How does Zelle work?

When you enroll with Zelle through your online banking account or mobile app, your name, the name of your financial institution, and the email address or U.S. mobile number you enrolled is shared with Zelle (no sensitive account details are shared). When someone sends money to your enrolled email address or U.S. mobile number, Zelle looks up the email address or mobile number in its “directory” and notifies your financial institution of the incoming payment. Your financial institution then directs the payment into your bank account, all while keeping your sensitive account details private.