Venmo Etiquette: Are Friendships Pay to Play?

Graphics by Ailani Wong

College life is full of shared experiences, most of which happen to be post-party Popeyes, late-night cookies from Insomnia, and a group Uber when it’s way too cold to walk home (Syracuse winters are no joke).

After a nice time with your friends, you go back to your dorm for your nightly doom scroll only to see... a Venmo request. You know the one: $2.58 for the few food truck fries you ate or $8.12 for your share of the cheapest UberPool ride.

It’s not just you who feels let down when you see this – there’s something about Venmo requests that turn friendships into financial agreements. Research has found that people who round up when paying their friends back- whether it be $5 or $20- were seen as more likable than those who request exact amounts like $7.14.

But are we really surprised? Who wants to feel like a walking bank statement every time they go out? The truth is, these transactions aren’t just about money – it’s about how we see our relationships.

Instead of worrying about splitting the next bill, we should bring back the old-school "I got it this time, you can grab the next?” Not only is this easier, but you have an unspoken excuse to see your friend again. Now there’s an IOU for your next late-night Taco Bell and not just a random notification with a dollar amount.

I understand we are all broke college kids trying to make ends meet (and a $90k tuition doesn’t make that easy) but you shouldn’t treat your relationship like an Excel spreadsheet – Whitman majors I’m looking at you.

Put the phone down, stop calculating every cent, and enjoy the moment. Life’s too short to Venmo request someone for $1.18. Honestly, your friends are worth more than exact change anyway.