456-9171, visit a branch location or write to us as: Payment Operations, Desert Financial Credit Union, P.O. Box 2945, Phoenix, AZ 85062-2945.

No, Desert Financial does not charge any fees to use Zelle® in the Desert Financial mobile app.

The amount of money you can send, as well as the frequency, is set by each participating financial institution. To determine Desert Financial send limits, call our customer service at (602) 433-7000.

At Desert Financial, there are no limits to the amount of money you can receive with Zelle®. However, remember that the person sending you money will most likely have limits set by their own financial institution on the amount of money they can send you.

As of March 31, 2025, all users must be enrolled through one of the more than 2,200 banks and credit unions that offer Zelle® in order to send and receive money. The list of participating financial institutions is always growing. You can find the updated list of participating banks and credit unions live with Zelle® at Zellepay.com. If their bank or credit union is not listed, we recommend you use another payment method.

Zelle® QR code provides peace of mind knowing you can send and receive money with the right person, without typing an email address or U.S. mobile number.

To locate your Zelle® QR code, log in to the Desert Financial mobile app, Select More > Pay and Transfer > Send Money With Zelle. Next, go to your “Zelle® settings” and click “Zelle® QR code” and your QR code will be displayed under “My Code”. From here you can view your QR code and use the print or share icons to text,2 email or print your Zelle® QR code. To receive money, share your Zelle® QR code.

To send money, log in to the Desert Financial mobile app, Select More > Pay and Transfer > Send Money With Zelle. Then click on the QR code icon displayed at the top of the “Select Recipient” screen. Once you allow access to your camera, simply point your camera at the recipient’s Zelle® QR code, enter the amount, hit “Send,” and the money is on the way! When sending money to someone new, it’s always important to confirm the recipient is correct by reviewing the displayed name before sending money.

Zelle® is a great way to send money to family, friends and people you know such as your personal trainer, babysitter or neighbor.1

Since money is sent directly from your Desert Financial account to another person's account within minutes1, Zelle® should only be used to send money to people you trust.

If you don't know the person or aren't sure you will get what you paid for (for example, items bought from an online bidding or sales site), you should not use Zelle®. Much like sending cash to someone you don’t know, these transactions are potentially high risk.

Some small businesses can receive payments with Zelle®. Ask your favorite small business if they accept payments with Zelle®. If they do, you can pay them directly from the Desert Financial mobile app using just their email address or U.S. mobile number.

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