If the flex team doesn’t win best community engagement, it’s rigged. Especially since you forgot all about them the first time around!
It was so impressive I just considered it as the new normal.
(I shall find a way of paying penance to @TheoGibson and team )
Polls close later today! Last votes please
I expect all “awards” to be issued in the form of cheques…
“Where is the Big Monzo Community “2022 in Review” Poll?”, I hear you ask.
The results are being counted and verified and will be revealed between now and the New Year!
Don’t worry - I’ve just hidden the topic so we can do a bit of a countdown without spoiling it. The results are intact! I’ll unhide the polls once the results have been announced and prizes awarded.
(This is a bit of an experiment so do bear with me!)
Let the speculation commence below
As a reminder, here were the nominees
(Remember, the real votes are safe and will be revealed )
1. Best Monzo launch (UK)
- Flex available for all
- Flex virtual card
- Flex takes first instalment next month, not immediately
- Flex six month interest free promo
- Pay for Flex from Pots
- Increasing Flex limits
- Balance Tab (new Pulse!) in Trends
- Targets (Budgets!) in Trends
- Trends graphs for all
- Exclude categories in Trends
- Merchant view in Trends
- Year view in Trends
- Neon cards
- Android 12 Material Themed icons
- Cashback on international transfers (Plus/Premium)
- Borrow more on top of your Monzo loan
- Merchant enrichment for connected accounts
- Flag transactions as repeated payments in connected accounts
- View your CVC in the app
- Virtual cards for Monzo Business
- International Transfers for Monzo Business
- Overview (new Home Screen) in Labs
- Connected Mortgages in Labs
- Starling Bank in Connected Accounts (Labs)
- Sainsbury’s Bank in Connected Accounts
- Tesco Bank in Connected Accounts
- New Day cards in Connected Accounts (Labs)
- Charity Donations in App
- Samsung Pay!
0 voters
2. Best Monzo launch (US)
- Monzo US exits beta!
- Tip calculator
- Connected accounts via Plaid
- Joint Account beta
- Rename connected accounts
- Trends for the US!
0 voters
3. Best Community Moment
- Monzo rebrands
- @emmag reveals what that odd thing in the app was all about…
- Adverts for Monzo Flex!
- @DavidWalton getting a teardown Super-injunction to avoid spoiling the Neon cards reveal
-
Free neon cards for the community!!
- Three launches in 24 hours! (Mortgage cards in Labs, new Overview home screen in Labs, Targets)
- Call for new Community Emojis
- Dreaming of being an international art thief: request for a transfer progress bar
- Researching social payment features with the community
- Monzo asks the Community to help with CASS switching
0 voters
4. Most Suffering Monzonaut
- @JackCully for the Forum Emojis incidents
- @JackCully for the Blobby Card incident
- @cookywook, @AlanDoe and @JackCully for the Gym SpyCam incident
- @AlanDoe for putting up with the lot of us (and having to do the occasional forum equivalent of “mop up on aisle 7”).
- @tjvr for being constantly mistaken for @Peter_G
0 voters
Best Community Engagement
- The Flex / Borrowing team (who have confounded expectations, iterated throughout the year, and hinted that they might get physical with us in 2023
- The App Evolution team (who have brought us the amazing new Overview home screen and the promise of amazingness to come).
- The Paid team (who have brought us Trends and an ever increasing number of connected accounts - and don’t seem to be done yet).
- The Community team (that’s @AlanDoe and friends who keep this place spick and span and like a well oiled machine!)
- The US team for building a US product in partnership with customers
0 voters
Most anticipated new feature
From @davidwalton’s excellent tear-downs, leaks and corporate espionage, stuff we know is (probably) coming…
- US Joint Accounts
- Get Paid Early in the US
- Investments in Monzo
- Change your Flex payment date
- Full roll out of the Overview home page
- Full roll out of connected mortgages
- Combined feed
- Flex physical card
- Monzo rebrand in the app
- Separate Feed and/or place for Flex in Trends
0 voters
Best Mond/zo Logo!
