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Zelle® FAQs

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 M&T Bank.{{d5021*}}

Zelle® is a great way to send money to family, friends, and people you are familiar with such as your personal trainer, babysitter or neighbor.{{d5021*}}

Since money is sent directly from your M&T Bank account to another person’s bank account within minutes{{d5021*}}, Zelle® should only be used to send money to friends, family and others you trust. 

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

Neither M&T nor Zelle® offers a protection program 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.

To get started with Zelle®, log into the M&T Mobile Banking app or in Online Banking and select Send Money with Zelle® to enroll.

You can send, request, or receive money with Zelle®. To get started, log into the M&T Bank app. In the main menu, select "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®. Money is available to your recipient in minutes if they are already enrolled with Zelle®.

To request money using Zelle®, choose “Request,” select the individual from whom you’d like to request money, 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 into your M&T Bank account, typically within minutes.

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

A.    Click on the link provided in the payment notification you received via email or text message.

B.    Select M&T Bank.

C.    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. 

No, M&T Bank does not charge any fees to use Zelle® in the M&T Bank mobile app.

Your mobile carrier’s messaging and data rates may apply. 

The contact information you were trying to enroll is already enrolled with Zelle® at another financial institution. Please use a different U.S. mobile number or email address or call M&T Online Customer Service at 1-800-790-9130 (Monday-Friday 8am-9pm, Saturday-Sunday 9am-5pm ET) to transfer this contact information.

​If you didn’t receive a verification code, verify the information you entered and then proceed to requesting a new verification code.

If you entered the code incorrectly, proceed to requesting a new verification code. 

To request a new verification code, click or tap the Resend Verification Code link on the Validate Account screen. You will receive a new code to the email or mobile device you're trying to activate. Enter the new code when prompted. You have 10 minutes to enter the verification code correctly before it expires.

If you are already enrolled in Zelle® and you’d like to add additional contact methods, follow the instructions below.

From M&T Online Banking:

  1. Select Payments and Transfers > Manage Zelle® Settings
  2. Select either Add Email or Add Mobile
  3. Enter the new contact method you’d like to add
  4. Click Next
  5. Enter the 6 digit passcode sent to the email or U.S. mobile phone number being registered
  6. Click Submit

From the M&T Mobile App:

  1. From the main menu, tab Send Money with Zelle® > Settings
  2. Select either Add Email or Add Mobile
  3. Enter the new contact method you’d like to add
  4. Tap Continue
  5. Enter the 6 digit passcode sent to the email or U.S. mobile phone number being registered
  6. Tap Continue
  7. Tap All Done

Transactions between previously enrolled Zelle® users typically occur in minutes.{{d5021*}} Certain transactions may take between 1 and 3 business days to complete the transaction.

If you have any questions, contact M&T Online Customer Service at 1-800-790-9130 (Monday-Friday 8am-9pm, Saturday-Sunday 9am-5pm ET).

​If you are already enrolled in Zelle® and you’d like to remove a contact method, follow the instructions below. Please note, if you receive a future payment to a U.S. mobile number, then you will be prompted to enroll it again before you receive the payment into your bank account.

From M&T Online Banking:

  1. Select Payments and Transfers > Manage Zelle Settings®
  2. Click Manage next to the contact method you would like to remove
  3. Click Remove from Zelle®
  4. Your contact has been removed and you will be directed back to the Zelle® settings screen

From the M&T Mobile App:

  • From the main menu, tab Send Money with Zelle® > Settings
  • Tap the contact method you’d like to remove
  • Tap Delete
  • Tap Delete Email or Delete Text to confirm you want to remove this contact

​To send money in this case, you'll need to deposit more money into the account you're sending from or try to send an amount that is lower than the available funds in that account.

The amount of money you can send, as well as the frequency, is set by M&T Bank. You can view your daily and 30-day limits in the payment screen by selecting the question mark next to Limits. A text box will appear to show the remaining amount available for sending in the current 24-hour period. 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.

​From the Zelle® Settings screen, click or tap Block or Unblock Requests. Enter in the requested information, then click or tap Block or Unblock.

Your payment will expire if your recipient does not enroll in Zelle® within 14 days from when you sent the payment.

