Venmo Expands Stash Rewards With Rachel Sennott, Jordan Firstman

Venmo is done being just the app you use to pay your friends back.

The PayPal-owned platform has launched an expanded version of its Stash rewards program.

It drops alongside a new brand campaign starring Rachel Sennott and Jordan Firstman, designed to establish Venmo as a go-to payment option for everyday spending.

The update allows users to earn up to 5% cash back when paying with Venmo at select merchants, pushing beyond its debit card into in-app and checkout experiences.

Notably, the move sees the platform building out a bigger merchant network that now includes brands like Sephora, Ulta, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut.

"Venmo has always been where money moves between people, and now it is where millions choose to spend, in-app, in-store, and on-the-go," Alexis Sowa, General Manager of Venmo at PayPal, said in a press release.

"Spending with friends has always been at the heart of what Venmo is, and now those moments have even more upside."

The platform is also seeing momentum behind its debit card and checkout features.

Both transaction volume and monthly active accounts are growing at double-digit rates year over year.

Stash is meant to convert this growth into a clearer consumer benefit, giving users a reason to choose Venmo over other payment options.

Where Friends Spend

Sennott and Firstman built the campaign around their real-life friendship.

"Between Friends" is like a collection of candid moments, with conversations unfolding mid-scene.

The two then realize that the same app they use to split bills can now give them cash back.

It’s a simple premise, but one that lets both their personalities and natural humor shine to make the message land.

The campaign runs across social media platforms, out-of-home, streaming, podcasts, and audio, with a particular focus on the Gen Z audience.

This is where celebrity marketing plays a role, but in a way that doesn't feel like an endorsement. 

Sennott and Firstman were involved in shaping the creative, helping the final output feel more native to their personalities.

Ultimately, this campaign lets Venmo meet users in their everyday contexts and show them how the finance platform fits into their lives as part of the experience.

Venmo’s Everyday Spending Push

The platform's latest move is a great example of how to expand usage without losing core identity:

• Build on existing behavior. Expanding product utility works best when it fits naturally into what people already do.
• 76% of marketers say authentic content outperforms highly produced work. Campaigns land better when creators shape the output themselves.
• Tie rewards to real moments. Programs perform better when they connect to everyday spending habits people already repeat.

Last year, PayPal reported $33.2 billion in net revenue for 2025, reflecting continued growth in its payments ecosystem.

Our Take: Can Venmo Own the Moment?

The campaign doesn't try to reinvent Venmo. Instead, it builds on what’s already there.

The app has always lived in these messy, real-life moments of splitting dinners, chasing payments, and keeping friendships balanced.

Now it’s trying to show up in the transaction itself through Stash, and that’s a smart place to be.

And instead of screaming product features, it shows two popular yet relatable people figuring it out in the same way users probably will. 

If Venmo can keep this honesty while scaling its rewards programs and adding real value to users, it has a shot at becoming more than a peer-to-peer payments platform. 

Meanwhile, parent company PayPal turns payment into the story itself, with Will Ferrell dramatizing the split-second checkout decision through an angel-and-devil setup.

Get sharper insights on how brands turn everyday behavior into competitive advantage. Explore these top fintech digital marketing agencies in our directory.