So, excited to receive my new debit card, but it turned up in my maiden name, even though I had updated all my details to my new name and address with Monzo prepaid a few days earlier. They need photo ID of my new name, they say, which I don’t have yet, and having supplied every other official proof of my new name, my professional title, and address to Monzo, plus video ID, and had this accepted as my legal name by Monzo, it seems unnecessary. I’ve had a furious exchange over chat, but Monzo wont budge. So now I have a prepaid account in my married name, but my maiden name is displayed on the prepaid app and I have a current account in the maiden name which I no longer use. Also having legally changed my name, I now can’t now prove that I am the person named on my debit card. No one of that name lives at my address. Monzo’s policy documentation on identity and name changes is poor or misleading. No-one said I’d have to provide photo ID in my married name for the bank account, especially as Monzo were quite happy to approve my legal name change on the prepaid card and they have used my prepaid account information to offer the bank account. The documents I’ve supplied prove my married name and where I live, and there is no requirement in the UK to have photo ID anyway. Monzo needs to tighten this up significantly. I wish Monzo well, but this isn’t a ‘hiccup’ in the new bank account, it’s a disorganised security policy and one customer with two profiles is a recipe for trouble in any system. It’s already started - having changed my email address on the prepaid account and had this accepted by Monzo prepaid, Monzo Bank tried to claim I couldn’t use it as there was ‘another customer’ already using it. Long rant, but really, I am not the first person to ever change their name.
I ran into similar problems when trying to get a current account as i don’t have any photo ID at all.
I spoke to customer support and they’re hoping to fix this eventually but the current account preview is very inflexible (i suspect it’s due to the third-party, Jumio, that they use for identity verification) in the ID requirements.
Hopefully they get it sorted for the full rollout as there are over 11 million potential UK customers without passport or driving licence.
Usually in these instances your marriage certificate should suffice as it will show both nee and new
Yep I know a marriage cert should be OK, you know, I know, my other banks know, my employer knows, DVLA knows, the NHs knows… it is a legal document that shows both names but Monzo are still asking for photo ID. So what I did was put £10 in the account to keep it open and freeze the card until Monzo can think its way out of this.
Very true. Photo ID is not a legal requirement in the UK and banks can use their discretion to accept other ID. I think Monzo might be a new bank but they could try reading the money laundering rules and FCA requirements for identification.
Photo ID is due diligence/best practice. It’s the default request.
I’m surprised they will not accept the marriage certificate, this is pretty standard. Have you tried addressing this as a complaint?
It’s odd that they’ve updated your prepaid and not your current, however I presume the controls are tighter on the current account due to the licenses, could depend on their covenants on if they’ll accept substitutes.
I can’t remember what bank it was but one friend was asked to show an unexpired photo ID in her old name, her marriage certificate, and a photo ID in her new name. Such bureaucracy. She also did not want them to get lost in the post so wasted half a day travelling to a town where they had a branch and back again.
I will be raising as a formal complaint, when I have the energy after wasting an hour trying to explain to Monzo and now having to get photo ID of some sort. I need to keep my maiden name on my passport for a bit longer as I have a business trip booked in the old name. I didn’t really want to change my driving licence just yet either, but looks like I’ll have to.
Banks do make the due diligence request and ask for photo ID fair enough, but they CAN accept other ID. Monzo not caught on yet. And it makes a nonsense of their security systems when they will accept both my identities in different areas of their bank.
Would holding up the marriage certificate next to your face count as photo ID for them? 
On a serious note, I am surprised and disappointed that they can not accept a marriage certificate as proof of a name change. Pretty much everyone else does, don’t they?
For any particular reason? You’d be potentially liable for a £1,000 fine from DVLA for not providing the correct details to them …though I’m not sure they’ve ever actually imposed that fine?
Not easy to show expire photo ID in both names :-), when you have to return your passport or driving licence when you change the name. Hope your friend got on OK. Banks will usually roll over and apologize when you make a reasoned complaint and provide adequate ID, but the time and energy required!! I had hoped for better from Monzo.
You get 30 days and my marriage cert is at DVLA updating my V5
Understood…
and I’m waiting for the special form you have to fill in which DVLA sends you when you request to change name on your driving licence - don’t worry, it’s all in hand and thread is about Monzo not accepting my marriage cert as proof of name change.
OK and apols if crabby, just exasperated!
I think there is also an online way of updating name and address with DVLA licenses, though it now hidden away on a Gov.UK web page
Not at all. I can understand your exasperation. All the best in getting things sorted 
I’m really sorry that this has gone so unsmoothly for you 
I’m just finding someone who can give you a proper reply and hopefully help you out!
Thank you, you’re very kind to take a look at my problem.
Great news, thank you! It must be a problem for other people too. Look forward to hearing from you.