Rika,
My compliments, brilliant answers with clarity, acknowledging the issue, the failings and setting realistic expectations for a solution.
Thank you
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I actually think Monzo are missing some of the more obvious solutions to this stuff. It’s great that they’ve finally implemented 3D Secure but they seem to have now got a bit carried away with assuming that just because they always CAN 3D Secure that they SHOULD.
Some ideas that would make things easier:
- Auto-approve if the device is recognised as being the user’s (IP/device fingerprint)
- Auto-approve if transaction is one the user makes regularly
- Auto-approve if the transaction is at very low risk of fraud (based on machine learning and various factors)
- Auto-approve if the transaction is below a certain amount
- Allow the user to tick a box to automatically whitelist approval for this merchant in the future
- Allow the use of a backup PIN in case you’re somewhere with zero connectivity
I’m not saying all of the above are good ideas or even viable but you’d expect that the Monzo solution to 3D Secure would be to try and be smart enough that you wouldn’t need to use it 95% of the time. If you’re using a device that Monzo knows is yours to make a payment Monzo knows you make every month to pay off what Monzo knows is your credit card then it simply shouldn’t prompt in the first place.
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As ever, this is a first iteration.
Some of these things have already been acknowledged to be on the development roadmap for the feature.
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Rika has already hinted at the possibility for the verification to be skipped but only once they have more data and are sure it’s you.
https://community.monzo.com/t/labs-feedback-3ds/44495/181?u=jackcrwhitney
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Yup. I can’t discuss any of the specific rules but this kind of thing is in progress.
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Got to agree the visual design of the 3DS frame is a LoT better than most (although amex do a good one).
I paid two credit card bills today - Amex and Aqua. Both on my Mac desktop browser. Both defaulted to SMS. Doe Monzo not have access to the UserAgent header? If so could they not distinguish between phone and desktop sessions to further refine the cases where SMS is used?
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We do but didn’t quite have the time to implement anything that fancy between all of the other fixes we’ve deployed this week. One to look at over the next few weeks I think. 
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Would an option not be to offer a code via push notification (so like SMS, but delivered over the Internet)?
People clearly have an internet connection if they’re making the purchase, they just lack a phone signal. I also wonder if those having issue have phones with support for WiFi Calling, as this permits SMS delivery too. Long term I think more home signal type boxes are going to have to be offered to people (by the networks) to fill the gap.
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I’ve got to agree with Jack on this one, I’ve never used any of my credit card providers apps to make payments as it’s always be relatively painful, no matter what bank it is!
Setting up your credit card as a payee is a lot easier in my opinion. I have a Lloyds card at the mo and all the details are in the Monzo app, it’s as easy as paying my mate for my share of dinner or whatever. Lloyds receives the payments within seconds making the funds available again. It then usually appears on the statement overnight.
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First of all, I want to say I’m not trying to dismiss your main point, which is that the experience has got worse for you. And I’ve very glad you’ve posted your feedback, as it’s been good to hear what Rika’s said about future plans, and I think very useful for Monzo to see where the issues are with any new feature.
My one comment is that if you are now having to resort to a bank transfer, wouldn’t it be simpler for you to transfer directly to your credit card provider and cut out the subsequent step of paying by card in the app? I understand that your preference is to pay with your Monzo card in the app, but given you can’t do that, why not transfer directly to the credit card from the Monzo app?
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I have to use SMS option to pay my Tesco credit card…
And I think a small error there… I added my Monzo card to Tesco Pay+ so they charged £2 for that. But SMS message shows authorisation for £0?
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Could be they’re putting the initial card check (so 0£) begins 3DS, and then taking the 2£ (or whatever) as a separate transaction without 3DS.
Crazy I know, but that’s legacy rust for you. No idea why they even bother trying the 2£ - why care that the card has money on? Worst case scenario you just decline it at the till if the card is empty.
You are 100% correct I could do that.
However think about it form the customer experience.
I open the Tesco app, check my transactions and balance and take the pay a bill option.
I choose my saved Monzo card, make payment and all goes through. I get the familiar “ching” on my monzo app and a pop up. Tesco App makes the inbound payment as pending.
I am happy, I’ve opened one app on my phone and done everything and can see it’s all gone through.
Under the issues I have experienced this month suggestion is.
I open tesco app, check my transactions, check the balance and remember it. Close tesco app, open Monzo app, choose to make a payment to tesco (assume it’s been set up already). Make the payment. I can see the money has left my Monzo account. No point checking the Tesco app for pending inbound payment as they know nothing about it yet.
I’m am still happy, I can see the payment has gone, but I have had to open 2 apps, I have surety the payment has left Monzo, but nothing in Tesco yet. I know it will get there but from a customer experience (yes I am being picky I know) My experience from last month has degraded, It has doubled the number of apps I have to open and I have one less visible confirmation. Small things I know, but nonetheless from a customer experience perspective it has worsened.
I
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I get that your experience is worse, I’m not trying to argue that. Just suggesting that given the situation, if you cut out the Barclays step it’s at least two apps instead of three.
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Or if I didn’t transfer the money from Barclays to Monzo in the first place then I just open the Tesco app and pay direct from Barclays via the Tesco App.
Your suggestion works perfectly if I have my salary paid to Monzo, I don’t. Additionally if I wire the money from Monzo, I see it leaving Monzo, but nada in Tesco until the funds clear.
If I pay in the Tesco app, then I see an inbound pending payment in the Tesco app and in about 5 minutes I see a pending debit in Barclays. From A customer perspective I have two affirmations of the transaction. Still preferential for me as a pedantic customer.
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I used 3DS for the first time today. Not a great experience.
I authorised one payment, which was declined by the website, so I used PayPal instead.
Two payments turned up on my Monzo account, but there’s only one Monzo payment in my account with the vendor.
COps are looking into it now.
I do try to persevere with Monzo, but it’s hard frustrating work at times.
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I’m not bothered by the issues around other apps cancelling a transaction for leaving the app, that’s just poor design on their part and something those companies need to fix.
Having to do 5 (five) actions to approve the transaction though is an absolute pain.
I’ve had the fortune… of using it recently and had to pull down the notification, click the notification, authenticate to the app, press the entry in the app, and press the authorisation button.
At the very least surely clicking the notification should take you straight to the entry (after app authentication)? It just seems to forget why you went into the app and dumps you on the main app page.
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Surely on android we can get actions on the notifications like SMS or calendar events have? Notifications support up to 3 actions so maybe just throwing a confirm alert if Monzo don’t want to authorize only from the notification?
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It’s the same on iOS. Be good to get actions on notifications and it’s been requested often
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Will the text option always exist? It’s so much easier that the app when paying on your mobile. Especially now that iOS can automatically enter a code just received in a text. I don’t even have to open messages, I just press the suggestion and it enters the code without leaving the page or app.
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