Venmo app: it's nickel-and-diming everything, literally

New York

MARGARET Pennoyer, an elementary school teacher in Manhattan, had just returned from a bachelorette party in Napa Valley when she received an email that had been sent to all the guests. The two organisers had itemised each woman's individual expenses, which they had covered, and requested reimbursement through Venmo, an app that transfers money between users who have linked their bank accounts to their phones. Ms Pennoyer owed US$31.98 to one woman and US$20.62 to the other.

In a previous time, the organisers likely would have asked everyone to bring enough cash to repay them in person or to mail a cheque afterwards, courteously rounding down to US$30 and US$20. But the Venmo request, calculated to the penny, struck Ms Pe…