Zelle® FAQ

You can use Zelle® with multiple banks, but you'll need to use a different email address or U.S. mobile number for each Zelle® enrollment.

You can also transfer your Zelle® enrollment from a different bank to First Citizens bank:

• Open Zelle® in First Citizens Digital Banking
• Add your email address or U.S. mobile number and Submit
• Follow the prompts to transfer your Zelle® from another bank
• You will receive an email confirming the transfer

 For additional help, you can call the First Citizens support team at 877-206-3818.

Make sure you are using a U.S. mobile number or email address that belongs to you. You can't enroll in Zelle® using landlines, international numbers, toll-free numbers or VoIP numbers, including Google Voice.

Also confirm that no one else is already enrolled with Zelle® using your U.S. mobile number or email address, including at another bank. You may receive an error if the contact information is already enrolled or being used by another person.

If your U.S. mobile number or email address is already enrolled with Zelle®, update your contact information in Digital Banking and enroll again using a unique email address or U.S. mobile number.

• Go to First Citizens Digital Banking
• Select Profile and Preferences > Profile & Contact Info
• Update your U.S. mobile number or email address to a unique one
• Enroll again in Zelle®

Make sure the information you enter—such as your name, email address or U.S. mobile number—matches what is on your First Citizens account. For additional help, you can call the First Citizens support team at 877-206-3818.

For your security, First Citizens Bank establishes limits on the amount of money you can send with Zelle®. Your limits may vary based on factors such as your account relationship, recipient and transaction history.

You can view your available sending limit within Zelle® in First Citizens Digital Banking when setting up a payment.

Your rolling daily limit is the maximum you can send over a period of time going back 24 hours. Your rolling 30-day limit is the maximum you can send over a period of time going back 30 days.

How the Limits Work:

• A 24-hour period means your sending limit resets based on the last 24 hours, not at a fixed time like midnight. For example, if you send $1,000 at 3:00 PM today, you won't be able to send more until 3:01 PM the next day.
• A 30-day period works the same way but over a longer timeframe. Instead of resetting on the first of each month, your limit is based on the total amount sent over the past 30 days. If you've reached your limit, you'll need to wait until earlier transactions fall outside the rolling 30-day window before sending more.

First Citizens Bank does not limit how much money you can receive with Zelle®. However, the sender may be subject to limits on how much they can send you, based on the policies of their financial institution.

Money sent with Zelle® is typically received in minutes when both parties are enrolled. Select transactions may take up to 3 business days.

There are several common reasons why a payment may not go through within minutes:

• The recipient is not enrolled or the email address/mobile number entered doesn't match their Zelle® profile. The recipient must be enrolled using the same email address or U.S. mobile number you used, or the payment may be delayed.
• The payment may be delayed or declined for security reasons. For your protection, some transactions may be reviewed based on factors like sending to a new recipient or unusual activity.
• You may have reached your sending limit. Limits are based on rolling time periods. You can view your available limit in Zelle® within Digital Banking when setting up a payment.

To check the status of your payment:

• Open Zelle® in First Citizens Digital Banking
• Go to Activity
• Select the payment to view its status (Pending, Completed or Declined)

If the payment is pending:

• Confirm the recipient has enrolled with Zelle®
• Confirm you entered the correct email address or U.S. mobile number

For additional help, you can call the First Citizens support team at 877-206-3818.

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

If you're a U.S. customer traveling internationally, you can send Zelle® if: 

• You're already enrolled in Zelle® with a U.S. mobile number or email address that belongs to you

AND

• You're able to get a security code on your U.S. mobile number while located internationally

If you're unable to see Zelle® in Digital Banking, you'll need to update your digital profile and login preferences to include a U.S. mobile number. 

• Go to First Citizens Digital Banking 
• Select Profile and Preferences > Profile & Contact Info and update your mobile number to a U.S. mobile number 
• Select Profile and Preferences > Log in Preferences > Secure Delivery and update your mobile number to a U.S. mobile number 
• Select Send Money with Zelle® again to use it

For additional help, you can call the First Citizens support team at 877-206-3818.

You can send, receive or request money with Zelle®. To get started, log into First Citizens Digital Banking and select Send Money with Zelle®. Enter your email address or U.S. mobile phone number, receive a one-time verification code, enter it, accept terms and conditions, and you're ready to start sending and receiving 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. Always ensure you've entered the correct email address or U.S. mobile number before sending money. 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, enter their enrolled email address, U.S. mobile number or Zelle® tag, confirm the recipient is correct and tap Request.

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 First Citizens Bank account, typically within minutes.

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

1. Select the link provided in the payment notification you received via email or text message.
2. Select First Citizens Bank.
3. 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.

To receive money with Zelle®, you must be enrolled with the correct contact information.