Drum roll please! … Here we go!
1. Best Monzo Launch (UK)
In joint last place (with no votes ), we have:
- Android 12 Material Themed icons
- Cashback on international transfers (Plus/Premium)
- Charity Donations in App
- Flag transactions as repeated payments in connected accounts
- International Transfers for Monzo Business
- Merchant enrichment for connected accounts
- Pay for Flex from Pots
- Tesco Bank in Connected Accounts
- Virtual cards for Monzo Business
I think I speak for us all when I say that these are great features (some, like Pay for Flex from Pots) were very much requested, and some (like Flex six months interest free) will have a positive financial impact on their users. But with only one vote difficult decisions needed to be made and the competition was tough…
2. Best Monzo Launch (US)
There’s a clear last place for Monzo US feature launches - and it’s the only option that didn’t get a single vote
* Rename Connected Accounts
I mean, what gives?! One of two US-exclusive features on the list (y’all know the campaign to bring them to the UK starts here) and it gets nada. But the competition is brutal and takes no prisoners… Who will come out on top?
3. Best Community Moment
Coming in at joint last place, with no votes () we have…
I kinda think that these are a result of tough tough competition. That said, I had forgotten about the Flex adverts until I started researching the year in Monzo 2022 for this poll… And I loved the promise of the social payments research topic. Maybe it just petered out (no pun intended)? Or maybe it was just bested by the bigger ticket items?
4. Most Suffering Monzonaut
… Results under embargo until later in the reveals…
5. Best Community Engagement
… Results under embargo until later in the process…
But I will tell you two things: a) I didn’t vote because I love them all (obvs) and b) the bottom place finisher is an absolute travesty and I’m not sure I can stand for it
6. Most Anticipated New Feature
Every option got at least one vote! But bringing up the rear with a vote a piece, and starring as our proverbial partridges in pear trees, we have:
- Get Paid Early in the US
- Full Roll Out of Connected Mortgages
Now, I fear that two things are going on here: we already have connected mortgages in beta, so it’s not gonna be all new and shiny and amazing when it fully launches. And do I detect a bit of international bias going on here? More USians needed on here, I think! If we do this again next year, we’ll need to split the sections by country…
7. Best Monz/do logo!
The results for this one being freely viewable was one of my many polling failures of 2022 my Christmas gift to you!
But for the record, in joint last place we have…
The original Mondo logo:
and the first iteration of the Mondo “M” logo…
Do we have some recency bias here? Or is it because these were jolly well changed for a reason?!
Here’s the original Mondo logo in the wild on a hot coral, alpha card:
At least that original logo saw more public use! Tell me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think the first version of the M logo (also languishing at the bottom of our poll with 1% of the vote) ever saw public use (aside from maybe a blog post?) If I recall correctly, it had to be changed because it was too similar to someone else’s, leaving us with the

I’ve spent too long trying to find any Mond/zo sources for this - if you can find one, let me know - the only evidence I’ve found online (and where I got the logo from) was this interesting trip down memory lane: https://smartmoneypeople.com/news/post/6-challenger-banks-atom-civilisedbank-mondo-secco-starling-tandem.
Well folks, that’s today’s reveal. Anything that was surprising, unexpected or is it all going according to your devious plans?
Let’s have your thoughts, comments and predictions for winners below!
We need more results!
I look back on this year’s logo change, and still I wonder, why…?
That logo was way too close to
for comfort.
That said, I wish I had a Mondo Alpha card!
Our Next Update: Who will prevail? Who will be cruely cast aside?
1. Best Monzo Launch (UK)
Previously, on the Big 2022 in Review Poll, we had ten launches fall aside with zero votes. Sadness!
Today, we have seven launches with just one vote. Including one of mine!
- Borrow more on top of your Monzo loan
- Connected Mortgages in Labs
- Exclude categories in Trends
- Increasing Flex limits
- Sainsbury’s Bank in Connected Accounts
- Samsung Pay!
