AMEX + Monzo Bills Pot + IFTTT = Closed Loop! 🙌

[simonb]

Saw this on Twitter, and this is really smart.

Richard Lartey (giloi)

Check the thread replies on Twitter for how to set it up. Really cool!

[RichardL (Rich)]

[Justin]

Thank you for sharing, @simonb . This is exactly what I’ve been looking for to regain the control I lost when I stopped using my Monzo card for everything because I wanted to earn Avios on my Amex card.

Will investigate - looks quite complicated to set up.

[Justin]

If anyone is able to share detailed steps on how to set this up on iOS, I’d be very grateful!

[j06 (Jamie)]

I don’t think it’s possible on iOS, because Apple doesn’t allow apps to read other apps’ notifications.

[Justin]

That’s what I figured. Still hopeful there may be a way. Else would have to consider setting it up on an Android phone, and just leaving it plugged in somewhere to manage this. I assume that might work?

[davidwalton (Award Winning Hot Coral Analyst)]

Aargh, another shining example of finance automation that I can’t use because IFTTT integration isn’t available with Joint Accounts

[WillP79]

This is nicely done, but of course it completely negates the “credit” of the credit card. You still get the S75 and the rewards, but you have to have the money upfront, which is a very expensive way of doing it.

[Justin]

For me, credit cards are all about the rewards. The credit benefit of the credit card actually leads to a reduction in my control over my spending - which is why this would be so great. I did actually ask @kieranmch last week whether this might be feasible, and I liked his reply.

@kieranmch

I’d ideally like to use a combination of Open Banking and IFTT so that every time I spend using my Amex card (and thus accumulate Avios), Monzo detects this, and the same amount is immediately paid from my Monzo account to my Amex account, I therefore never accumulate any debt on my Amex card

I can see us implementing something like this as a native feature in Monzo, but not through IFTTT as they aren’t a payment initiation service provider

[M1cky (Micky)]

How could it be more expensive?

[Zain]

Not really. Spending on an Amex gives me rewards along with a ~50 day extension on keeping the money I spend. Keeping the credit card spend ring fenced in my account allows me to earn 50 days of 1.5% interest and I don’t pay any credit card interest.

This is cheaper, not more expensive.

[WillP79]

@M1cky

How could it be more expensive?

@Zain

Spending on an Amex gives me rewards along with a ~50 day extension on keeping the money I spend. Keeping the credit card spend ring fenced in my account allows me to earn 50 days of 1.5% interest and I don’t pay any credit card interest.

This means you have to have the money upfront. I use the credit card to push the cashflow into the following pay period. This means you are not having to hold money you don’t need to (1.5% would barely cover inflation, if at all). I don’t keep any money in my current account at all (after bills), so to follow this strategy, I would have to pay off my next credit card bill AND keep enough for the next one. Of course, if you’ve always done it, you won’t notice, but if you switch to my method, you are effectively getting one month free, because you can pay off the balance from month 1, and then spend what you would have spent in month 2 as an extra, knowing that you wont be billed until after the following pay cheque. Of course, it requires a steady income, and the funds to pay off the last month, should you lose your income without compensation. It’s not for everyone, but holding money in a current account is generally more expensive, especially with the time value of money, which is not just about inflation.

[M1cky (Micky)]

I think there are a lot of people that use the method you are describing. I switch from that method when I wanted more control of spending though. No problem with either method, comes down to the individual but calling it expensive is plain wrong

[j06 (Jamie)]

@WillP79

if you switch to my method, you are effectively getting one month free

Of course, you pay back that ‘one month free’ at the end of the credit card’s life, as you’re still billed one month after your very last spending. You don’t get anything ‘for free’, you just shift the cycle back one month.

And, of course, what most people forget is that you only get interest–free credit if you pay off the entire balance every month. Make a mistake and not only do you pay interest on purchases on the statement, but also on every purchase, as soon as you make them, until you pay the bill in full for two consecutive months.

[BritishLibrary]

Darn, suckered in by this topic - obviously android only :’(

Hopefully someone cleverer than me knows how to do it on iOS.

[HoddzDJ]

@WillP79

but you have to have the money upfront

Maybe. But it may be possible to do something clever here. Add up all transactions, then on pay day move that amount into your pot to pay the bill.

[WillP79]

I thought that, but why use the pot? Just pay the bill!

[WillP79]

@M1cky

calling it expensive is plain wrong

Not if you consider the time value of money, which you need to

[adam.ash]

@RichardL

Ah, you’re on here too. I posted your instructions on another thread. I’m the guy you were talking to on iOS who is using Todoist to try achieve similar.

@Justin

If anyone is able to share detailed steps on how to set this up on iOS, I’d be very grateful!

You can’t do this on iOS unfortunately. I’ve tried various methods with Siri Shortcuts etc. but nothing as automated as the Android solution.

At the moment I’m using Todoist to fire this, but of course I could just launch Monzo and move the money manually in a similar amount of time.

[WillP79]

@j06

Of course, you pay back that ‘one month free’ at the end of the credit card’s life, as you’re still billed one month after your very last spending. You don’t get anything ‘for free’, you just shift the cycle back one month.

Absolutely - it’s just more efficient use of working capital, which makes it cheaper.

@j06

And, of course, what most people forget is that you only get interest–free credit if you pay off the entire balance every month. Make a mistake and not only do you pay interest on purchases on the statement, but also on every purchase, as soon as you make them , until you pay the bill in full for two consecutive months.

Yes - that’s always true, regardless.