If your payment expires, the amount you sent will be deposited back into your account.

You can monitor your payments from the Zelle® Activity menu option in the M&T Mobile Banking app or in Online Banking.

Make sure that your contact sent the funds using a U.S. mobile phone number that you have enrolled in Zelle®.

If not, either enroll the U.S. mobile phone number that your contact used or ask your contact to cancel the payment and resend the funds using one of the contact methods that you currently have enrolled.

If the correct contact information was used, please call M&T Online Customer Service at 1-800-790-9130 (Monday-Friday 8am-9pm, Saturday-Sunday 9am-5pm ET).

​If you suspect an error or an unauthorized payment, please visit your nearest M&T branch or call M&T Online Customer Service at 1-800-790-9130 (Monday-Friday 8am-9pm, Saturday-Sunday 9am-5pm ET).

First, check your Zelle® alert settings to make sure they are set up correctly.

From M&T Online Banking:

  1. Select Settings and Support > M&T Alerts
  2. Scroll down to Zelle® Alerts
  3. Confirm or select the alerts you'd like to set and the method you'd like to receive them.
  4. Click Save Changes

From the M&T Mobile app:

  1. From the main menu, tap M&T Alerts
  2. Under Settings > Payment Alerts, tap Zelle®
  3. Confirm or tap on the alerts you'd like to set and select what method you'd like to receive them
  4. Tap Save

If you need assistance with your alert settings, please call M&T Online Customer Service at 1-800-790-9130 (Monday-Friday 8am-9pm, Saturday-Sunday 9am-5pm ET).

​Please call M&T Online Customer Service at 1-800-790-9130 (Monday-Friday 8am-9pm, Saturday-Sunday 9am-5pm ET).

We suggest only using Zelle to send money to people you know and trust.  If you don’t know the person you’re purchasing from or you’re unsure if you will receive the item or service being purchased, we suggest using another payment method.

​Please visit your nearest M&T branch or call M&T Online Customer Service at 1-800-790-9130 (Monday-Friday 8am-9pm, Saturday-Sunday 9am-5pm ET).

Yes, you can request money from friends and family using a U.S. mobile phone number or email address.

Upon enrollment in Zelle® you will automatically be enrolled in several required alerts. To update your alert settings follow these instructions:

From M&T Online Banking:

  1. Select Settings and Support > M&T Alerts
  2. Scroll down to Zelle Alerts®
  3. Select the alerts you'd like to set and the method you'd like to receive them
  4. Click Save Changes

From the M&T Mobile app:

  1. From the main menu, tap M&T Alerts
  2. Under Settings > Payment Alerts, tap Zelle®
  3. Tap on the alerts you'd like to set and select what method you'd like to receive them
  4. Tap Save.

From M&T Online Banking:

  1. Select Payments and Transfers > Manage Zelle® Settings
  2. Next to Default Account select edit
  3. Use the drop down menu to select your new default account
  4. Click Save Changes

From the M&T Mobile App:

  1. From the main menu, tab Send Money with Zelle® > Settings
  2. Tap on Account under Default Account
  3. Use the drop down menu to select your new default account
  4. Tap Save.

Keeping your money and information secure is a top priority for M&T Bank. When you use Zelle® within M&T Online Banking or the M&T Mobile App, your information is protected with the same technology we use to keep your M&T account safe.

Some small businesses are able to 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 M&T Mobile App or M&T Online Banking using just their email address or U.S. mobile number.

Neither M&T Bank 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.

​If you suspect you've been a victim of a scam, please visit your nearest M&T branch or call M&T Online Customer Service at 1-800-790-9130 (Monday-Friday 8am-9pm, Saturday-Sunday 9am-5pm ET). 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 M&T Online Customer Service at 1-800-790-9130 (Monday-Friday 8am-9pm, Saturday-Sunday 9am-5pm ET) 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 or online banking, 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.

If you sent money to the wrong person, please immediately call M&T Online Customer Service at 1-800-790-9130 (Monday-Friday 8am-9pm, Saturday-Sunday 9am-5pm ET) to determine what options are available. 

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 at this time. 

The Zelle® QR code feature is currently not available at M&T Bank. The ability to use Zelle® QR code will be available soon.