Thanks 
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Disclaimer: I’m currently a free user and have no plans to upgrade.
I think you can stop the notifications and emails using one of the privacy settings in the app. Personally, I’m not particularly bothered by the blue upgrade card, but I can definitely see how it might be annoying for some
I agree that Monzo need to focus on improving the basics (payments, user experience, basic budgeting, customer support) as well as improving their paid offerings and business banking.
And to be fair to Monzo, they do seem to be doing just that - there’s now a Core App team that focuses solely on improving the basics and that team is currently doing excellent work on the Payments tab. I also think the app’s general UX and speed has improved over the last 6 months or so, along with customer support.
I think stuff like advanced budgeting features makes loads of sense in paid tiers.
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I’ve thought about this a lot recently, but I really think Monzo comes out top for me still.
In my opinion, the only accounts that come close are Starling and Revolut (I know they’re not a bank yet, but they effectively work like one).
I suppose Starling comes out top for “basic” banking feature with its free cash deposits at the Post Office and its cheque imaging. However, both of these are features I rarely use - I only ever get cheques maybe once or twice a year (I put them into my Monzo via Starling), and if I get given cash I use it on the Tesco self-service checkouts then pay any remainder using my card (highly recommend this as a way of getting rid of loose change btw).
Revolut has loads of features behind a paywall and so suffers from the same issues as Monzo. Although I do think that Revolut’s paid offering is better than Monzo’s paid offering, I think Monzo is better at basic banking than Revolut.
The main reason I choose to stay with Monzo is because I think Monzo is much better at ‘basic banking +’ than other accounts. This is stuff like decent basic budgeting, easy ways to pay (Monzo-to-Monzo via phone number, share a link so you can’t screw up putting someone’s bank detail in) or be paid (Bill Splits, money requests, monzo.me), pots, bills pots, instant notifications, card freezing, zero foreign interchange, notes on transactions, being able to easily download statements, and most importantly a brilliant UX. Some of these `basic banking +’ features are also done by traditional banks, some are also done by Starling and/or Revolut, however, Monzo does all of them and does them with a much, much better UX.
So that’s why I still bank with Monzo.
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Funnily enough, all of that list is why I like to use Monzo as a daily spending account. Other banks score better for me in terms of cashback on direct debits, and credit cards are better for those transactions where Section 75 protection might come in handy.
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I’d say some of the basic banking+ features are done better by competitors.
Starling offers way more granular card controls than just an on/off toggle.
Basic pots are far better with Starling because they don’t have this split personality issue where they argue that pots are the same account yet the contents don’t count towards your account balance and thus you get charged for an overdraft if your main balance dips below £0
Foreign spending is better too, because (if they haven’t changed recently) you have unlimited cash withdrawal which is important in cash-heavy countries
Statements, again, Starling are working on some form of verification so you don’t have to contact support for certified statements
Just my 2p really. I moved back to Monzo from Starling around the Plus v1 days and as much as I wanted to love Monzo like I did in the old days, I regret it.
My other half refuses to move our joint account again so I’m just stuck with Monzo. I hope JPM will offer joint accounts too so that I can lure them away
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This is in-app now. Downloaded statements are already digitally watermarked.
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Yeah the Starling ones are great, noticed the option in December for them up be watermarked. Hopefully one day Monzo will crack on with that.
I have to say I do understand what the OP is saying. I don’t think I’d use the same emotive language e.g “second class citizen”. it is what it is but I do feel like a bit of a ‘dormant’ user.
I haven’t thought much about this until the topic here arose but I did see an email at the turn of the year which gave me the impression there were new features for me. Subject was “New Features to Kickstart Your Money goals”. I was momentarily as excited as banking features can make you 
Instead it was a pitch for Plus.
I didn’t see much new and I already decided last year that neither account had enough to get me over the line.
I wouldn’t say this is a problem but I think you would want engaged customers across all tiers, as the poster said. Bound to be some simple psychology behind all this
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I agree with @snowgum. Presumably the in-app setting for opting out of marketing stops the emails. Monzo could improve the experience for people by making in-app marketing something that can also be switched off by a toggle.
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The most pointless adverts I’ve seen in Monzo is where my credit card bank transfer is asking me to invite barclaycard to join Monzo. It should be disabled on business links etc.
Even a toggle to disable it in labs would be nice.
I’m sorry, I am a little confused. Do they insert ads in payment flows now? Do you have a screenshot?
Not sure it’s pointless - it’s certainly presumptuous… and intrusive.
I do wish they would make the big plus and premium card dismisable.
It isn’t too in the way or anything but obviously is noticeable enough to annoy me
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I’ve literally never seen this advertising people are so upset about.
I have ‘your year in monzo is ready’ which presumably will go away at some point. I had an email about plus last year… that’s hardly excessive.
You haven’t had any pop up about plus of premium or a big plus or premium side if you swipe left?
I don’t think that’s to promote Plus. It’s on personal payees too and just allows you to add another account to the payee
My original post stated:
to join Monzo.
Nope… I tried swiping left and nothing happened (don’t know why I would do that without prompting though… it would be a wierd way to advertise… the navigation is up/down unless you’re on the cards screen, and I never use that as the home button suffices to switch between main/joint account).
