Monzo in Myanmar 🇲🇲

Have you used Monzo in Myanmar? Please share your advice with @saralaranjeira here!

I recently went to Myanmar for a couple of weeks and couldn’t use my Monzo card on any of the ATM machines. Tried a few different banks and each one failed to give me cash with a general error message. Bit annoying as had hoped to use my monzo for everything whilst I was out there. Although I didn’t try and use my card in hotels etc. as I decided to handle it mostly with cash so I can’t comment on that!

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Thanks for sharing this feedback, did you have Magstripe withdrawals enabled?

If not, other users can enable Magstripe withdrawals from Card > Profile > Security. If you’re an Android user, you’ll need to ask support to enable them for now.

You should also check that you’re a verified user (your limits will be higher) or if you’re an Android user, message the support team to check - again, this won’t be necessary :soon:

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Ah I didn’t have Magstripe enabled - thanks for the advice!

Also, how do I find out if I’m a verified user. My limit is £250 currently?

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Use the in app support. If you aren’t verified they can send you a feed item that steps you through the process.

If you’re talking about your ATM daily withdrawal limit, then you’re verified.

If you’re an iOS user you can compare your limits from your Profile in the app with the limits for verified users in the link that I posted above.
If you’re an Android user, you’ll need to contact the support team to find out (there’s 12 months worth of iOS features for the Android team to build into the app which is why you can’t see your limits in the app yet).

Hi,
I’m m in Myanmar at the moment and can’t withdraw any money. I’m a verified user and have enabled the magstripe support. Can you offer any more suggestions as to what to do? I must have tried all their banks by now. Thanks!

CB (Co-operative) Bank and KBZ (Kanbawza) Bank are said to accept foreign cards but every comment I see seems to include things like “The use of ATMs in Myanmar is sometimes restricted by internet failure.” so maybe there is an issue with that?

Hey all. I’m currently in Myanmar with my Monzo card and have been trying to deal money from the atm. As they say “all good things must come to an end”. I can not use this card at any of the big banks in yangon.

When I first arrived it was declined as the magnetic strip wasn’t active. This has now been activated bit still doesn’t work. Ah well. It was good while it lasted :disappointed:

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Hey Daniel, thanks for sharing this feedback. Now that Magstripe withdrawals have been enabled, what error message do you see in the app, when the withdrawal fails?

One of your colleagues thinks that it might be due to the bank not
accepting pre paid Mastercard. I have read though that KBZ bank and also CB
Bank have an equivalent card for people from Myanmar -

https://www.kbzbank.com/en/cards/prepaid-card/

I have not tried CB Bank so I will try this in Bagan.

For one bank (I dont recall the bank) it just said system error and
returned the card. The others allowed me to enter my pin and select the
amount but then it was declined. I tried all options in “checking”
“savings” and “credit”.

Hopefully the systems were faulty across the board at the time, but I was
able to withdraw money on my Metro card.

Thanks

Daniel.

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Thanks for sharing this feedback. Just to be clear, I don’t work for Monzo :slight_smile:

Welcome to the forums brother.
Was just searching here to find a link to whatsapp you but can see you already found it.

Result. It seems MOB works. It might well work in other banks, maybe there was an issue in Yangon when I tried to take money out, but anyone trying to withdraw money I’ve used MOB.

Anyone coming here, enjoy this amazingly beautiful country :grinning:

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OK so KBZ definitely doesn’t accept it. Currently in Pindaya and that’s the only bank. It just keep saying rejected. More fees to pay now

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I am right now in Myanmar and the only one that Worked for me (after activating mag stripe ) is the one called MAB. I could with draw in Nyaung Shwe and in Mandalay with no problem at all :blush:

@P_Grad was that after activating your magstrip?

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Magstripe is only active for 24 hours before automatically disabling. Check card settings.

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That doesn’t sound right :scream:

Have you tried disabled/enable magstripe? Log out/reboot app? Perhaps in-app chat with customer support can confirm your magstripe is active?

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If you had the option to switch on Magstripe withdrawals for longer than 24 hours, I’d expect the total hours to = x days. 686 hours is 28.58 days though so that seems unlikely.

This is what I see, when I go to change the setting in the iOS app.

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