Just an FYI that Chelmsford town Tesco is still refusing Monzo cards and still has the sign up.
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It’s been working for me as of Monday 28th October using Self Service, I then used Pay+ in the Petrol Station on the 29th October… I used Pay+ both times.
Failed 3 Canary wharf Tesco’s last night.
DLR station/Baltimore place and Westferry road.
I showed the manager of my local tesco express that it happened with starling too.It was just that we knew straight away we had 2 auths on the card and most banks don’t do that.
A few days later I went into store, said I’ve been charged twice again. Their reply: “Oh the monzo problem?”
I normally just ignore those signs…
Interestingly, I’ve been hit with the first transaction crashes the POS terminal a few times, but only in a single Tesco Esso store. It’s almost as if the card terminal times out while trying to authorise the payment, despite the payment having been authorised 
I’m almost certain it’s happened with my Amex card as well, though.
A Tesco spokesman said that Monzo customers are allowed to continue using their cards in branches.
So the headline is click bait and completely wrong?
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It’s odd that it wasn’t affecting all stores, I use Tesco a lot as they’re right next to my work. I’ve been fortunate never to experience this issue. I’ve had problems where the first contactless payment doesn’t go through but the second time works, but I’ve only ever been charged once.
I’ve noticed my Monzo Card takes a longer time to process (compared to Halifax and Santander cards) everywhere I go.
I can use my other bank cards, pick up my things and it’s gone through and I’m off.
With Monzo, I’ve been asked to wait a few times as the person on the till says it’s still in the processing stage.
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I assume that’s the always online nature of the Monzo card.
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I’ve noticed that too. It might be my imagination but it seems to have been getting longer lately too.
I have double charges from Tesco every so often. But it’s normally later. E.g I buy something at 2pm, the transaction is showing on Monzo, then at like 1am I’ll get a separate transaction from Tesco, for the same amount again. I’ve never waited for the duplicate to eventually refund itself automatically cos I’d just be constantly thinking about it. Monzo have always reversed the one that’s still pending.
Hah, assumed I was the only one (though as you can tell, I’m new to the forums at least). Been double charged a few times throughout the past few weeks, only ever when purchasing from Tesco, in my case using contactless Google Pay with my Pixel 3. It would process the payment and take it, then inform me there was an issue and it needed to take a second payment.
Claiming the payments back immediately through the app (the first ones that were taken but weren’t processed on their system) works fine and I’ve not seen the double charge reappear at a later time, but obviously it’s only a fix for an issue that shouldn’t be happening.
From the sounds of it the issue is definitely on Tesco’s end.
Monzo check and authorise every transaction, it’s how they can perform the notification to your phone. Other banks only do that for certain amounts or when you’re close to your limit or your balance is low.
It’s this authorisation step that adds a small delay. Monzo mentioned it in the forums.
My banks all provide instant notifications, tough it might be different in the UK
UK banks for debit cards normally will not force online unless its a “basic account” or the holder is under 18.
Monzo cards force online when possable. (but will still work without online auth unlike the reasons above)
This is why legacy banks can’t give you instant notifications.
Sigh our local Tesco appears to be having a fit. My Monzo, my other half’s monzo and my curve card have all been rejected this morning for a home delivery so we have to go to the store to sort it out… the woman on the phone even had the cheek to say we didn’t have enough money in the account.
Just spotted in my account 2 £2 transaction attempts followed by declined please use chip and pin.
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It appears Tesco.com who do all the payments for online/home delivery shopping is where the problem is.
I went to the store and they tried with my RBS debit and it was blocked as well but the credit card did go through finally. They couldnt use a POS machine as it has to go through the computer system Tesco.com uses.