Change PIN in app

Great idea but would have to increase security to log into app :slight_smile:

Definitely a good idea once a log in process is built in to the app

1 Like

As an option maybe…to be able to change at ATMs is good idea too

After suffering Revolut’s weirdness with in-app card PIN changes, I highly recommend just changing it at an ATM. Dealing with the state between changing it in the app and the new PIN being committed to the card is not something I would wish on any Mondo user. Especially if you are not in the UK or even Europe when you do it.

6 Likes

Can you explain :slight_smile:

The reason this is problematic is that your PIN is encoded into the chip in your card. The first thing a point-of-sale or ATM will do after you enter your card is ask for the PIN and check it against the PIN stored on the card.

If you changed your PIN in your app 5 minutes earlier, the new PIN you enter will not match the PIN on your card, and the terminal will decline the transaction.

Confusingly, the terminal will actually then connect via MasterCard to Mondo to inform us of the incorrect PIN entry. At this point, Mondo can send the new PIN back down to the card, where it’s encoded onto the chip. So if you try your new PIN again, it will now work.

Basically, users will always get one declined transaction after they change the PIN in their app. Not a great user experience. Changing the PIN at an ATM can immediately write the new PIN onto the card’s chip, avoiding this problem.

8 Likes

I’m also a Revolut user (I heard about Monzo on Revolut’s forums). Disappointed that I can’t change my PIN in the app. Never had any of the problems that have been raised here.

Sometimes it’s not convenient to change it at an ATM and some ATM’s (outside the UK probably) don’t offer that functionality.

I think that Monzo must at minimum, keep pace or overtake Revolut in functionality. Revolut now offers dedicated UK account numbers, which is the raison d’être of Monzo (ne cést pas?)

It’s interesting to hear that Revolut offer the option to change the PIN in the app. Obviously it’s not something that most users have to do often but I’m sure that would sometimes be helpful.

I don’t think you need to worry about this right now, I’ve explained why here.

I did read that post already, with obvious interest.

I’ll admit this is day one for my use of the card, but functionally, Revolut seems to offer more useful, end-user functions:

Show PIN / Change PIN
Disable card temporarily
Five levels of fraud control on the card
Spare cards
Send replacement card to you abroad
Real time exchange rates, confirmed when you enter your PIN

I came to Monzo because someone on their Community Forum suggested that they were getting a more competitive rate on FX transactions, but my one transaction does not agree with that.

Monzo does offer these features already.

As for the rest, since the FX rate advantage is marginal at best, I guess it comes down to which features would benefit you more - those or the unique features that Monzo offers?

If Revolut’s more useful for you at the moment that’s great. In which case, I’d recommend revisiting Monzo once the full banking license has been granted & the current accounts have launched, as that will enable them to offer a far wider range of products & features.

I will do a few more transactions and see what sort of rate I am getting.

But it was in investigating what Monzo was about, that I realised that Monzo is about building a new App based current account.

I’ve had an account with a state-owned bank for the last 30 years but would like an alternative which is more immediate in terms of usage.

So I’m not going anywhere and will await with interest the rollout of the current account later this year

3 Likes

I’m currently out of the country and tried to change my PIN at 3 different ATM networks.

The transaction was not allowed.

I don’t know how Revolut does it, but changing the PIN in the App worked seamlessly.

Frankly I’d be happy to live with a first failed transaction, than having no mechanism at all. You could always put up an information/warning window when the transaction is attempted.

Are you aware that ATM’s outside the UK are not able to change the PIN?

I’ve never thought about it tbh.

Out of interest what was it that made you need to change your PIN while travelling?

I’m assuming that you hadn’t received your card just before you left (AFAIK, the most common reason for changing your PIN) or forgotten it (as you can check your PIN in Revolut & Monzo’s app) so there must have been some other reason?

1 Like

Yes there are other reasons but they’re not germane to the problem.

The app doesn’t support pin change and you can’t change your PIN if you’re
outside the UK.

The point here is that Monzo is “fintech” and seeks to differentiate itself.

I am not sure, but if mainstream financial institutions allow you to
change your PIN outside of the UK , then there is a hole here that Monzo
needs to address , regardless of how frequent the occurrence.

And if not now, then to recognise it is a weakness for an institution
predicated on online .

My opinion on this is there’s hundreds of features that Monzo could be working on at the moment so I’d hope to see them working on the features that most users need, most of the time.

Monzo seems to be primarily designed as a replacement for user’s legacy bank account who do a bit of travelling, whereas Revolut seems to be made for travellers / immigrants & obviously the two groups will generally do more of one thing & less of another.

Just because another challenger (who isn’t even a direct competitor at this point IMHO) has a feature, doesn’t automatically mean that Monzo should build it. If they don’t build it, that doesn’t mean there’s a shortcoming / weakness on Monzo’s part either.

I think it’s a strength to spending your time working on what matters most, rather than chasing cars.

I doubt that Monzo worries about maintaining its reputation as a fintech either (a term most people don’t understand), as they will demonstrate their ability to innovate while building useful features. You don’t have to build every feature in order to be innovative or a fintech company.

3 Likes

You can’t reliably change the PIN on a card without the card being physically present/connected. Although you can still queue the change, it will only take effect the next time the card is used in a “supported” ATM.

This is why Monzo don’t offer the option - it would be too confusing and unreliable.

3 Likes

Awesome, didn’t know there was a way of sending info back to the card. I always thought it was one way only where the card signs some data but never gets anything back.

I would love to see this and it seems viable to do - Especially with COVID - one less thing to touch

I still think the immediate decline of the next transaction, or having to remember to use the old PIN at least once (or more for offline transactions) is going to be just too confusing for the customer base in general.

The support calls would be an issue - they always are, these days.

2 Likes