Monzcodes - QR Codes for Golden Tickets 🎫

Feedback & Ideas
1

This idea was inspired by a retweet from Bailey

who shared a tweet that pointed out that Twitter now has a QR code shortcut when you long press the app (& Snapchat of course) so I perhaps there’s been some discussion about this at Monzo already.

But anyway, I’ve found myself explaining Monzo to quite a few people who I didn’t really know well enough, to want to exchange numbers / social media profiles etc. them, in order to share a golden ticket. Wouldn’t it be better, if you could simply show someone a QR code in the app so that they could use your golden ticket straight away?

Obviously not everyone has a QR code reader app installed on their phone but as Bailey said, perhaps these are making a comeback…

The below code (which I created using https://www.unitag.io/qrcode) is a link to my latest golden ticket & if you scan it, then register via the link it opens (I’ve checked, it does work!), you’ll be able to sign up & skip the waiting list :ticket:

Edit - the golden ticket has been used now.

1 Like
2

I’ve mentioned this a couple of times in the past but I agree with the use of optical codes (including QR codes, snapcodes, those circular Facebook messenger codes, etc).

My considerations for codes are the following:

The purpose must be obvious

In your case, I don’t think the generic :monzo: in the middle is giving enough context. A basic black and white small code would probably work just fine printed providing that there is context around the code to explain what it is. On screen I’d try and use the graphical golden ticket on the same screen if not on the code itself.

Best example of this I’ve seen is Xbox One download redemption codes where it’s printed double sided, code on one side and the artwork on the other such that you’re looking at the item you’re redeeming in when you hold it up (has the side effect of being able to take pictures of the item without exposing the code).

Here’s an example of a few fronts.

And some backs.

The target app must have a built in reader

iOS doesn’t have one built in, neither do most flavors of Android really. You don’t want to make people download an additional app just to scan your code that may be of questionable value to them, takes longer than just manually entering a URL (IMO, this is why QR codes failed in the western world). Snapchat’s codes work so beautifully because when you open the app, the camera is the first thing you are thrown in to and it’s one swipe down to see your own code. In this case, there would need to be a reader in the app on the waiting list to scan a physical golden ticket in.

The code should be as high contrast as possible

Monzo’s branding colours don’t lend themselves well to this sadly. Solid black and white is standard for QR codes for a reason! To add to this, the higher the density, the less readable the code becomes under anything other than ideal conditions.

QR codes should really be a URL with a human readable copy of the data

Solves two problems, one is that it provides a fallback if somebody uses a generic code scanner, it also allows users to do something with the code if they do not have a device with a working camera or are in a low light situation (matters less for codes scanned off screens verses paper).

There are probably other things that I’m forgetting right now but those are the major points.

3 Likes
3

You can also share a golden ticket via airdrop if you’re talking to someone face to face

4

Airdrop? That is where you fly over a town and drop thousands from the sky out of a back of a plane!

Assume as an Android user this is some iOS thing?

1 Like
5

Airdrop

1 Like
6

Just to be clear, as Richard inferred, the benefit of these codes vs Airdrop is they work with both platforms not just Apple’s OS.

1 Like
7

Throwing this here as an interesting development in the area of mobile optical code scanning. Brings up bad memories of Microsoft Tag though…

1 Like
8

Another development here, Chrome for iOS now has a QR code reader.

1 Like