The programming, fintech, and developer worlds got a scare Feb. 26 with an announcement that Venmo’s API had been shut down.
In the midst of a major switchover from an existing API to a new beta, Venmo’s developer site had been replaced with a single box stating that “the Venmo API is no longer available.” As a result, a series of press releases made their way onto TechCrunch:
The Venmo API is no longer available. We’re sorry for the inconvenience, please reach out to our support team if you have questions.
If only this was true. But Venmo’s next public release changed the narrative from an API tragedy, to an even more irksome PR travesty: it seemed that while existing Venmo API developers were in, new dev users would be turned away.
To his credit, Venmo’s parent company Braintree’s CEO William Ready jumped onto the comments section of the TechCrunch article, explaining in no uncertain terms that “[t]his is not accurate […] Venmo API is still available for existing users,” and that new beta users were accepted pending their payment for use via Venmo.
Venmo’s API update promotion began back in 2010, when the company hosted and participated in hackathons to enhance its platform.
The platform seems to have an inexhaustible potential for application: from dividing road-trip costs, to splitting the price of a pizza at Papa Johns, or even tipping street musicians (sans time-consuming dialogue).
So, for future reference, is API for Venmo shut down? Is the beta closed to users?
No. Not at all.