Hi people
Just seeing if anyone has any thoughts about this new bank card and accounts that science bank offer.
But if a weird name for a bank or fintect company.
Reading though the different information they offer and different accounts am confused to why they are using science and technology on this bank
Thoughts appreciate
I doubt there are many people who are so interested in science that they’ll switch their bank to this. Seems like an incredibly niche market and will almost certainly fail within a short period.
That being said, I think the cards look quite nice.
A free Mastercard debit card, with founding member status
Explore research projects in the Science Card app
Founding members will get early access to Science Card, founding member discounts on Premium accounts, enhanced referral rewards, and an opportunity to input into our product development.
Coming Soon: All of our payments and financial features, in pounds sterling, euros and US dollars
Contribute to research projects through round-ups, direct grants and via Science Card’s 10% profit contribution
Coming Soon: earn a share of the project’s IP - with a potential payback if the IP is commercialised.
LAST SENTENCE EARN A SHARE OF THE PROJECTS IP AND PAYBACK OF THE IP IS COMMERCIALISED, NEVER HEARD A BANK DO OR OFFER THIS
Paging @ndrw for the card collection. It’s, to me anyway, beautiful. Or at least one to watch, not sure I would want to signup just yet……
Now, onto the proposition itself. Mixed feelings. I like the look and feel of the app but the whole thing looks very early days and a pipe dream.
Talking about things such as offering founder, current and business accounts when you’re, from the looks of it, not even FCA registered and don’t have a public available app to download. Lol.
Well they’re not a bank, yet. Nor an EMI. Sounds like we are at crowdfunding round status here so that’s what they’re saying but in different terms.
Just in case anyone’s thinking of investing there’s a 99% chance you won’t get any money back as with all things such as this. But you all knew this anyway.
I’m already on the list, and have been for some weeks. They’re only taking expressions of interest/waitlist sign ups. They can’t do much more without FCA authorisation
Many Thanks For your Replys
Am not savy in crowdfunding or banking registration or FCA approved so I appreciate your reply with this information.
Doesn’t all banks start out the same?
I signed up a while back and got a email from the company also.
I like the app if that is what it’s going to look like, The credit score seems so much better than monzos
But then the more I look at it the more confused I get…
Some more information on this science card and banking
I just signed up to the wait list too, quite funny that they ask if you’ll switch to them as your main bank considering they don’t even exist yet.
I agree it seems more aspirational. Payment cards (they don’t appear to be anywhere near being a bank) are pretty common these days.
“Science Card will also direct 10% of its profits to fund scientific R&D projects at leading UK universities,”
“Ultimately, Science Card estimates that it will attract more than two million customers by 2028 and generate scientific funding worth upwards of £100 million per year.”
So they’re going to make a billion profit from 2 million customers? Monzo has way more and has only just broken even…
If you read that as they’re going to rely on fees (~£5/mo/customer is doable) they’ll struggle to get to 2 million I’d think.
I’m sure there was already a thread for this card somewhere! Getting deja vu here, but I can’t find it.
I don’t believe all of the money donated to research comes solely from profit. That’s just a small part of it.
I think it includes things like a percent of the interchange, funding from round ups and one off payments from users.
Given how niche an idea it is, the folks who do use are going to really care about this stuff, and so will take the time to fund it. £100 million on 2 million customers seems a pretty reasonable ballpark with that in mind (£50 per customer per year). I question whether there is a market of that size for something like this though.
There is, on the other place
Yeah, as soon as I saw the title I knew it had been posted elsewhere, along with your interest in another card for your collection 
