The more I look at that screen, and think about the feedback we’ve heard from the topic about updating your personal details, I think that Monzo could do with having a think about their approach to writing.
A lot of Monzo’s copy is excellent. But lots isn’t. And there’s a bias towards tone of voice (and quirks like “frauded”) instead of to clarity.
In this example, I’d pull out three things:
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The heading is padded. Why say “we can’t let you” - why not just say “you can’t apply for a joint account right now”?
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The copy below the heading doesn’t add anything. In common with the feedback we’ve heard up-topic, the text suggests that the problem is a Monzo one, not a customer one. The lack of specificity and no call to action makes the reader feel impotent and frustrated.
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It raises expectations. The screen suggests that Monzo will let you know when (not if) this changes - but there’s no sign-up button or consent mechanism to be contacted proactively to know when things change. It suggests, to me at least, that this might be a something that will be fixed in fairly short order by Monzo. Which may or may not be true.
I think my wider critique of the Monzo tone of voice is that it works excellently when accompanied by facts and helpful information. When there’s bad news (your account is being closed) or when the copy is pretty nebulous (as here) it can potentially come across as a bit patronising or as having (faux) sentiment but lacking any useful information.
I’d go as far as to say that some better writing here would have negated the whole need for this topic, and for support chats from frustrated customers wondering why Monzo doesn’t want them as customers.