Card Return Alert

I’ve recently left my card in a ATM when making a withdraw overseas. It seems that most foreign ATM’s return the card after the money, as where in the UK it’s card first, and this is usually after manually requesting return the card. I’m sure i’m not the first (or last) that has simply walked away from the ATM once the cash has been dispensed. I’m wondering if it would be possible to have a user switchable alert system so that when using ATM’s overseas the Monzo app issues a sort of buzz/alarm after the withdraw notification to remind you to collect your card? You could then silence the alarm/buzz by clicking on your phone. Would this be useful?

Oli

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Did exactly that when I was travelling - left my card in an ATM. The habit of taking the card first meant my brain didn’t register I hadn’t removed my it. Had to do without that card for the next 6 weeks!

I’m paranoid and wait by the ATM for it to reset to the main screen even if I’m 100% sure I’ve got everything. It gets annoying.

How would a card-return alert work? Would it just prompt you on every transaction?

Edit: Didn’t fully read the OP. I think it’s a good idea to make this optional if it’s added.

If this is the case, I don’t personally see the point myself. I would personally end up just ignoring like many expected Monzo notifications, defeating the intended purpose of this notification and just making it annoying.

Well, I think the idea was to enable it only when visiting countries that have different ATM order. If you set it to be loud car honk, then Monzo would play usual ka-ching (seriously, when are we changing it?), then car honk after few seconds. I guess it would be set for ATM withdrawals only, so limiting the chance to get used to it. By default, it wouldn’t be enabled when in UK, unless someone really wants to. :slight_smile:

I can see how it would be helpful. Making sure I don’t loose my card while travelling is very, very important, I can survive with double heart attack (ka-ching + car honk).

It’s a good idea but it’s a bit like the tail wagging the dog.

If people are so forgetful that they walk off without getting their card back, then they might walk away and leave their phone as well. Then what? A alert to alert them that they have left their phone then another alert to alert them that they have left their card in the ATM?

This is half said in jest.

Honestly you can’t code for silly human behaviour. (I am as silly as everyone else but it is what it is.)

As some one that has himself left cards behind at ATMs and shops, and in one occasion even cash behind at an ATM, I’m not at all dissing the idea. I’m only questioning the actual effectiveness of it.

The main reason (and specifically why I commented/quoted awn) is that if this was to be a standard notification then it will surely loose its effectiveness. Fire alarms are tested so often at my place of work, that whenever it sounds, it takes us a while to figure out whether test or real. I often ignore monzo notifications as I go along through the purchase as I know exactly what the notification will say. I often just let it buzz in my pocket and inspect later when I’ve some time. Monzo notifications are great for when unexpected or if you want to verify what you’ve been charged there and then. If these warning notifications become part of the ritual and they are that second notification I ignore whilst still forgetting the card, what is the point? To me it just feels like extra noise/annoyance.

If monzo could inject this notification in the ATM process (I think unlikely) and warn you only when you actually forget one of these, then I feel that would actually be helpful.

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I think :monzo: should lobby ATM operators world-wide to follow UK design practice of giving the card back before the cash. Or maybe this should be the top priority for whoever ends up being the Foreign Secretary. :smiley:

Seriously, though, I’ve never understood why other countries don’t follow UK practice. It makes so much sense, just good user interaction design.

Personally I prefer to get my cash back before my card as I can safely put my cash away first then easily pocket my card as I start walking away.

Getting card first you are still putting your card away while the cash is comming out of the machine so you feel rushed to get the cash and with other people waiting behind you wanting to use the machine you are walking away with a wad of cash in your hand feeling vunerable while you try and put it away.

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Surely the optimal solution is to stop using ATMs where possible?

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I wish all retailers had to use cards even for small amounts then we would not be forced to use cash.

It would also stop certain industries like hairdressers from fiddling their tax through underdeclaring earnings, if every sale was forced to go thru their bank.

17 posts were merged into an existing topic: Minimum Card Payment Charges