- Year view in Trends
I speak only for myself when I say that Year View in Trends getting only one vote (from me, obvs) is a travesty! It’s a small thing, but it’s fundamentally changed how I use Trends and has added so much value to the product. I feel very sad it’s languishing near the bottom!
2. Best Monzo Launch (US)
Fewer options to vote for in the US, but our penultimate placing gets two whole votes (twice that yearly view in Trends got in the UK - I’m still not over that!):
- Tip Calculator!
A lovely bit of Monzo Magic for the US market - slightly reminiscent of the quality of life stuff that Monzo would build in the early days in the UK. But this rounds out the US-specific functionality in this poll, both of them at the bottom! I’m still blaming there not being enough US folks around these parts - more folks from across the pond needed! Now, I wonder if we can get Tip Calculator in the UK app for when we go to the States (or visit other places where tips are kinda mandatory)?
Just four launches left on the list for the US - the next two have four and six votes respectively!
3. Best Community Moment
Another draw! Two more revealed under the spoiler tag…
Maybe the Community is feeling guilty at all the requests for @jackcully emojis? And with the CASS switching maybe it’s recency bias, given it was a while ago now? And we don’t CASS every day, so maybe it’s just that it’s not high in our consciousness? By the way, for our US friends and others, CASS is the Current Account Switching Service - it let’s you move bank account keeping all your direct debits and standing orders in place, and redirecting funds from your old account. It’s kinda cool.
I also feel moved to say that coming towards the bottom of this list isn’t failure - this is the short list so represents the best community moments of the year, so anything on it is already a winner!
4. Most Suffering Monzonaut
Okay, embargo lifted!
Who’s definitely not the most suffering Monzonaut? Coming last in the poll is…
This is excellent news because all I can read into it is that being mistaken for me is no bad thing! Onwards!
5. Best Community Engagement
Embargoes falling left right and centre!
But this one breaks my (hot coral) heart
Coming last (say it isn’t so) on the shortlist of community excellence, is…
- The Paid Team
No!!! These are really one of my favourite teams. The folks behind Trends, Connected Accounts and all sorts of other fun stuff are out. I’m gutted. Just remember this was a short list of excellence - you still one of da best!
Anyway, a special shout-out to @avb @tjvr @RoreEricaOkoh and the whole team for your efforts. Chapeau!
6. Most Anticipated New Feature
The @davidwalton award for corporate espionage gathers pace! A few to get through here, so we’ll reveal a couple today…
Previously, we had position 10 shared as Get Paid Early in the US and Full Roll Out of Connected Accounts in the UK. What about positions 7 and 8?
Coming 8th (with 2 votes):
- Change Your Flex Payment Date (UK)
Coming 7th (with 3 votes):
- Joint Accounts (US)
Two more to go with single digit percentage votes, then onto the big stuff!
5. Best Mondzo Logo
With 6% of the vote, we have the classic Monzo logo, Mondo style!
It’s pretty similar to the Monzo version - does that mean that one will be next?
I’m off to shed a tear and comfort the Paid Team. More tomorrow!
Jeez America is messed up, isn’t it?
TBH, if the same team is responsible for all those things, they need a better name.
Trends stuff has been good, but in my mind that’s a completely separate thing from Plus/Premium, or should be?
But when I think of the paid team I think of Plus and Premium, and post launch it’s been a bit crap, which is why they didn’t get my vote. Even in the run up to improving the virtual card functionality, there was little in the way of engagement, and then following it. Plus and Premium need some love, especially with US customers seemingly getting the features for free as standard as they’re made available there, which leaves me with a bit of a sour taste.
Update 3/5: Getting to the sharp end…
1. Best Monzo Launch (UK)
Previously, on the Big 2022 in Review Poll, we’ve eliminated 17 launches!
Today, we eliminate five more…
With 2 votes:
- New Day cards in Connected Accounts (Labs)
- Targets (Budgets!) in Trends
With 3 votes:
-
Starling Bank in Connected Accounts (Labs)
-
Balance Tab (new Pulse!) in Trends
With 4 votes:
- Trends graphs for all
2. Best Monzo Launch (US)
With four votes…
- Connected Accounts via Plaid!
