# Magstripe Timed Activation **URL:** \ **Category:** Feedback & Ideas\ **Created:** [21 March 2018 21:30 UTC](https://community.monzo.com/t/magstripe-timed-activation/34966 "2018-03-21T21:30:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![anon65445338](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@anon65445338](https://community.monzo.com/u/anon65445338)\ **Post date:** [21 March 2018 21:30 UTC](https://community.monzo.com/t/magstripe-timed-activation/34966/1 "2018-03-21T21:30:20Z")
As someone who travels an awful lot in the USA I think it would be useful to have the user ability to activate the mags trip for a particular timeframe without having to start a conversation with Monzo help each time (although they are lovely and helpful and fast). Whilst aware of the security implications to my account I would brave it rather than trying to remember to activate it each day. ---
**Author:** ![anon77363772](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@anon77363772](https://community.monzo.com/u/anon77363772)\ **Post date:** [21 March 2018 21:41 UTC](https://community.monzo.com/t/magstripe-timed-activation/34966/2 "2018-03-21T21:41:29Z")
Welcome to the forum! 👋 You can already do this via the the app. ---
**Author:** ![alexs](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/monzo/user_avatar/community.monzo.com/alexs/32/2443_2.png) [@alexs](https://community.monzo.com/u/alexs)\ **Post date:** [21 March 2018 21:42 UTC](https://community.monzo.com/t/magstripe-timed-activation/34966/3 "2018-03-21T21:42:39Z")
I think what Joshua’s asking for is the ability to enable Magstripe withdrawals for longer than 24 hours. Obviously there’s security implications for that though, which is presumably why the limit was set originally. My guess is that forcing users to contact the support team enables them to talk the user out of any silly requests but I could be wrong. @anon65445338 just to check - are you aware that you can ask for the withdrawals to be enabled for the duration of the trip, which means you should only need to request this once per trip? ---
**Author:** ![anon77363772](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@anon77363772](https://community.monzo.com/u/anon77363772)\ **Post date:** [21 March 2018 21:46 UTC](https://community.monzo.com/t/magstripe-timed-activation/34966/4 "2018-03-21T21:46:09Z")
Ah yes. A middle ground could be to allow the user to specify a start and end date/time. Although Monzo will likely need to protect themselves from liability in another way. ---
**Author:** ![anon65445338](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@anon65445338](https://community.monzo.com/u/anon65445338)\ **Post date:** [21 March 2018 21:54 UTC](https://community.monzo.com/t/magstripe-timed-activation/34966/5 "2018-03-21T21:54:09Z")
Yes, I am aware of this and have done it. However, surely it would just be easier if I had the option to do it myself knowing the implications rather than having to initiate a support chat every trip. I would be okay with a popup message before being allowed to set it each time of the security implications ---
**Author:** ![anon77363772](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@anon77363772](https://community.monzo.com/u/anon77363772)\ **Post date:** [21 March 2018 22:23 UTC](https://community.monzo.com/t/magstripe-timed-activation/34966/6 "2018-03-21T22:23:43Z")
Just to clarify, are you trying to enable magstripe support a day or so in advance (by, for example, contacting support on a Friday letting them know that you want it enabled on Saturday), or are you trying to enable magstripe support with immediate effect? If it’s the latter, you can do this already through the Account tab of the app without contacting COps, within the Settings menu accessible via the Account tab (settings symbol at top right corner on Android, below the card image on iOS). ---
**Author:** ![anon65445338](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@anon65445338](https://community.monzo.com/u/anon65445338)\ **Post date:** [21 March 2018 22:26 UTC](https://community.monzo.com/t/magstripe-timed-activation/34966/7 "2018-03-21T22:26:03Z")
I am fully aware of how the system currently works. My issue is having to go through a support chat to get it enabled for more than 24 hours when I don’t see any problem with me being able to do this myself in place of the current 24 hours on/off switch. There are countless cards I have with magstrip enabled and I have never had a problem, nor do I know anyone who has. ---
**Author:** ![alexs](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/monzo/user_avatar/community.monzo.com/alexs/32/2443_2.png) [@alexs](https://community.monzo.com/u/alexs)\ **Post date:** [21 March 2018 23:04 UTC](https://community.monzo.com/t/magstripe-timed-activation/34966/8 "2018-03-21T23:04:38Z")
> [@anon65445338](#): > > There are countless cards I have with magstrip enabled and I have never had a problem, nor do I know anyone who has. That’s good to hear but it is a significant cause of fraud, that’s why this protection is switched on by default. I can see why you want to make this easier to manage but suggesting that this isn’t a problem isn’t going to solve this.. ---
