Jamie Pauls
Over several AccessWorld articles, we have looked at various online payment services and how well they work with screen reading technology. Most readers are probably familiar with previously-discussed services including Venmo, PayPal, and Apple Pay. Possibly less familiar to some is a service called Zelle, which allows you to transfer money from bank to bank. Unlike other services we have looked at, there is no transfer fee. Also, as far as I can determine, there is no way to store money in Zelle. For example, it is possible to keep money in Venmo, PayPal, or Apple Pay and use it at your convenience. It is even possible to get debit cards from these services so that you can spend money directly from your account without needing to transfer money to your bank first. Because Zelle transfers money directly from bank to bank, all transfers are free and pretty much instantaneous. If your bank encounters a glitch, this can affect transfers. Also, it is not possible to cancel a transfer once it has been initiated.
Several months ago, I completed an audio editing project for a client who asked if they could pay me using Zelle. I had no experience with the service, but I was more than willing to give it a try both because I believe I should make as many payment options available to my clients as possible, and also because I knew I might want to review the service for AccessWorld.
I started by downloading the free Zelle app from the Apple app store. When I opened the app, I saw a message stating "Move money in a moment." There were several pages of information I could look at, or I could simply swipe to "Get started." I needed to tell Apple that it was okay for me to receive notifications from Zelle, and I provided Zelle my mobile number and email address. I read through some documentation about how to keep money safe with tips including making sure you are using the correct phone number and email address for the person you are doing business with, and only sending money to people you trust. When I tested the app, VoiceOver did not clearly state that there was a checkbox to indicate that I had read and agreed to all terms, but it was easy enough to figure out and continue.
Next, I was asked to find my bank. That is when I discovered something I should have remembered, which was that my bank already supports Zelle. I went to my bank's app, located Zelle and continued. I am not certain whether the accessibility experiences will differ depending on which bank app you use if your bank also supports Zelle, or if the experience would be the same for everyone.
The basic steps that followed were that I needed to verify the mobile number and email I wished to use when sending and receiving money. I also needed to indicate which bank account I wished to use. Accessibility was not perfect, but it was doable and, again, I do not know if experiences will differ from one banking app to another, or whether they will be similar.
I next allowed Zelle to access my contacts. I was then able to find the person from whom I was requesting payment. If I wanted to request $20, I would need to enter 2000 (Decimals are not included when entering amounts) in the area where I was requesting a payment. I was able to review the requested amount on my iPhone's screen. I was also able to indicate which of my accounts I wanted the money sent to. Checking was fine by me. It was possible for me to review the details of my request and write a description for my request before completing the process. I received my money without a hitch.
The app has all the expected settings for changing email addresses, phone numbers, and the like.
I don't expect Zelle to be a service I will use often, but if I am requested to do so, I have no problem using it in the future. I chose to keep the Zelle app on my phone even though I can get to it using my bank's app. I don't know if this is necessary, and I honestly think it is probably not, but I chose to keep the official Zelle app around just in case I ever need it.
