Yes, this is because most Post Office external ATMs are functionally Bank of Ireland ATMs i.e. just regular ATMs.
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It has never worked over the counter at the Post Office to deposit or withdraw cash.
For reference, the Post Office services the following banks.
https://www.postoffice.co.uk/branch-banking-services
Monzo have stated in the past that accessing banking services from the Post Office for cash provision is something they are looking into but I wouldn’t expect anything anytime soon as these comments below were on 5th February 2019.
Q192 Charlie Elphicke: Mr Blomfield, would you bother doing a deal with the Post Office, or do you just think, frankly, “We’re on the internet. We’re on the telephone. We do not need any kind of branch or physical presence”?
Tom Blomfield: We do not currently have a deal with the Post Office. We are in discussions and there is a possibility that we will, in particular for cash provision. The withdrawal or paying in of cash is declining, but it is not going anywhere in the near term. For the vast majority of other services, our customers prefer to use a mobile app, which is open 24 hours a day.
and
Q246 Chair: Does Monzo charge people who want to put cash in their account? Is there a charge for that?
Tom Blomfield: I apologise; yes, there is. We have two fees that I should mention, both related to cash. Cash is expensive. Depositing cash is a £1 fee using PayPoint. We are in talks with the Post Office and there will also be a small fee for using the Post Office. For withdrawing cash in another country above £200 a month, again because it is expensive, we charge a percentage fee.
Treasury Committee Oral evidence: Consumers’ access to financial services, HC 1642
http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/treasury-committee/consumers-access-to-financial-services/oral/96277.html
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Monzo card was declined today at a London post office 
The staff wouldn’t at first accept Android Pay, then wouldn’t accept my Monzo Card when attempting contactless. I clarified it was a Master Card and should be accepted. They asked if I had another card and I was able to complete the purchase with another bank card I have (Visa).
The staff member didn’t make it clear that the purchase would be done as a “cash withdrawal”. As I look at the recipe now, it is a cash withdrawal of the exact amount for the box.
From reading the earlier post on this thread I understand about Monzo not being on LINK and how this transaction was actually put through. It seems an odd way to do the transaction and bad of the Post Office. Hope that Monzo/Post office can sort out their payment stuff and fully accept Monzo?
Might be important to note that this was for a small purchase of a box rather than a ‘Post Office’ transaction (so to speak), so the shop itself (or Post Office) might be treating the shop sales separate to Post Office stuff? With this, might be ‘cash only’ for the shop stuff and using the cash withdrawal as a work around.
I think it is just a way for them to skim money isn’t it? They get paid by the issuing bank for the ‘cash withdrawal’ ?
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I was desperate for cash 2 week ago and went to my local londis. There is a link atm there charging 1.75 fees . I tried twice and it failed. I had limited time so had to get bus and go all the way to high street and it worked. Link atm deffinately dont accept monzo. Then I went on monzo live chat. They said the same thing
Link ATMs dont work with any Master
I never knew that till it happened. Bummer really. Cost me more money to get the bus on my oyster card and back home again… Extra 3 pounds and the wasted time
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There is a building society near where I live, their link ATMs are everywhere…sometimes the only free one in an area. Someone I spoke to at work had a Yorkshire Bank Mastercard Debit and their branch took the card out the back to check it worked multiple times saying “yup nothing is wrong with the card” rather than point that out! I have a cash card with the BuildSoc just for that purpose
You’re in London, why not just use contactless?
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Even out in the sticks they were I’ve not withdrawn cash since November
They accept Starling, and you can deposit also
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I used my Monzo card at the post office before to send off a parcel
my local post office seems to accept Monzo cards all the time
my local one in the Harrow area (a news agent with Post office in the back) does not. they don’t offer contactless either :(. When I used my Lloyds card it went through but I later saw on my statement that they put it through as a cash withdrawal (hence why it didn’t work I guess as it must be backed by the link network). Naturally the cashier didn’t know any details only that “its Monzo’s fault as no other banks have this issue that we see”.
when i use my card at my post office it dont go through as a cash withdrawal
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I know this is an old thread, but I just wanted to say that this is because the retail side and the Post Office side are seperate things. In order to use the Post Office pin pads to pay for shop items, such as a box, a lot of Post Offices will do it as a cash withdrawal, as the majority of cards can be used, and therefore we don’t have to pay the fees for a seperate card reader that would not get many transactions on it.
Welcome to the forum 
You forgot the part about by doing it as a cash withdrawal, you get to cream a % off the top 
What do you do when a customer doesn’t have their wallet and wants to pay contactless with their phone? Your readers can handle it, do you just say no?
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If it is a retail transaction, and we don’t have a seperate card reader for the retail, we have 2 options.
- Reject it
- Commit fraud by counting it as postage stamps then reversing it, potentially opening us up to be prosecuted.
There is no option on the Post Office system for a retail transaction. We wish there was as it would make both ours and your lives easier, but there just isn’t.
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Are you speaking in terms of all Post Offices? I’ve used my Monzo card at 3 out of 4 local post offices (and I’ve never told them it’s a Monzo card - I’ve just paid with it when the terminal lights up), without question, which is why I find it so strange when people say they get rejected.
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OK - but a lot of people are saying that they have been told they can’t use the Post Office reader for Post Office purchases, like buying stamps.
Is this because the Post Office “encourage” their staff to put everything through as a cash withdrawal, or what?!