In today’s digital age, it has become common place for us to want to want to do everything from our mobile devices, including banking. Speaking for myself, I hardly ever carry cash anymore. If someone asks me for money I have recently been resorting to, “Why don’t I pay and you can pay me back?” or vice versa. The next dilemma is paying them back. I again look to my mobile device for answers. Circle Pay offers an easy way to send someone that reimbursement with a simple text or email.
Impression
A simple, free download from the Google Play store and you can launch the app. The only setup required is to register an email address for your account. Upon login, we find warm and inviting colors matched by that classic material design we all feel comfortable with. Taking a look at the home screen, we have a hamburger menu in the top left, an ellipse menu in the top right, our account balance in the center and below the balance, we see our recent activity. Finally, in the bottom right of the screen, we have a “+” button that allows us to initiate sending or requesting of money.
When we try to dig a little deeper we find how simplistic Circle Pay really is. The whole basis of the app is quick, convenient money transfer. From the hamburger menu, you can quickly send money, request money, add money to your account (yes, Circle Pay has its own account balance) or Cash Out (put you balance back into your Bank). The only downside is the $300 per week limit for deposits which is understandable for a free service and can be increased if you are a frequent user. On the other hand, cash out, spend and receive is unlimited.
Great, sending and receiving money is easy but where does the money come from. Simple, Circle Pay allows you to link directly to your bank account or debit card for free and, if you so choose, you can convert your money to Bitcoin right from the app (after accepting all potential liabilities that come with Bitcoin of course).
Along with discussions of money and technology comes the ever looming question of security. Circle Pay has you covered. By default, it requires two-factor authentication to sign in and to send or receive anything over $30 (this can be adjusted in the settings). The app also allows you to easily create a PIN number that must be typed in before you can access the app. Finally, there is an option to hide your account balance from the home screen if you are worried about prying eyes over your shoulder.
Looking ahead, the developers tell us that there will soon be support for the Euro as well.
We will soon open Circle Euro support to consumers in Spain as the first part of a broader European-wide rollout to come over the coming month. We are currently working with the regulators to finalize our approach, but are excited about the opportunity.
Conclusion
Circle Pay has succeeded in what it has set out to do, become an easy way for people to quickly share funds. They have not skipped out on security, functionality, or style. I would love to see the app grow into becoming more than just a money sharing app but an all purpose purchasing app. If you think Circle Pay might be just what you need in your life, click the link below and get started today.
Download Circle Pay from Google Play
I tried circle pay today as I needed 50 dollars put into my debit account and it just seemed like an easy way for my boyfriend to toss me it instead of driving to the bank… well.. I need the money in my account by the 26th at the absolute LATEST… and at first it seemed fine, til I got an email stating that my withdrawal could not be completed?? All our cards are valid etc… im honestly so angry atm