Zelle Payment Network Reframes Everyday Payments as Acts of Care

Zelle, the person-to-person payment network that reaches more than 150 million enrolled accounts in the US, has launched a new brand platform and creative campaign: 'When It Counts.' The work, developed with Pereira O’Dell, Zelle’s creative agency of record since 2019, marks a milestone in the brand’s evolution from nimble upstart to scaled category leader.

In 2024, Americans sent more than $1 trillion through Zelle across 3.6 billion transactions - the most ever processed by a peer-to-peer payments service in a single year. With this scale has come a new responsibility: to move beyond functionality and establish Zelle as a trusted presence in life’s most meaningful moments.

More than a tagline, 'When It Counts' signals Zelle’s shift from utility to cultural relevance, positioning the platform as quietly essential infrastructure in the people-for-people economy. The creative highlights the human stories behind everyday payments - whether it’s a friend covering concert tickets before payday, a parent helping with back-to-school supplies, or a loyal customer showing up for their neighbourhood nail tech.

The campaign launches during a season of transition - back to school, back to work, and back into the financial juggling act that comes before the holidays - when families and communities rely on one another most. Research conducted in partnership with Nonfiction helped shape the platform: 59% of users reported turning to Zelle in a moment of crisis, and 51% in emotionally difficult times, underscoring that what the service enables isn’t just speed, but connection.

“With more than $1 trillion dollars sent last year and thousands of local banks and credit unions in our network, Zelle has become an essential and embedded tool that is helping Americans show up when it matters most,” said Andrea Gilman, chief marketing officer at Early Warning, the company behind Zelle.

The campaign will run across connected TV, online video, YouTube, Meta, and owned channels.

Beyond the campaign launch, Zelle is investing in a broader program through the end of 2025: expanded community storytelling around small businesses, enhanced safety education, and ongoing partnerships with banks and credit unions that bring the brand into the everyday fabric of American life.

With 'When It Counts,' Zelle is not only defining the category by volume - but also by what it means to matter.