This feature has existed on the web for years and still remains US only. 
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Yes, it’s just made it to Android (for US users) today though.
The support page seems to have instructions for UK users though - for web use?
Hmm, you’re right. I can get the feature to appear on the Gmail web interface but it doesn’t appear to actually function on any of my Google or G Suite accounts. It also declares my saved Monzo card as invalid. 
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So Atom are making loads of headlines by having a saving account which has a better overall rate than the average ISA. Realise that long term the money isn’t tax protected.
Question I have, how do you guys think they’re doing that, is it simply by using their investors investments to fulfill the interest?
IIRC Tandem’s CEO mentioned that they are doing this too, in this podcast. But my guess is that this is a loss leader to attract new users & I doubt it’s sustainable.
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Despite the fact that their current accounts haven’t launched for the public yet, Starling have just announced that they’re partnering with TransferWise.
https://twitter.com/StarlingBank/status/841961337458696192
There’s more details in this blog post.
And some key points from this Wired story in the partnership -
The service will enable customers to make transfers from the UK across the 35 currencies available in the TransferWise app, including the euro, US dollars, Indian rupees and Australian dollars.
Starling Bank customers will benefit from foreign currency payments at the real exchange rate with only “a small upfront fee”. We are awaiting confirmation from TransferWise regarding how small this will be.
Tom’s mentioned that the current accounts will launch with an integration to international money transfers so my guess is, that they will be Monzo’s provider too…
TransferWise also provide this service to N26 in Germany.
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Atom are really offering savings bonds rather than savings accounts, they are not instant access, your money is tied up for the duration of the bond. Other banks such as Fidor have been offering similar rates, which just goes to show how the high street banks are really ripping us off.
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Even if that is the case, the best savings bonds (according to Money Supermarket) are all paying less than 2.2% interest so it looks like there’s more to this than that…
Atom just sent an email today saying “Because we’ve had lots of savings customers join us over the past few weeks, we’re now reducing our rates for a while to ensure we’re taking a balanced approach to managing our business.”
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^ If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?
Personally think they’ve already lost to Monzo because they took the approach of product first then customers later whereas monzo have built both together.
It’s like taking off 10secs late in the 100m sprint because you wanted to do some good stretches. 
It depends. If their full product has really amazing features than thry might outrun :mondo: But then even with legacy banks there is not that one bank that everyone goes to.
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It’s far too early to call who will end up with the most users. Tom’s said that Monzo needs at least 1m users to be considered significant in the UK market.
I expect Starling launching the current accounts to the public first will generate quite a lot of press but obviously it’s going to take them a while to catch up now.
Here’s a glowy screenshot of what looks like the home page of their app &…they’re displaying your daily transactions in a pie chart 
https://www.starlingbank.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/homescreen01.mp4
I guess this was designed to look futuristic. I wonder what it’s like in bright light / for accessibility 
Also, it looks like there’s lots of options in their menus -
I really like that pie chart tbh. I’ve been thinking of building an app with pie chart spending breakdowns.
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They’re great in theory but you tend to run into issues when there’s lots of data points or dis-proportionally large segments.
Here’s what happens in practice -
https://community.monzo.com/t/monzo-desktop-app-quids/7057/22?u=alexs
& here’s Hugo’s comments on the challenges with them -
https://community.monzo.com/t/where-are-the-doughnuts/5904/2?u=alexs
Looks like a smart central heating control app, not what I expect to see when I login to check my finances.
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I thought I’d share some of the background behind the details in this story -
the “Starling Pulse,” a real-time feed that displays all your account activity.
I wonder where they got that name from 
“We decided to go straight to build the full current account rather than go on a side trip to build a pre-paid card first,” Starling Bank founder Anne Boden told me in a call yesterday
Given that Starling had a head start (most of the original Monzo team left Starling to start Monzo) & Monzo’s due to launch the current accounts within the next couple of months, developing the pre-paid functionality doesn’t seem to have slowed Monzo down.
It has enabled Monzo to attract more than 10x as many users, who’re engaged & have provided lots of feature suggestions for Monzo to build…
Also, I think that one of the great things about the Monzo team is they don’t make these kinds of comments about the other challenger banks. It sounds a bit defensive.
“Plus lots more things we can do because we built our technology ourselves.”
As Anne knows, 95% of Monzo’s software is built on in house & they’ll be dropping GPS (reportedly their processor) & Wirecard, when they launch the current accounts later this year so it’s almost impossible that Starling’s ahead in this area.
Also -
[You’re] asked to provide a 6-10 digit passcode [to secure the app]
Android beta to follow at the end of the month
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Some interesting investment news on other fin tech world wide
http://paybefore.com/finance-and-strategy/investment-roundup-fintech-financing-heats-up/
I can see the points there, the main one being your rent / mortgage taking up too much space. I think the solution to that is to allow people to switch on / off each category, that way you can compare only your disposable spending, or only your travel related stuff etc.
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Sounds good, I hope you prove me wrong with your app 