Custom usernames to make transactions anonymous

Payments are made to your monzo account using a URL that contains your full name (monzo.me/forenamemiddlenamesurname). Since the URL is not encrypted, this feels insecure as some of your personal details are being sent out in the clear (your name in this case). This is even worse if you have a very unusual name. Can we not choose usernames to use in the URL instead, which can be more anonymous?

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Since the URL is not encrypted

Monzo Me uses HTTPS so it is encrypted. :+1:t2:

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IIRC you can choose your monzo.me address, and it doesnā€™t have to be your name, although thatā€™s preferable for the sake of clarity. You could change it to be monzo.me/squif if you wanted, you just have to contact monzo.

With the example of John Smith, of which there may be many, thereā€™s only so many variations before you have to chuck in extra numbers and letters to make the address unique. If monzo.me/johnsmith321 is allowable, then anything should/could be.

It has to be your name. Though you can have your preferred name and omit your middle name should the COps allow it. Ultimately, you just have to ask and see what they say.

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I think weā€™re currently only on versions of our full name, e.g you can shorten first names, drop middle names etc.

I have already removed my middle names and could probably get away with changing michael to mike if i wanted to

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Donā€™t you see the name on the page regardless?

I think Andreā€™s covered this :+1:

In case youā€™re interested though, there is a new service called Curl thatā€™s due to launch itā€™s beta pretty soon which lets you pick any username that you want. Whether it can gain traction & reach enough scale to be useful is the big question of course. But in case it does..you can reserve your username here :point_left: thatā€™s not a referral link btw :wink:

Also, RichardRā€™s shared some details on how much you can customise your Monzo.me username here.

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I just reserved FartyPants :man_dancing:

Does seem a bit arbitrary how itā€™s being administered. Was told I can remove my two middle names, even though my fist and last name is my preferred option. Needs to be my full legal name :man_shrugging:t2: