Venmo Adds Gift-Wrapping Feature - New Animated Designs

Venmo Launches Animated Gift-Wrapping Feature

Venmo is rolling out a novel gift-wrapping capability, providing users with an innovative method to send monetary gifts to their friends and family. The feature’s initial deployment begins today.

How the New Feature Works

Users now have access to eight different animated gift-wrap designs that can be incorporated into a payment message. To utilize this functionality, simply tap the “Pay or Request” button and designate the intended recipient.

Following recipient selection, a gift-wrap icon will become available for tapping. This allows you to choose the desired animated design to accompany the payment. A preview of the animation is offered before final confirmation and transmission.

Upon receipt, the recipient will receive a notification indicating a gift has been sent within the app. They can then virtually “unwrap” the gift to reveal the animated design. Venmo confirms that both the sender and receiver can revisit the animation at any time through the payment details screen.

Rationale Behind the Feature

According to Darrell Esch, Senior Vice President and General Manager at Venmo, the prevalence of the present emoji in payment notes during 2021 – ranking among the top ten most used – highlighted a user desire for gifting enhancements.

“We’re excited to introduce our new gift-wrapping feature to enhance this experience, enabling customers to celebrate with loved ones, no matter how big or small the moment,” Esch stated.

Growing Trend of Gifting via P2P Payments

Venmo reports that 78% of its users have utilized the platform, or another peer-to-peer (P2P) payment service, to send money as a gift within the last year. Customers are increasingly employing Venmo for gifting purposes beyond traditional holidays and special occasions.

This trend has been particularly noticeable since the start of the pandemic, with over half of Venmo users who send gifts doing so simply to express gratitude or show they are thinking of someone.

Recent App Redesign

This launch follows a substantial redesign of the Venmo application completed last year. As part of this overhaul, the company removed the public, global feed of transactions.

The redesign prioritized enhanced privacy controls and increased visibility for newer app features. Users now primarily see a “friends feed,” displaying transactions only from their connections.

Here's a summary of the key changes:

• Introduction of eight animated gift-wrap designs.
• Easy access via the “Pay or Request” button.
• Animation preview before sending.
• Recipient notification and virtual unwrapping.
• Increased focus on privacy with the “friends feed.”