On the morning of October 16, 2025, PayPal and its subsidiary, Venmo, experienced a significant outage that disrupted services for thousands of users across the United States and internationally. The issues began around 11:00 AM ET and quickly escalated, with many users unable to log in, send money, or view account balances. Error messages and unresponsive screens were widespread, leading to widespread frustration among customers who rely on the platforms for both personal and business transactions.

Within the first hour of the outage, thousands of users reported issues, with PayPal receiving the highest number of complaints. Venmo, which is commonly used for peer-to-peer transactions, also saw significant disruptions, especially in sending money or accessing transaction history. Many users took to social media to voice their frustration, expressing concerns about the timing of the outage, which affected payments for essential services, bills, and purchases.

Venmo's support team promptly acknowledged the issues on their social media channels, reassuring users that they were investigating the situation and working toward a resolution. PayPal also issued a statement via its status page, indicating that they were aware of the disruption and were actively working on fixing it. While the companies did not immediately provide specific details about the cause of the outage, experts speculated that the issue may have been related to server malfunctions or disruptions in their global payment processing network.

By the late afternoon, both platforms reported that the issues had been resolved, and normal functionality had been restored. Transactions resumed without delays, and users were able to access their accounts and complete payments. While the outage lasted only a few hours, it prompted a broader discussion about the increasing reliance on digital payment platforms and the potential consequences when these services go down. For businesses, freelancers, and everyday users who depend on Venmo and PayPal for quick payments, even brief outages can have significant impacts.

Although the companies have not yet provided a full explanation of what caused the issue, they have reassured customers that they are implementing measures to prevent similar disruptions in the future. Both PayPal and Venmo remain vital services for millions of people, and while this incident was resolved relatively quickly, it underscores the importance of ensuring these platforms remain reliable and resilient, especially as digital payment methods continue to grow in popularity worldwide.

For those who continue to experience any lingering issues, PayPal and Venmo have encouraged users to reach out to their support teams directly for assistance.

Sources: Tom's Guide, Forbes, GV Wire, Venmo Support on X