In order to enable magstripe you need internet connection, because Monzo app has to register this setting change on Monzo servers. If you didnāt have active internet connection (wifi/roaming/local sim, anything), then - at this particular example - you couldnāt have successfully enabled magstripe. This ATM was probably chip+pin then. 
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Thanks the clarification re:mag stripe unlocking needing to be done when I have wifi access.
Ling
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Does anyone know if Monzo works for online purchases in Japan? Sites such as Yahoo auctions jp and Mercari often donāt accept foreign cards. Would Monzo work?
Someone like @RichardR may be able to answer that
Indeed I can answer this. Unfortunately, Monzo would still show up as a foreign card and many Japanese websites have very strict region restrictions. Itās a weekly pain in my personal life. 
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Iāve experienced the same problem in South Korea for online purchases. Never understood the reasons behind it.
Thank you very much for your post, it is very helpful. I am going to Japan next month and would like to know if I could top up PASMO card with Monzo or other master card. Does local boutique or convienent store accept PASMO
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Pasmo wonāt let you top up by any card (unless you have the card from the same company that operates Pasmo). If you try to top up at a convenience store theyāll ask you to pay in cash.
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Thank you very much for your reply!! That was very helpful for our
planning.
No problem! Happy to help.
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First day in Japan with my Monzo pre-paid and debit cardsā¦
- Couldnāt get the debit card to work in any ATM (presumably because it does not support mag stripe ATMs yet)
- Pre-paid card worked as mag-stripe ATMs are supported and I turned it on
- Debit card worked fine for purchases
- Some ATMs support international cards, some not
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The machines in the seven elevens all took my Monzo card in February. Perhaps try there. I did have magstripe enabled though.
Yeah, tried the debit card there with no luck. Pre-paid card works fine though.
Iāll copy here some of the quick internal advice I wrote regarding ATMs and magstripe in Japan. 
Most Seven Bank ATMs donāt require magstripe ATMs to be enabled as almost all of these are new enough to be able to read the chip. These are found in just about all 7-Eleven convenience stores and on most larger JR stations.
Japan Post ATMs are much older and multi-function with bank passbook reading/writing so do require magstripe ATM support to be enabled. These are the ones in most Family Mart convenience stores and Japan Post branches.
Lawson ATMs at Lawson Stations are not recommended to suggest as only the newer ATMs even support connecting to the MasterCard network at all (due to be fixed by replacing them all before 2020). http://lawson.jp/en/news/detail/1279919_3566.html
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Iām only going to Japan in Feb 
In Japan a lot of places wonāt take card.
I recommend the Halifax clarity credit card for your cash withdrawals. When I used mine earlier this year it cost me the same as Monzo.
Obviously itāll cost interest if you donāt pay it off in time.
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On this note, I had real trouble with a MasterCard prepay card in Japan in most ATMs except 7/11. I donāt know if this applies to all MasterCards or that sketch one but itās definitely something to be aware of!
There is a 7/11 every 5 meters though, so working cash machines are easy to come by.
Yes, itās amazing! Wish we had their 7/11 hereā¦
We didā¦ about 20 years ago. Budgens took over and rebranded the UK stores so unlikely to see 7/Eleven stores on our shores in the foreseeable futureā¦