Main Street makes the American economy move, and Zelle® today released never-before published data that provides new insight into when, where, and how U.S. small businesses rely on the payment tool’s unique features to help boost growth and unlock opportunities. The new data, released ahead of National Small Business Month in May, underscores the growing role Zelle plays in helping reduce uncertainty for America’s Main Street economy:
Almost seven million small businesses are enrolled to use Zelle and use of Zelle to pay small businesses has tripled in the past three years. Zelle also plays a meaningful role in the financial lives of an additional estimated 3-4 million individuals who use it to receive payments tied to independent or self-directed work.
Zelle is most popular with small businesses in critical commercial markets across the country. In these areas, small businesses are getting paid with Zelle in ways as unique as the cities they’re in — like surf lessons in Los Angeles, local souvenirs in Orlando, livestock grooming during the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo or grabbing a hot dog from a cart in New York City. On average, small businesses received about $465 per transaction in 2024.
Zelle is used by small businesses owners to send payments in key moments when speed and reliability matter most — like ensuring payroll is met and vendors are paid. In fact, the average payment sent by a small business was around $630 in 2024 — that’s about the monthly cost of vendor space at the Ft. Myers Beach Market in Florida or a bi-weekly space at the Union Square Farmers Market in Massachusetts.