**Author:** ![anon65445338](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@anon65445338](https://community.monzo.com/u/anon65445338)\ **Post date:** [21 March 2018 23:16 UTC](https://community.monzo.com/t/magstripe-timed-activation/34966/9 "2018-03-21T23:16:24Z")
I wasn’t suggesting it isn’t a problem but rather not one I am concerned about ---
**Author:** ![simonb](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/monzo/user_avatar/community.monzo.com/simonb/32/78198_2.png) [@simonb](https://community.monzo.com/u/simonb)\ **Post date:** [22 March 2018 00:28 UTC](https://community.monzo.com/t/magstripe-timed-activation/34966/10 "2018-03-22T00:28:30Z")
> [@anon65445338](#): > > As someone who travels an awful lot in the USA I think it would be useful to have the user ability to activate the mags trip for a particular timeframe without having to start a conversation with Monzo help each time (although they are lovely and helpful and fast). Whilst aware of the security implications to my account I would brave it rather than trying to remember to activate it each day. How often do you need to withdraw cash, though? I was just in California for 6 weeks and needed to withdraw cash on just one occasion, so I literally just enabled it for that one transaction. Everything else, I just paid on my card - and you don’t need to enable the magstripe for card payments that require it, only for ATMs. ---
**Author:** ![anon65445338](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@anon65445338](https://community.monzo.com/u/anon65445338)\ **Post date:** [22 March 2018 01:45 UTC](https://community.monzo.com/t/magstripe-timed-activation/34966/12 "2018-03-22T01:45:44Z")
You still need magstripe to make payments in quite a few stores across the USA not only ATMS ---
**Author:** ![simonb](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/monzo/user_avatar/community.monzo.com/simonb/32/78198_2.png) [@simonb](https://community.monzo.com/u/simonb)\ **Post date:** [22 March 2018 03:04 UTC](https://community.monzo.com/t/magstripe-timed-activation/34966/13 "2018-03-22T03:04:00Z")
Yes, there are shops which require magstripe but these are always enabled. If you’ve had a magstripe store payment declined due to the toggle being off, do you remember which shops and we can look into it? Magstripe card payment in shops are supposed to always be enabled. I’ve personally never had to enable it for an in-store payment and I spend 2-3 months in the US every year. It’s why the copy in the app specifically notes that it is for ATMs. ![Screenshot_20180322-030437](https://cdck-file-uploads-global.s3.dualstack.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/monzo/original/3X/e/e/ee543d25f322a76385a01e91ff0be95ff4f23b92.png) ---
**Author:** ![aml](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/monzo/user_avatar/community.monzo.com/aml/32/11423_2.png) [@aml](https://community.monzo.com/u/aml)\ **Post date:** [22 March 2018 09:33 UTC](https://community.monzo.com/t/magstripe-timed-activation/34966/14 "2018-03-22T09:33:15Z")
I don’t mean to sound stupid, but what’s this feature used for again? ---
**Author:** ![GalaxyMergirl](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/monzo/user_avatar/community.monzo.com/galaxymergirl/32/15976_2.png) [@GalaxyMergirl](https://community.monzo.com/u/GalaxyMergirl)\ **Post date:** [22 March 2018 09:45 UTC](https://community.monzo.com/t/magstripe-timed-activation/34966/15 "2018-03-22T09:45:38Z")
It isn’t really your decision to be concerned or not, since you’re not the one who pays for fraud - Monzo is. Frankly, I think 24 hours is generous. I think ten minutes would be plenty. It takes two seconds to turn it on before use. I’d also like to see the restriction applied to POS magstripe use, personally. But again, it’s Monzo’s worry and their risk management strategy. FWIW, Monzo has one of the more generous risk management strategies I’ve seen. Used even in Israel (a magstripe country) with no issues/blocks/anything. Even contactless magstripe mode works! ---
**Author:** ![Rat\_au\_van](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/monzo/user_avatar/community.monzo.com/rat_au_van/32/49103_2.png) [@Rat\_au\_van](https://community.monzo.com/u/Rat_au_van)\ **Post date:** [22 March 2018 11:55 UTC](https://community.monzo.com/t/magstripe-timed-activation/34966/16 "2018-03-22T11:55:17Z")
From what I’ve gleamed from the forum,the old style swipe payment and some ATM’s use the magnetic strip on the back. Most modern use the chip (which is safer and not as easy to clone). You can enable/disable it in the app I await correction if I’m wrong 😋