Yeah I had to ask that question as somebody else said the very same thing on a topic on here and my first thought was huh? Lucky this time I now have the chance to ask.
P.S. So non embossed cards can cost as low as £5.00 embossed cards can be as expensive as £40.00. Wow. What’s in a name…Quite a lot of money apparently!
Your company issued cheap cards then, or the banks I worked with abroad were being ripped off, as they claimed various costs between €35 and £40 for producing an embossed card and mailing it to a customer
These weren’t embossed cards & they were more Monzo quality cards, rather than bank quality cards so yes that would have been a factor.
Indeed but the things the Monzo card is missing is the embossed name tag, sort code and account number. Now with regards to Monzo I don’t think even when they turn into a bank that they will change their card manufacturer. So the card quality will remain the same (for better or worse.)
you must also consider the servicing costs of having and operating the card for the customer added on to the actual unit cost of a card
edit this Leon - " it costs Monzo something like £40 a card to send out "
Operating the card that’s a longer term cost. So that can’t be used as a reason to why this £40.00 figure gets thrown around. First time I heard that figure was from yourself BTW. 
It seems pretty self-evident that students are an important demographic for Monzo from posts like this and others:
https://community.monzo.com/t/about-the-students-category/4103
So the next question is, will students’ decisions and actions be affected by the £100 minimum topup?
Surveys can help to provide a definitive answer but my hunch is yes.
Re. perks for students being unfair - NUS discounts are commonplace and UNiDAYs already works with over 500 brands in twelve countries to provide discounts for eight million students.
Are age based discounts similarly unfair? Take two private members clubs in London…
Home House
Soho House
“It’s not personal, Sonny. It’s strictly business.” - Michael Corleone (The Godfather (1972))
Edit what? I am confused, please elaborate on what you want me to edit and why. Thanks.
I was agreeing with your statement “First time I heard that figure was from yourself BTW” and edited my post to show you what I said
perhaps I should have put a question mark at the end - Edit - this Leon ? ?
maybe my typing, grammar, punctuation aint that good, sorry
Don’t worry about it I just did not understand what you meant now I understand.
Ahhhh Uni, I have never since had as much disposable income.
It’s pretty standard to put in £100 when setting up any bank account…
I’d suggest not lowering the rate just a moral standpoint, let’s not forget that this is a beta; therefore there is a certain degree of risk. If your student friend can’t transfer £100 (which he/she will still have access to anyway). Should that person really be taking the risk on a start-up bank?
Some thoughts as a 2nd year undergrad student:
Not all students are as financially well aware of their options and consequences of their actions. Myself included when I was that young and I admire you for that. We come from an age where we’re likely not to be taught the value of money, although it is being debated across the country that secondary schools should teach financial awareness as part of the curriculum.
at secondary school it is too late, we were taught it early in middle school
Maybe because an overdraft is often easier to get then a credit card, as your bank can easily see what’s coming in and going out and give you an overdraft to suit. Borrowing money, now are your talking about physical cash or credit card purchases? If cash then you have chosen the most expensive way ever (perhaps other then a payday loan) to load yourself with debt. I would assume it’s purchases well if so then kudos to you. Most people are not that disciplined.
There’s no overdraft on Monzo as far as I’m aware… But you can just top your Monzo account up from your overdrawn student account 
I find monzo makes managing spending as a student a fair bit easier, particularly with instant contact less and budgeting features
Not entirely true, most people aren’t aware of Halifax’s Clarity credit card (they don’t seem to advertise it much), but you can use it to withdraw cash interest free. It needs to be paid back within the first month though because they charge interest on the balance from the first month instead, which is where most students would fall short.
You are very right in saying overdrafts are easier to get accepted for though.
I understand what you are saying. However that is a fairly unique usage
case as most people would come under what I have said previously. In any
case I have learned something new today (a credit card that does not charge
for cash advances) so thanks for that.
Well it depends on what credit card you get. There are some that allow you to withdraw cash from an ATM without paying any fees. I’m not going to say which card otherwise I’ll be accused of advertising.