3. Best Community Moment
Just one today. It was a late entrant, but it was a good one! In 6th place we have…
-----4. Most Suffering Monzonaut
Coming in an honourable fourth in the Most Suffering Monzonaut category is (are?)…
- @cookywook, @AlanDoe and @JackCully for the Gym SpyCam incident
5. Best Community Engagement
Who thought this category was a good idea?! Next one for heartbreak (despite putting in an exceptional effort is)…
- The US Team
I’m all out of love, I’m so lost without you. Ahem! Special shout-out to @lincoln @while-loop, @denisewong, @thomasm and the whole team for your efforts. Bravo!
6. Most Anticipated New Feature
Live footage there of the spycraft that went into getting this list. Ahem. Onwards.
Previously, we had position 10 shared as Get Paid Early in the US and Full Roll Out of Connected Accounts in the UK, 8 as Change Your Flex Payment Date (UK), and 7 as Full US Joint account roll out
What next?
Coming 6th (with 4 votes):
- Separate Feed and/or place for Flex in Trends (UK)
Coming 5th (with 5 votes):
- Combined feed!
5. Best Monzdo Logo
Under Embargo
That’s all for today. Tune in tomorrow for the next reveal, after which we’ll know our finalists!
Update 4/5: Semi Finals!
1. Best Monzo Launch (UK)
Previously, on the Big 2022 in Review Poll, we’ve eliminated 22 launches!
Today, we eliminate six …
With 4 votes:
- The Balance Tab in Trends
With 5 votes:
-
Merchant View in Trends
-
Flex six month interest free promo
With 6 votes:
- Neon Cards
With 7 votes:
- Flex Virtual Card
With 8 votes:
- View your CVC in the app!
2. Best Monzo Launch (US)
With six votes…
- Trends for the US!
3. Best Community Moment
Two have drawn with seven votes today. In joint 4th place, we have…
- @DavidWalton getting a teardown Super-injunction to avoid spoiling the Neon cards reveal
- Monzo rebrands
4. Most Suffering Monzonaut
In third place, one of many entries for this particular Monzonaut…
- @JackCully for the Blobby Card incident
5. Best Community Engagement
Three left: Flex (will the last minute intervention by @TheoGibson pay dividends?), the Community Team and the App Evolution team. All very strong candidates, but who has fallen at the (near) final hurdle?
- It’s the App Evolution team
*What can I say? Amazing shift by @emmag, @leepethers and team. We’re clearly loving your work - and long may it continue in 2023
6. Most Anticipated New Feature
Only four left… Who will leave us today? It is…
Coming 4th (with 11 votes):
- Monzo rebrand in the app
5. Best Monzdo Logo
Three left! And in third place we have…
The new Monzo logo!
Final results are tomorrow - and finalists to be revealed below!
The balance tab was robbed.
Finalists revealed!
Best Monzo Launch UK
- Flex available for all
- Flex takes first instalment next month, not immediately
- Overview (new Home Screen) in Labs
Best Monzo Launch US
- Joint Account Beta
- Monzo US Exits Beta
Best Community Moment
- @emmag reveals what that odd thing in the app was all about…
-
Free neon cards for the community!!
- Three launches in 24 hours! (Mortgage cards in Labs, new Overview home screen in Labs, Targets)
Most Suffering Monzonaut
It’s an @AlanDoe vs @jackcully head-to-head!
- @AlanDoe for putting up with the lot of us (and having to do the occasional forum equivalent of “mop up on aisle 7”).
- @JackCully for the Forum Emojis incidents
Best Community Engagement
- @TheoGibson and the Flex team!
- The App Evolution Team
- The Community Team
Most Anticipated New Feature
- Flex physical card
- Full roll out of the Overview home page
- Investments in Monzo
Best Logo
It’s another head-to-head, this time between classic Monzo and Hot Coral Monzo!
You missed the finalists for community engagement!
Do you have a vendetta against @TheoGibson or something?
I SHALL NEVER LIVE THIS DOWN