Venmo show payback likelihood

I'm never getting my money back, am I?

In college, I used Venmo a lot to split the tab. This continued into my early 20s. Throughout this time, there were always the “stragglers”. Some people just don’t like to pay their fair share, I guess. It’s incredibly frustrating and awkward, especially when you see the person regularly (which I’m aware is a unique experience for college students or those with roommates).

This got me thinking about the Venmo app experience. The current app will display outstanding payments on your profile, featuring a cancel payment option or the ability to issue a reminder to the person. What if there were a way to see the statistical likelihood that you’re ever going to get paid back? Maybe there’s also a way to link to someone’s bank account and automatically pull the funds you need if things get dire.

I don’t see this getting built because 1) it would decrease the likelihood of requesting payments from certain people and 2) no one’s going to use an app where someone could take their money without consent. However, it would be nice if Venmo gave stronger enforcement tools.

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