Bump Pay FAQ
Q. How does Bump Pay work?
Bump Pay works just like the Bump app, but instead of sending contact information, Bump Pay connects that person's email address so you can pay her with PayPal. There are two parts to Bump: the app running on your device and a smart matching algorithm running on our servers in the cloud. The app on your phone uses the phone's sensors to literally "feel" the bump, and it sends that info up to the cloud. The matching algorithm listens to the bumps from phones around the world and pairs up phones that felt the same bump. Then we just route information between the two phones in each pair.
Q. Is Bump Pay secure?
Bump Pay just uses the connection power of Bump to send your email address to someone else for a PayPal transaction. Each payment is handled and processed entirely by PayPal. They protect your financial information with industry-leading security and fraud prevention systems.
Q. Can I use Bump Pay without a PayPal account?
You can recieve money at any email address, but PayPal will request you sign up for an account at that email address in order to withdraw any funds. You must have an account setup prior to sending any payments. PayPal accounts can be created at www.PayPal.com.
Q. What are the fees associated with Bump Pay?
Bump Pay is a free app. Any incurred charges relate to your PayPal account. When your PayPal account is linked to your bank account, or if you have a PayPal balance, PayPal will not charge you anything. If you are using a credit or debit card to fund your PayPal account, PayPal will charge you 2.9% of the amount sent plus $0.30 USD per transaction.
Q. Can I cancel or undo a payment?
After pressing 'Pay' on the PayPal confirm screen, the payment enters the PayPal transactional process and cannot be undone from within the Bump Pay app. Please be sure all transactional details are correct before confirming payment.
Q. It says 'Insufficient funds,' or 'Transaction cannot be sent.' What's wrong?
There may be an error with your PayPal account. Please login to your account at www.PayPal.com to make sure the amount you are trying to send is available in your account.
Q. Someone paid me money through Bump Pay.
Where is the money?
Funds will be associated with the e-mail you have entered into the Bump Pay app. If you have a PayPal account that is associated with that e-mail address, you will simply find the funds in your account when you log in. If you do not have a PayPal account, PayPal will send you an email with instructions on creating a PayPal account so that you can withdraw the funds.
Q. Where can I find a record of all my Bump Pay transactions?
After a transaction has been completed, PayPal will e-mail you a receipt unless you have disabled this feature in your PayPal account settings. To view your transaction history, please log into your PayPal account at www.PayPal.com.
Q. How much money can I send through Bump Pay?
Bump Pay will only send payments of less than $1000.
Q. Where can I use Bump Pay?
Bump Pay is for use in the USA only.
Q. Do I need network connection for Bump to work?
Yes, you need a strong connection to the Internet so that the Bump Pay app can communicate with our servers. Bump uses whatever Internet connection is available on your device, whether that is WiFi or cellular.
Q. Does Bump Pay use my phone’s data plan? Will I be charged?
Yes, if you are connected to the Internet via a cellular service, Bump Pay will use your data plan. Your standard data plan rates will apply.
Q. Why does Bump Pay want to use my location?
We use location information as one of the ways to limit the number of other phones we have to check in order to determine the correct match. Basically, if you are in San Francisco, we use that information so that we don't have to compare your bump with bumps coming in from Japan, Europe, New York, etc. For this reason, we require that location services be turned on and that users authorize the use of their location information. If you do not authorize use of location information, Bump Pay won't work properly.
Q. Does Bump Pay require that Bluetooth be activated also?
Nope! Neither Bump or Bump Pay use Bluetooth to work; all you need is an internet connection.
Q. Can I Bump Pay someone on Android?
Currently Bump Pay is only available on iPhone.
Q. How do I bump?
It’s simple! Two people just open Bump Pay, hold their phones, and gently bump hands. You should feel your phone vibrate when you bump, and then you’ll see the other person’s email address appear at the top of the confirm screen. If you don’t feel the vibration when you bump, you likely aren’t bumping hard enough, or the network in your area isn't strong enough. If you are knocking your friend’s phone out of her hand, you are bumping too hard…
Q. It’s not working for me! What am I doing wrong?
  • º Are you sure that both people have Bump Pay open on their phones?
  • º Are you gently, but physically, bumping your hands together? It’s not called Shaking, people!
  • º Are you sure that both phones vibrate when they bump? If not, someone isn’t bumping hard enough, or someone doesn't have enough network connectivity.
  • º Are you sure that both phones have an Internet connection that actually works? Sometimes your phone can show that it has a few bars of connectivity, when there is actually no data bandwidth available. Try opening a browser on your phone and check to see if you connect to any website.
  • º Do both phones have location services enabled?
  • º Is one person sending money? If both people are sending $0, no transaction will happen. Also, if both people try to send money at the same time, the transaction will also be cancelled.
Q. A friend of mine lives far away. Can I send her money through Bump Pay without physically bumping their phone?
No, sorry. Bump Pay is only for connecting to people standing right next to you.
Q. What if the other person only has the Bump app?
Bump Pay and the Bump app are not compatible. Bump Pay can only connect to Bump Pay, and vice versa.
Q. How do I change the email address I am sending/recieving from?
If you haven't sent money through Bump Pay, just hit the settings icon in the upper right corner and modify your email account there. If you have already sent money through Bump Pay, you will need to login to the PayPal website and dissassociate that email address from your phone number. For security reasons, PayPal ensures that only one PayPal account can be used from any one mobile phone number. Visit www.PayPal.com, login to your account, and reset your mobile phone settings. You will then need to delete the Bump Pay app, reinstall it, and enter your new PayPal email address.