Hi, first off amazing work on monzo! really amazing service and will happily migrate over from hsbc in a couple of months.
I was frankly a bit dissappointed by the construction of the card you sent me though, you can see how it’s laminated when you look at the sides, or the chip and overall it doesn’t look like it’s the same level of build quality as my hsbc card or even the card i got from revoult.
I’m just saying this as the card is the part of your company which your customers see every day so how it looks and feels really matters especially when you start to get more competition from the other startup banks. I’m sure it’s not a massive change in cost as a one off but it does matter.
Overall though thanks for such a great product and really looking forward to the new budgeting features when they arrive on android!
But the current cards are prepaid for our Beta programme so won’t last long as due to be replaced by a regular debit card when current accounts launched
In my experience, Monzo’s cards may not be the ultimate in build quality compared to other new cards but nearing one year on, my Alpha card still looks fairly good while cards that have had less use and are of a similar or younger age from other issuers are peeling, splitting or scraping in some way.
All of the current Alpha/Beta cards are likely to be replaced by full current account cards seemingly within a year anyway.
ok that’s fair enough, it’s just i work in ux and so thought it was the one thing that was letting you down. New banks are all about image/trust, and i dont want new users who haven’t followed you or know about the regulatory hoops you have to jump through to get a bad initial impression from the cards…
Overall though great product/app
This is something I’m a little confuddled by. I do expect HSBC to have good quality cards. I’m a First Direct (owned by HSBC) customer myself and within a few weeks of receiving it the plastic film began peeling from the face of it, whereas my Monzo card is still pristine after months of use.
I do agree in some respects though, when looking at it edge on or comparing the looks of the chip against other cards, it could be better. As @anon44204028 says though - that’ll all change with the launch of the full bank, which is expected early next year.
I’ve had a different experience I’ve had it since April and use it extremely heavily and it’s held up very well especially considering it’s pre paid for low volume. Still looks the part.
I’d rather have a ‘cheap looking’ card like with Metrobank or Monzo if it means I can have a replacement same day (Metro) or next possible (Monzo) then wait 7-14 days with the bigger banks.
The delay might just be procedures etc but still I’d rather speed over quality.
Just throwing it out there as a possibility for future cards once Monzo launches the full bank and escape the beta phase. What are chances that Monzo might produce a metal card, similar to that shown in the video below as discovered by @JamesBell ? Having a hot coral, metal debit card would get more attention.
Also, as seen in that video, I think it might be nice to dispatch a welcome pack with a nice book. There’s just something to be said for the smell and the feel of high quality paper with your brand being presented to a high standard.
I’m thinking it would cause more delays in dispatching the card to the account holder. The speed of which so far has been a positive and something of a great little talking point when receiving feedback. If that’s the case maybe don’t bother, otherwise it might be worth a little consideration.
This would be really nice to have but it does seem more realistic for a luxury product (which is how the Chase card is positioned & priced)…Obviously the Monzo card isn’t a luxury product - the magic is in the app - so given the cost implication, I wouldn’t expect it.
@alexs@hugo yeah but to be honest the cost difference between a low quality card(or one that looks like one) and what looks like a high quality card, is likely a matter or pence or maybe £1-2/card.
Considering that £1-2 investment will act as a constant advert for what your company stands for, it’s both the cheapest and most effective marketing you’ll ever get. Also this is a crucial phase when you need to define your companies brand to new customers. I dont know what the estimated customer life time value is but i’m sure it can absorb that cost.
Also with a really good card you can encourage referals, when i’ve been asked at least 6-8 times about my revolut card when i was still using it, (although maybe dont make one that flashy), but just one customers want to show people like @beningreenjam 's idea or something else.
I’ve had mine since April, I actually ended up with an alpha card despite joining in very early beta… While the chip still reads fine on my card at the moment, all around the edge of the card the laminate is peeling so I’m beginning to wonder if I should try and get a new one issued before my potentially future rare “Mondo Alpha” card gets completely ruined…