Tips:

• Make sure your preferred email address and/or U.S. mobile number is enrolled with Zelle®
• Share that exact contact information with anyone sending you money
• If you update your contact details in Digital Banking, confirm your Zelle® profile is also updated

Using consistent contact information helps ensure payments are delivered without delay.

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. To use Zelle®, both the sender and recipient must have an eligible checking or savings account.

Since money is sent directly from your First Citizens Bank account to another person's bank account and transactions between enrolled users typically occur within minutes, Zelle® should only be used to send money to friends, family and others 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 shouldn't use Zelle®. These transactions are potentially high risk, just like sending cash to someone you don't know.

If you've already enrolled with Zelle®, you don't need to take further action. The money will move directly into your bank account, typically within minutes.

If you have not yet enrolled with Zelle®, follow these steps:

• Select the link provided in the payment notification you received through email or text message
• Select First Citizens Bank
• Follow the instructions provided to enroll and receive your payment

Important: You must enroll using the same email address or U.S. mobile number where you received the payment notification to receive your money.

If you're expecting money but haven't received it:

• Confirm with the sender which email address or mobile number they used
• Make sure the email address or U.S. mobile number they used is the one enrolled with Zelle®
• If needed, update your contact information in Digital Banking under Profile and Preferences > Profile & Contact Info

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

To locate your Zelle® QR code, log into Digital Banking, then select Send Money with Zelle®. 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, email or print your Zelle® QR code. To receive money, share your Zelle® QR code.

To send money, log into the Digital Banking app, click Send Money with Zelle®, click Send, 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.

Keeping your money and information secure is a top priority for First Citizens Bank. When you use Zelle® within First Citizens Digital Banking, your information is protected with the same technology we use to keep your First Citizens Bank account safe.

Neither First Citizens 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 isn't 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 877-206-3818. Qualifying imposter scams may be eligible for reimbursement.

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 877-206-3818 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 our customer support team at 877-206-3818 to determine what options are available.

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.

Because money is sent directly from your bank account to another person's bank account within minutes, Zelle® should only be used to send money to friends, family and others you trust.

Neither First Citizens Bank nor Zelle® offers a protection program for any authorized payments made with Zelle®. For example, if you don't receive the item you paid for or the item isn't as described or as you expected.

For your protection, some Zelle® payments may be delayed, declined or require additional verification to be completed.

Common reasons include:

• The recipient's email address or U.S. mobile number was entered incorrectly
• The recipient is not enrolled with Zelle® using the email address or U.S. mobile number you used
• The payment cannot be processed for security reasons and may require additional verification

If this happens:

• Verify the recipient's email address or U.S. mobile number
• Check your payment status in Zelle® Activity
• Complete any requested verification steps
• Try again later or use another payment method if needed

If the issue continues, contact our support team at 877-206-3818.

If the person you sent money to cannot receive it, it's usually because:

• They are not enrolled with Zelle®
• They are enrolled using a different email address or mobile number
• The contact information you entered was incorrect

What to do:

• Confirm the exact email address or U.S. mobile number they use with Zelle®
• Ask them to enroll or update their Zelle® profile
• Resend the payment using the correct contact information if needed

As of March 31, 2025, all users must be enrolled through one of the more than 2,300 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 Zelle.com. If their bank or credit union is not listed, we recommend you use another payment method at this time.

Yes. They will receive a notification through email or text message.

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 First Citizens Digital Banking app using just their email address or US mobile number.

You can use Zelle® with multiple banks, but you'll need to use a different email address or U.S. mobile number for each Zelle® enrollment.

You can also transfer your Zelle® enrollment from a different bank to First Citizens bank:

• Open Zelle® in First Citizens Digital Banking
• Add your email address or U.S. mobile number and Submit
• Follow the prompts to transfer your Zelle® from another bank
• You will receive an email confirming the transfer

 For additional help, you can call the First Citizens support team at 877-206-3818.

Make sure you are using a U.S. mobile number or email address that belongs to you. You can't enroll in Zelle® using landlines, international numbers, toll-free numbers or VoIP numbers, including Google Voice.

Also confirm that no one else is already enrolled with Zelle® using your U.S. mobile number or email address, including at another bank. You may receive an error if the contact information is already enrolled or being used by another person.

If your U.S. mobile number or email address is already enrolled with Zelle®, update your contact information in Digital Banking and enroll again using a unique email address or U.S. mobile number.

• Go to First Citizens Digital Banking
• Select Profile and Preferences > Profile & Contact Info
• Update your U.S. mobile number or email address to a unique one
• Enroll again in Zelle®

Make sure the information you enter—such as your name, email address or U.S. mobile number—matches what is on your First Citizens account. For additional help, you can call the First Citizens support team at 877-206-3818.

No. First Citizens does not charge any fees to use Zelle^® in the Digital Banking app.

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

Note: If you have a small business account, refer to those frequently asked questions for fee details.