ATM pre-selected withdraw amounts

I’ve been starting to use my Monzo account more often and it’s now officially has replaced my other account. I pay with my card for most things and it is very rare that I have to use a cash machine (ATM) and withdraw the paperstuff.

But when I do, I find the cash withdraw options strange, I’m used to always seeing amount selections beginning from £10 thought to £20 £40 etc etc,

When I use my card it comes in blocks of £50s, even with £500 as an option, I never even knew you could withdraw £500 from an ATM.

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Strange, I use a note machine ATM sometimes and it’s standard £10 onwards

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I’ve only ever really had to withdraw under £40 most times, so I have to go to other.

Not a problem, just found it amusing :slight_smile:

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Also, just out of interest, I popped in my TSB account card and the options began from £10.

Oh well. Bang goes my theory about the machine only thinking it had £50 notes.

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…and the theory of me living in a rich neighbourhood! :slight_smile:

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Does it also give you a language selection prompt?

Could be it’s thinking your card is foreign and offers you higher amounts as it’s expecting foreigners to withdraw a large amount once to avoid being hit by foreign ATM fees (which are per-withdrawal on some legacy banks).

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No I do not believe it did, I am going to use the machine later, I will take note.

I wonder if it’s a subtle way Monzo are trying to reduce the amount of cash withdrawals?
For example one withdrawal of £50 instead of five withdrawals of £10?

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Reminds me of when I used to bank with Nationwide. Using their machines prompted, “Would you like your usual £20?”

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I used a high street bank ATM recently and it gave me options starting at £5 so I guess it’s just how the ATM is set up?

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I used an ATM with my Monzo and then my Clydesdale card and they came out different. Monzo came out as per the picture and Clydesdale started with the usual tenner and up.

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Even weirder as it was a Clydesdale I used and it was from £5!

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I withdrew £100 instead of £10 at same ATM
Barclays allows £500
image

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My guess is it offers larger amounts to Mastercard holders than to LINK cardholders.

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Maybe just an oversight. They changed the defaults for LINK cards but never bothered to test the behaviour for other cards.

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Used the machine tonight. No language prompt.

Mine does the same, I don’t know why, it’s quite strange. I rarely take out cash so it’s not even like I’m always withdrawing £100s…

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When I was with Santander, they had “smart” cash machines that adjusted the menu based on usage. So if you always checked your balance and withdrew £20 those options were more prominent.

I assume that this can only be done by the firm that owns the machine and not by the card issuer?

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Yes, this is the behaviour with many non-bank ATMs (e.g. Note Machine, etc.). If you use a card that’s part of the LINK network it offers £10, £20, £30, etc. (or sometimes starts at £5). If you use a card that’s not part of LINK and so is using Mastercard, it offers £50, £100, £150, £200, etc. In my experience, bank-branded ATMs don’t do this, they offer the lower amounts even when not using LINK. It’s been this way since the very beginning of Monzo, and doesn’t seem to have changed once the language selection messages were removed.

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