As a parent with children across multiple schools, it often feels like there’s a new payment request every week for trips, clubs, uniforms, fundraising events, and activities. The challenge isn’t just paying them, it’s keeping track of what’s coming up, what’s been budgeted for, and what has already been paid.
I’d love to see a Planned Payments feature within Monzo that combines elements of a to-do list, diary, and budgeting tool.
How it could work
Create future payment entries with a due date, amount, category, and notes.
Display these alongside upcoming scheduled payments to give a fuller picture of future spending commitments.
Allow entries to be created even when there isn’t a bank transfer or standing order associated with them (for example, payments made via school portals, websites, or card transactions).
Link completed card transactions back to the planned payment, automatically marking it as paid and maintaining an accurate record.
Integrate with Pots so money can be earmarked and set aside in advance for upcoming expenses.
Benefits
Better visibility of future expenses.
Easier budgeting and cash flow planning.
Less risk of missing deadlines or paying for the same thing twice.
A central place to manage irregular but expected spending.
Beyond Payments
The same concept could also support:
Birthday and Christmas wish lists.
Holiday planning.
Gift contributions from friends and family.
Community fundraising.
Shared goals linked to Pots.
For example, a birthday wish list could be connected to a Pot, allowing friends and family to contribute towards a specific item while tracking progress towards the goal.
I think this would be a natural extension of Monzo’s mission to help people manage their money proactively. Rather than simply showing where money has gone, it would help customers plan for where their money needs to go next.
In its simplest form that is a helpful thing, but what I have described is much more interconnected with the app and aids planning for life financially. You go use a calendar!! You are so insightful!!!
I think you are taking it out of context. What it does now is not very far away from what I am talking about. They want people to be able to budget better and add value and a reason for people to keep coming to the app. This is most definitely something that will have people coming to the app again and again. The responsibility will lye in the terms and conditions and so the bank can easily rest assured. Also, if the functionality is right, the user won’t be able to blame the bank anyway!
Thanks… finished editing the post now, but I think it is a well polished idea that would benefit every customer and help people be more successful with their money planning.
I had come to say this, it also has a section for notes. You can even add another parent/carer to the custom shared calendar. Notifications work out of the box including email notifications. Also free and won’t be affected by Crowdstrike outages.
It’s always interesting how quickly some people jump in to dismiss an idea rather than engage with it constructively.
The reality is that this feature could provide genuine value to many users. Whether or not everyone would use it is beside the point. The fact remains that it would be incredibly helpful for those who would. Simply dismissing it without considering the benefits doesn’t really move the conversation forward.
Thankfully, I’m quite comfortable looking past the negativity that often appears whenever someone suggests something new. This is an ideas board, after all. The purpose is to share ideas, discuss them, and explore possibilities.
I genuinely believe this would be a useful addition, and more importantly, it would be something no other banking app currently offers. One of the reasons Monzo (formerly Mondo) became so successful was its willingness to think differently and create features that people didn’t realise they needed until they had them.
Monzo has always been at its best when it’s leading rather than following. It’s a company known for innovation, not for sticking to conventional banking thinking. To me, this idea fits perfectly with that spirit.
Not at all - many of us have been here a long time and we know which requests succeed and which don’t. What you’re asking for has been requested a number of times in the past (try the search facility) and Monzo have not acted upon it.
Remember that there has to be something in it for Monzo, too
They would definitely get more customers with a feature like this. That’s a big win in my view. Shame they haven’t done it in my view, especially if suggested already!!
