Our Plans to Close the Monzo Prepaid Cards

37 posts were merged into an existing topic: Identification Documents Requirements

3 posts were merged into an existing topic: Identification Documents Requirements

Fascinating thread - lots of irrelevant posts against posts by folks wanting just the original service (if you are happy with the current account offering why would you post in this thread? As product management folks say - your opinion is interesting but irrelevant).

I’d be happy to update to a current account (why not if I can choose to use as few or many of the services I want), all else being the same. I want low cost and app-based funding services (eg travel money card). May use other services as time goes on. But I see that the new current account adds fees for in-app topping up - Reducing the cost of debit card top-ups - so the model HAS changed. Ad hoc top ups are what I wanted. Using a debit card to do so apparently is expensive to Monzo (huh? I’d have thought it was like any other payment by debit card for the recipient). Monzo has not seen fit to allow 1 top up a month or somesuch. Maybe I need to install my existing banks’ app to do direct transfers ad hoc. Wow their app is much better than I realised. Etc etc.

So I’m still mulling the additional current account!
And every other respondent to this thread please note that many customers have different needs from their Monzo etc services. Different needs are not bad, just different…

There are no fees for topping up as far as I am aware? Monzo have simply stated it costs them more and they’d rather people did Bank Transfers instead

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I agree with most of what you say, but just one important correction:

This is a misunderstanding: They MAY eventually add fees - or they may not. My personal impression from that blog post and thread is that Monzo don’t really intend to introduce fees, but would rather nudge users away from card topups by other means (such as a polite note along the lines of “this is expensive for us. Would you consider making a bank transfer next time?”)

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Not sure how this is related to the Equality Act - you are being denied service because of the lack of an acceptable ID document, not because of your race, ethnicity, religion, disability, etc. The act wouldn’t apply here anyway.

In your original post, you mention the following:

Given her circumstances, it is unreasonable to expect her to produce this ID

I am not sure why a disabled person wouldn’t be able to get a passport.

Sorry to sound harsh but it seems like you’re using this whole disability thing to your advantage. The fact that people have been lenient in the past and accepted the blue badge as ID doesn’t suddenly make it an official ID and doesn’t entitle you to services from everyone who expects an official ID. Just get a proper ID and try again like everyone else :+1:t2:

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I don’t really think there is any need to say this, no opinion is irrelevant.

The reason people who are happy with the CA offering are posting here is so we can try and address some of the issues/worries people have when upgrading. So people who worry about the difference between CA/PP, people who worry about DD issues and so on.

A lot of people have decided to upgrade thanks to the information from CA users, so their opinions have been extremely relevant

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You’re making a huge assumption that @Chappers0106’s wife doesn’t have ‘proper’ ID. A passport and driving licence are just two forms of ID, but there are other types of ID that are valid. And a passport is a particularly expensive form of ID, so requiring someone to get one just to open a bank account will not make Monzo the inclusive bank that they aim to be.

Other organisations haven’t been “lenient”, they have accepted a wider set of ID to identify someone, and responded to the specifics of the case, instead of just following a set checklist. This is the kind of approach we expect from Monzo and I’m not sure why it should be any different for ID. I suspect part of the issue stems from the fact that the ID process is outsourced to a US company that doesn’t understand the various identity documents available in the UK and assumes that pretty much everyone drives. But there’s no reason not to hold Monzo to the high standards we expect of them in this area: treating everyone as a person and being inclusive.

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And if anyone is planning to do this, do it soon as the cost will be increasing in the near future.

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Because her illness means she cannot drive or travel abroad, she could get
a passport, but why pay £80 just to change an existing account where ID
verified. So because of her disability, Monzo needs to make reasonable
adjustments, like every other bank does, and accept a photo ID for blue
badge/ bus pass.

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it is not just US companies, there are a couple of European ID checking services too in places like Germany. They have an issue that they have to be stricter and stick to a rigid list as (a) they are not deciding for themselves but on behalf of their client, (b) their checking processes require knowledge of the existance, appearance, security features, etc of the documents they check. Were checks carried out by banks themselves they have the ability and authority to decide to be flexible on which documents they accept, and being locally based will recognise a wider range of national IDs. However, many IDs have security features that may be tactile or features that can be spoofed and hence harder to detect over a video link than in a branch.

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That relationship didn’t last long. Ridiculous on line application, form filling, telephone security number, favourite place, favourite word, secure number generator, first school etc, etc. I then make my first FPS transfer and some 7 hours later I receive a 'phone call from the fraud dept. My payment has been randomly selected for further scrutiny. Despite having a telephone security number I have to answer about 10 questions. Result my money isn’t being transferred until tomorrow. I then phone CS to stop the CASS and am told that I will have to ring tomorrow as they are now closed.

Monzo or Starling: get joint accounts up and running and you will rule the world.

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Best bank on the planet!! :slight_smile:

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Isn’t that exactly the same with the current account card though, if used like the prepaid card? The only difference is that it has your name (and maybe account number and sort code) on it, but no one can defraud you and it’s not a security or privacy risk, if used like the prepaid card, right?

iOS 11.3 (reportedly scheduled to be released in spring) will have an option for you to turn off the power management feature that slows the phones down. It’s not recommended because it will be a battery drain, but it’s up to you.

I don’t think it would be easy for a “bank of the future” to support legacy operating systems and phones. It’s a shame not everyone can afford new phones often, but what else can Monzo do when they need to support the latest operating systems and take advantage of the great new features in those operating systems? Supporting old systems takes time and resources away from supporting the newer systems most of us use.

I will be leaving Monzo soon so could someone please explain (or point me to a doc or faq) what information is kept and what is deleted when my account is closed?!
My picture/passport, card details used for top ups etc etc. Apologies if this is listed somewhere, I’m unable to find it.

Many thanks

Unfortunately I have closed down my Monzo account as prepaid cards were going to be discontinued. It’s a pity because I liked the mobile app and push notifications to alert me of my spending. But not living in UK right now means I don’t need another current account, I will keep my TSB bank account which is enough and already opened bank account abroad where I am working right now.

Hey Richard, thanks for your feedback and I’m sorry to hear you closed your account.

This is an interesting one because a lot of it comes down to perception of the product. Actually, the current account is simply the same product as the prepaid card but with additional features and protection.

If we had pitched it differently - let’s say for example, we simply said to you “We are upgrading the Monzo service with new features, and because of this we’ll need to send you a new card” - would you have kept your account?

Essentially, what I’m asking is, what is it about the term “current account” that made you feel you don’t need another one, when you obviously felt that you did need, or could make use of, the prepaid product - given that functionally it’s almost exactly the same?

This would be really helpful feedback for us to have :grinning:

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Hi Dave!

Financial law and regulation mandates that we must store your data for 5-6 years after closing your account.

For PII (personally identifiable information), this is 5 years.

The legislation that underpins this is the EU 4th Anti-Money Laundering Directive enacted on 25th June 2015, which member states (of which the UK is still one) had to be compliant with by 26th June 2017 (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:JOL_2015_141_R_0003&from=ES)

The UK implementation of this was the The Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 (The Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017). This updates & expands the The Money Laundering Regulations 2007 (The Money Laundering Regulations 2007)

For all other information relating to you it’s 6 years to reflect the Limitation Act (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1980/58) (i.e. how long you could bring a claim against us for breach of contract) or raise a Financial Ombudsman Service complaint.(DISP INTRO - FCA Handbook).

Hope that helps!

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Fantastic, thank you very much Simon… this is exactly what I was looking for.

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