For years, moving money between PayPal and Venmo felt like trying to bridge two different worlds, but that digital wall has finally come down. A recent update now allows you to send direct payments between the two platforms, meaning you can finally settle a dinner tab or pay a friend without worrying about which app they prefer.

This payment app collaboration has been in the works since PayPal bought Venmo in 2014. Now that you're finally able to use both apps synergistically, you'll want to make sure you've made all the changes you should have when you first signed up to protect your privacy. 

You can now search for a Venmo user from your PayPal app (and vice versa) and send cash directly to the person with a few taps. But if you're going to do that, you're going to first want to make sure you've got all your ducks in a row and the correct settings integrated into your game. Here's what you should do first before using the apps and switching between them. 

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Keep your privacy and visibility options in mind

Longtime Venmo users will remember how annoying it was to have Venmo automatically make payment details public to everyone you connect with, something Venmo has improved in recent years, but which can still be a source of frustration. 

We'll have to wait until November to investigate every detail, but there is a critical visibility setting that all users should know about. It looks like PayPal users can find any Venmo user if they have the correct phone number, which could make specific scams easier or lead to spam. 

You can adjust this option by heading into your Venmo app, choosing Settings (the gear icon), then Privacy, then navigating to your Find Me options, where you can restrict who can find you on PayPal. Just don't do it quite yet: Expect a Venmo update in November to make this option available.