Bizum limits, mistakes and payment requests

Key rules

• Limits: Your bank sets your actual Bizum limits, so check them in its app.
• Sent money: You cannot cancel a Bizum once it is sent; only the recipient can send it back.
• Requests: If you are selling, never accept a Bizum request, because accepting means you pay.
• Strangers: Bizum has no buyer protection, so pay strangers only on handover or through a marketplace's protected payment.

What you can send

A Bizum payment can be from 0.50 euros up to 1,000 euros per transaction, with up to 150 operations per day, and your bank may set lower limits. New users often start with lower daily limits. Purchases in online shops can have separate limits, and business payments may allow more. Open your bank's app to see your own limits.

A sent payment cannot be cancelled

Bizum is instant. Once you confirm, you cannot cancel it. Before you press confirm, check the phone number, the name shown and the amount.

If you paid the wrong person or were tricked, do this straight away:

1. Ask the recipient to send the money back with a new Bizum.
2. If they refuse or do not answer, call your bank at once and report it. Banks can try to claw back payments you did not authorise. A payment you approved yourself, even because you were deceived, is not refunded automatically.
3. Report fraud to the police (Policía Nacional or Guardia Civil).
4. If your bank's answer does not satisfy you, complain to its customer service, then to the Banco de España.

Requests: the trap for sellers

A Bizum request (solicitar dinero) is the reverse of a payment. The other person asks you for money, and you pay only if you accept. In the common scam, a fake buyer says they are paying you, then sends a request. If you accept, you pay them.

• Receiving money needs no action from you. If you are asked to accept, confirm or enter a code to "receive" money, stop.
• Read the screen. It must say you are sending money only when you mean to.
• When you are selling, never accept a request.

Buying and selling with strangers

Bizum gives you no buyer protection when you pay a stranger. Typical scams:

• Fake buyers who send requests instead of payments.
• Sellers who take payment and never deliver.
• Fake ads for rentals, tickets, pets and cars that ask for a deposit.
• Someone pretending to be a contact you know.

Safer habits:

• Use the marketplace's protected payment when it has one.
• Meet in person and pay when you hand over or receive the item.
• Never share codes that arrive by SMS.
• Do not pay a deposit for something you have not seen.

If you do get caught, report it to your bank and the police quickly. The warning and questions below cover the most common cases.

What to watch out for

• A Bizum payment cannot be cancelled: Bizum is instant, and you cannot cancel a payment once it is made. A wrong number or a scam can cost you the full amount. Check the name and number before you confirm. If you sent money by mistake, ask the recipient to send it back by a new Bizum. If they refuse, contact your bank immediately and report it.

• Fake buyers send a request, not a payment: A fraudster posing as a buyer says they will pay you, then sends a payment request. If you accept it, you pay them. Check that the screen says you are sending money. Never accept a request when you expect to receive funds. Receiving money needs no confirmation.

• No buyer protection with strangers: Bizum has no buyer protection. Common scams are sellers who take payment and never deliver, fake ads for rentals, tickets, pets and cars asking for deposits, and people pretending to be someone you know. Use the platform's protected payment where available. Meet in person and pay on handover. Call a known contact on their usual number before sending money.

• Sharing SMS codes: Anyone who gets a code sent to you by SMS can use it to take money from you. Never share codes with anyone. If you did, call your bank at once and report it to the police.

• Paying yourself into a loss after fraud: Payments you authorised yourself, even through deception, are not automatically refunded by your bank.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get my money back if the recipient refuses to return a Bizum?

Not automatically, but you can contact your bank straight away and report it. Banks can try to claim back unauthorised payments, but payments you authorised yourself, even through deception, are not refunded as a matter of course. You can also complain to the bank's customer service and then to the Banco de España, Spain's central bank.

Do I need to confirm anything when I receive money by Bizum?

No, receiving a Bizum needs no confirmation from you. If a screen asks you to accept or authorise something, it is a request for you to pay, so decline it.

Where should I report a Bizum scam?

Report it to your bank and to the police, either Policía Nacional or Guardia Civil. Do both promptly, because payments are hard to recover once sent.

Is a Bizum for a business purchase subject to different limits?

Yes, limits for purchases in online shops are often separate from person-to-person limits, and Bizum for businesses may be higher. Your bank's app shows which limits apply to you.