Hi. Can anyone tell how long does it take for the pin number to arrive?

Hi how long does it take for the pin number to arrive?

You set your pin during the sign up process for an account.

You can also view your pin in the app under “card details”

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This is certainly a gotcha of Monzo’s signing up process.

People who’re new to Monzo do not expect to be able to set up their card PIN as part of the signing up process. If creating a PIN is requested, they will think that’s the app PIN, not the card PIN. Unless the sign up process emphasises that enough.

It didn’t emphasise it enough for me, apparently.

Turn back time: I signed up and was pleasantly surprised to receive the card very quickly. But then, a wait for the PIN started – I mean for the PIN by post – which took inordinately long.

I was waiting in vain!

One day I decided enough was enough, and I set about to ordering a replacement. I found this could be seen in the app if I uploaded my photo ID again. I did, and I was somehow incredulous that the PIN displayed was a number quite familiar to me. I mean, what were the chances? But of course it was no coincidence.

So I went out and used the card in the shops. So far so good.

Till one day I wanted to send money with the app and it asked for my PIN
 But I didn’t know what my app PIN was! Or so I thought
 Till I realized the app was asking me for my card PIN, which now I knew.

And once again I experienced awkward. I thought, why would the app ask me for the card PIN? It doesn’t make sense. Nobody else’s does.

Well, nobody’s app but Monzo. Apparently that’s Monzo’s way.

In my view, this is wrong (just as it’s wrong that the app is actually unprotected – no app opening PIN, no nothing). But who am I to tell?

I now know how it works and I got used to it. To the point it no longer feels wrong. But it was very wrong while it lasted, and an inconvenience, and a waste of time. Minus one for that.

But, you authenticated to login. Your phone is also pin locked/biometric locked right? If you want another layer on top, you can able it in settings (and hide it from recent apps).

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You can switch on an optional biometric lock for the app if you want, as @alawrence says, so that part is easy as you can set things how you like.

The idea of Monzo using just one PIN as the card PIN and in-app authentication is supposed to make things easier by, hopefully, meaning the PIN is memorable to you. Again, though, you can change the app settings to ask for biometric authentication to confirm sensitive actions instead of card PIN.