I had this email a few months ago and it said it was for regulatory reasons. I wonder why it’s been reworded.
I just found the email and it said (I’ve made it bold):
We’re not asking you these questions for marketing reasons. It’s a regulatory requirement that we hold relevant, up-to-date information about the customers we serve. It helps us give you the right level of support, and helps keep everyone safe.
Maybe OP clipped part of it. The error in the grammar (in the quote) makes me think it wasn’t a direct copy and paste without an edit.
I did think that initially, but that part of the email answers OP’s question about why Monzo wants the information and explains they’re asking for regulatory reasons (not for marketing)
I have to agree that the “It helps us give you the right level of support” bit does seem a bit of a red herring. Why not just leave it after the second sentence?
That’s a fair point, either way it’s not very well worded
The part you emphasised is what’s missing.
If Monzo have removed that bit from their copy, then that’s very poor and they have added to the confusion.
If OP has quoted the first and last part, this whole thread is a bit pointless.
Its not pointless. Its still an overly complicated paragraph for something which, in reality, is very simple.
“Here’s the first part of a paragraph and the last part with the key details containing the context missing, but I want to complain about that”
Completely pointless. If that’s what happened of course, might not be.
Even if there is a bit of selective editing though, the inclusion of the last line of copy makes it easy to dismiss.
We’re not asking you these questions for marketing reasons. It’s a regulatory requirement that we hold relevant, up-to-date information about the customers we serve. It helps us give you the right level of support, and helps keep everyone safe.
Here’s an important reason for it being mandatory, but here’s a contradictary statement that makes it sound optional
Just stop the email after “it’s a regulatory requirement” - everything else makes it murkier. Sure the info is there. But why add non-helpful info that confuses the instruction?
This is the full text of the email I got. Bold and spacing from the original.
Please head into the app and answer a few questions about your personal details
It’s a regulatory requirement that we have this information, so if you haven’t done it in the next 30 days, we’ll restrict access to your app until you answer the questions.
We’re not asking you these questions for marketing reasons
It helps us give you the right level of support, and helps keep everyone safe. We’ll keep any information you give us secure, and only use it in line with our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Notice.
If we do restrict your Monzo app
You’ll still be able to receive money, pay with your card or Apple Pay/Google Pay, and your existing payments will work. But you won’t be able to get into the app and see or change anything there until you’ve answered the questions.
If you have any questions, chat with us in the app.
I just bought a flat and did a lot of money laundering checks and verifications without issue. But that was because they clearly said it was for money laundering checks and didn’t muddy the waters by talking about “levels of support”. Which frankly, still doesn’t make sense to me and still makes me think they want this information for more than just regulatory requirements – if not, why add it?
It’s not “how do I create a pot” type support. But “you look like you’re being used a money mule” support.
It could be clearer but it makes a lot more sense with the whole section and not two sentences cherry picked.
I wonder if this also came as a push notification in the app?
I had one when my account had only been open a couple of weeks and a large amount of money went in and very quickly out again. I also recently had to update my business details which seems to be an annual thing (and annoyingly close to Christmas with a much shorter deadline to answer the questions).
I’d prefer to receive these as push notifications though especially as Monzo use some dodgy looking domain names from which to send their emails.
When I had to do it, both for AML like OP here, and their KYC misstep of forgetting to collect an important piece of information during onboarding it was just done via email. Not even a modicum of information in the app.
At least when other banks email you, there’s usually a secure message facility which shows you emails they’ve sent to you within your account so you can check authenticity.
The emails I had were both quite some time ago now but I recall them being rather vague. It appears to be remedied in the email to the OP here, but overly so in that there’s a lot of fluff and noise on each side of the only important sentence.
The emails I had were along the gist of we need this information here’s how to provide it. No why or what for or any way to verify the email actually came from them, nor what if anything would happen if I didn’t provide it. Had a back and forth email exchange with someone who answered most of my questions but not everything, namely the what would happen if I didn’t, just that it would be reported as a non-response.
Literally just say you need blah blah because we’re required by regulations. If you can, maybe explain why it’s required by regulations and what it’s used for in plain English, or even just direct the customer to the regulation in question so they can read it themselves. The rest is irrelevant and unhelpful fluff to appear friendly. They’ve gone from the single sentence that tells you nothing (the emails I got way back when), to multiple paragraphs that still tell you mostly nothing when all they really needed was a second sentence.
Either way, there’s no excuse for not having a flow for this stuff 100% via the app.
I’m pretty sure I had an app notification. Or at least that I updated my details in-app.
I had to go in app to update (there was a blank thing in the profile bit you had to fill in), but never had any app notification from what I recall.
They are now giving me notifications in the app whenever I log in, although that is a recent development.
I also don’t understand is why, if they are required to get this information, are they saying I can still keep banking with them (just not using the app) if I don’t provide it.
There’s some info here on what’s expected of Monzo:
My best guess is them locking your account down in that way is their process of preventing money laundering without depriving you access to your money.
It reminds me of this:
In the way it’s phrased in the press it sounds like the closing of accounts is what’s in breach, but I’m sure I’m drawing an assumption there from how it’s worded. But if that is the case, then locking the account down in this way is probably their solution to that issue.
Who’s to say though? Only Monzo will know and they’ll have a policy somewhere. You could ask. I would.
The outcome of that hasn’t been published yet, has it?
Feels like it’s taking a while…
Don’t think so, but these departments are run by sloths. I’ve still not been assigned a handler for my ombudsman complaint yet. It’s been 8 months now which is well beyond their stated within 4 months for assigning a case handler!
Just throwing this out there… I have many bank accounts besides Monzo. I keep seeing this is a regulatory requirement, yet none of my other banks (traditional B&M, besides Starling) have asked me for this (again, besides Starling). Find it odd when it’s then accompanied with vague wording such as Monzo’s take on it or Starlings ‘what industry do you work in’ which to this day I can’t fathom the relevance of when my salary doesn’t go to that account.
Is this truly a requirement; are the old banks just behind and will do this eventually; what’s the deal?