Americans who want to do their part to pay down the growing national debt can now do so directly from their phone. The Treasury Department is now accepting “gifts” through the popular payment services PayPal and Venmo that will go directly to reducing the public debt.
Financial gifts can also be made through a bank account or credit/debit card payment issued to the Treasury.
The voluntary contributions are managed by the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, which is part of the Treasury. The donations can be made through the government website Pay.gov, which also processes other payments involving the government. Those wishing to contribute to reducing the national debt can search the phrase “Gifts to Reduce the Public Debt.”
From there, users must enter their gift amount, name, address, phone number, and email address. Users then select which payment service they wish to use to make the donation, which now includes PayPal and Venmo options. Once the proper account is linked, users are able to make their donation.
Despite these new payment options, voluntary contributions are unlikely to make a significant impact on the national debt. As of July 2025, the Treasury estimates the national debt to be $36.7 trillion. Data on the Treasury website shows that last year, contributions to reduce the debt were less than $2.8 million.
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