If you split dinner bills on Venmo, you already have most of what you need. Venmo's Crypto tab lets US users buy Bitcoin with their Venmo balance, bank or debit card, and transfer it to an outside address such as your Apollo Group TV invoice.
The one thing that catches Venmo users out is the transfer step: Venmo treats sending crypto outside the app as a separate feature, and it may ask for extra verification the first time. This guide walks through it so you can plan around it.
- 1Venmo balance, bank or card
- 2Buy Bitcoin in the Crypto tab
- 3Transfer to the Apollo address
- 4Login appears in My Account
What you need
- A personal Venmo account in the US (business profiles can't use crypto)
- Money in Venmo, a linked bank account or a debit card
- Identity verification completed in Venmo (it asks when you first open Crypto)
- Your Apollo Group TV invoice open in Plans & Billing
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Turn on crypto in Venmo
Step 1: Open the Crypto tab
Update Venmo to the latest version, open it and tap Crypto (on some versions it sits under the menu or the Me tab).
Step 2: Accept the crypto terms and verify
Venmo asks you to agree to its crypto terms and confirm your identity. Have your legal name, address, date of birth and SSN ready. If Venmo asks for a photo ID, finish that before moving on.
Step 2: Get your Apollo amount and address
Step 3: Create your invoice
On Apollo Group TV, choose a pack in Plans & Billing. Your unpaid invoice appears with a reservation timer.
Step 4: Open the Bitcoin payment window
Press Continue Payment, choose Bitcoin Wallet (or Venmo if it's listed with a Bitcoin address) and press Pay Now. Note the Amount to Send (BTC) and leave the window open.
Pro tip: Copy the BTC amount into your phone's notes. Switching between apps is easier when you're not trying to remember eight decimal places.
Step 3: Buy Bitcoin
Step 5: Choose Bitcoin and tap Buy
In the Crypto tab, select Bitcoin and tap Buy.
Step 6: Buy a little more than the invoice
Enter a dollar amount slightly above your Apollo invoice. Prices move between buying and sending, and Venmo may charge a network fee on the transfer.
Step 7: Pick how to pay and confirm
Choose your Venmo balance, bank or card, review Venmo's fee and the Bitcoin you'll get, then confirm.
Step 4: Transfer to Apollo Group TV
Step 8: Tap Transfer, then Send to external address
On your Bitcoin page in Venmo, tap Transfer (or Send) and choose the option to send to an outside wallet or address.
Step 9: Scan the QR code or paste the address
Scan the QR code in your Apollo payment window, or paste the wallet address you copied. Venmo may ask you to confirm you trust this address.
Step 10: Enter the BTC amount
Type the exact Amount to Send from your invoice. Venmo shows the network fee and the total leaving your account.
Note: The address must receive the full invoice amount. If Venmo subtracts the fee from what you enter, raise the amount by that fee.
Step 11: Review and send
Check the address, amount and fee, then confirm. Venmo may hold the first transfer for a security review; if it does, it tells you in the app.
Step 12: Press I Have Paid
Back in the Apollo window, press I Have Paid. You'll see the Payment Under Review page, which updates on its own.
How Venmo's crypto works behind the scenes
Bitcoin you buy on Venmo is held for you by Venmo and its crypto partner until you transfer it out. That's why the transfer step exists and why Venmo checks it: once Bitcoin leaves Venmo, it's on the public Bitcoin network and can't be pulled back.
Venmo builds its price and fees into each purchase and shows them on the review screen. The figure that matters for Apollo Group TV is the BTC amount that reaches your invoice address, so compare that with your payment window before you confirm the transfer.
If Venmo won't let you transfer
Venmo can restrict crypto transfers on new accounts, accounts with recent changes, or after a first purchase. The app explains the restriction and when it lifts. While you wait, your Apollo price lock may expire; that's fine. Open the payment window again later and press Get a new quote before sending.
If you'd rather not wait, MoonPay can send Bitcoin directly to your invoice address with a card.
What happens next?
The payment window checks the Bitcoin network every 15 seconds. When your transaction appears it changes to Payment detected, and once the network confirms it the invoice is marked paid. You can close the window at any time; the check keeps running on our side.
Paid invoices go to our team for activation. We create your IPTV login, and it appears in My Account with your username, password, playlist links and expiry date. You'll also get a notification in your dashboard. If you pressed I Have Paid, the Payment Under Review page updates on its own while you wait.