lmfao wish I saw this/this thread before opening an account just to get the pink card
Well they finally reached back out today to say their “checks” are complete and the app can be used again. From proofs I sent in on the 23rd December.
Granted it was the Christmas holidays but until they get their support in order it’ll be a watch and see what happens.
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Well that’s true if it were an engineering request but I would’ve expected them to have a stronger operational presence. At least for me to use them for day to day spending at least.
I think the app and overall ethos is great but had that been blocked and I was unable to get it back I’d have been significantly out of pocket.
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Remember it’s in development. It’s a little unfair to judge Algbra the same as you would a regular bank.
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Finally closed after a couple of emails 
I’ve been thinking about this and I sort of agree, sort of don’t.
If this was an app, such as Emma, Lumio etc I could totally get on board with lower response times. Since they probably have other tasks on and development is expensive. Case in point is the folks at Lumio - I send a message, it takes a day or two for a response, but it’s always read and they are keen to take feedback/answer questions. I’m fine with that
But they are looking from what I can see to build an ethical movement where people bank with them, and contribute to causes at the same time. I love that. In that regard though, I don’t know how they’ll build trust if they keep blocking accounts at the slightest transfer and then take 2 weeks to resolve. I appreciate the Christmas closedown will slow all companies down.
All I am saying is I think it’s in their interests to be a little more proactive, if they want to build their customer base.
Google Pay? That wasn’t on the roadmap, wonder if that means Apple Pay is coming next?
Nice to see, a nice app and a good journey, I think there might be some good times ahead presuming they don’t go bust/get swallowed up of course.
Yes - it’s good to see this being launched now and I may consider switching now to using them as my ‘spending money’ account instead of Chase (I’ve been doing the sums and if I commit to all my spending money going to Chase I’ll still qualify for the cashback with them - but I tend to like to leave some money in with Monzo for any unexpected bills or card charges as well).
What I find unusual though for a bank app is generally how infrequently they actually update the app.
The other 'fin(ish*)-tech banks - Monzo, Starling, Revolut, Chase*, seem to update their app weekly whereas with Algbra there’s only been 5 updates (on iOS anyway) in the last 3 months, compared to 18 from Starling, 17 from Revolut, 12 from Monzo (weekly updates) and 9 with Chase.
Is that a sign that the Algbra app is rock solid with no bugs (unlikely) or just that they don’t have the tech team behind the app to keep on top of things like that and release updates quickly?
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I think (and it’s the reason I don’t use them currently) is that they are very early doors compared to the others and just don’t have the resource (yet) that others do. Also, if the app is stable and works, then there’s no major need for change.
The app is also likely a level of complexity lower in terms of features or support so probably doesn’t need the same fixes.
FWIW - I really like algbra and I can see them becoming my day to day spender at some point in the future. It’s simple, clean to use and does mostly what I would want from a bank. If they became a bank, and started connecting into tools such as lumio etc/had a better level of support then I’d be good.
Apple Pay worked perfectly for info to others
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1.5% cashback for using Apple/Google pay Upto £22.50pm
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How long did it take you all to open an account? The 1.5% has piqued my interested, considering switching to them from Chase for my daily spend.
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I’ve just applied for one, it says they’re double checking the details which will apparently will take 24 hours.
I’m going to assume it’ll be a tad longer due to the bank holiday weekend.
Edit:
Approved. When transferring money into the account I noticed the sort code was recognised as Modulr FS Ltd.
Then I googled it and noticed Revolut seem to use them also, is this why the UI is so similar to the Revolut app?
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They provide the API for Faster Payments
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Only on the ApplePay/ GooglePay (?? No idea what it’s called).
If you use the card itself it’s 1%
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There’s probably more as the TfL one isn’t on here but these are all the ones I’ve seen on my transactions.
As I’ve had my Algbra account since last summer, I can’t check myself - so does anyone know if it’s possible to open an account with them now without having a bank card? With virtual card and Apple Pay/Google Wallet you should be able to operate the account completely without the physical plastic card (and that would then also work well with their sustainability focus).
That could also explain why you get higher cashback with Apple/Google pay - encourage people to use that instead of having a card.
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