Firstly, I wanted to say how much I am enjoying Monzo. I also think Monzo has a potential use in the charitable sector. Would it be possible for a charity to register for several Monzo cards, distribute these to those in need and monitor the spending and top up the beneficiaries cards (all with consent of the beneficiary)? The real time transaction information and the ability to top up cards over the internet, rather than distribute cash are real advantages. Please let me know.
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This is a big area to explore, but I think thereâs definitely something to be done!
First of all, I see no reason why Monzo-to-Monzo ease of sending funds couldnât be used to easily send some money to charity. Clicking monzo.me/charityname (requires custom monzo.me links), would add money to that account with no hassle at all.
I think that once Monzo allows virtual cards and saving pots, this can be utilised in many ways too, I can see some benefits for charity too.
Thing is, I donât know how Charities sit with Monzo as a company - Monzo targets private users, while charity stuff can have lots of extra laws, legislation and rules that Monzo would need to incorporate. I donât feel like forcing any charity to use Monzo in a way thatâs not fully legal (as in creating private Monzo account and saying itâs charityâs official account) is a way to go.
But I really would like an option to quickly send some money via Monzo to charity - easier than Paypal or filling out payment form on their website. Maybe third party plugin will do that once API is ready? 
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Thanks for this Andrew! This really resonates with our commitment to provide a helpful and accessible service for people who are financially excluded from traditional banking products. At some point down the line, this may even lead to us working alongside certain charities doing amazing things 
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At the moment our accounts are designated for personal use, and not for business (which includes charities, clubs and other unincorporated associations). There is a lot of legal work involved in making a suggestion like yours a reality, but weâd definitely like to explore ways we could support ideas like this in future.
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My post isnât directly relevant to this thread but it reminded me of a conversation I had last week (coincidentally with another Monzo investor) about how the move towards a cashless society would negatively affect both beggars and charity collection pots.
It seems the former are a perfect scenario for Monzoâs stance on financial exclusion and that monzo.me provides a great solution! Perhaps in the future Monzo could look at finding a way to roll out verification, cards and some sort of laminated sign with a QR code or something similar linked to the cardâs monzo.me link? That way even those without Monzo cards could give, whilst itâd be a lot easier for those with Monzo cards.
The same could more or less apply to charity buckets too, the only complication is that Monzo arenât looking to provide âbusinessâ accounts. It seems the market would be ripe for some sort of monzo.me equivalent but where the payment simply goes on to any account. Perhaps in the future Monzo could look at a mechanism to scan something which would essentially allow someone to send an amount to another bank account from the Monzo app but without necessarily exposing the personâs actual bank details? Or once the full API is Live Iâm sure someone else could easily make something like this.
If youâre a taxpayer itâs better to not put money in a charity box anyway. Do it so the charity can claim gift aid. Putting ÂŁ1 in a box means that canât happen because itâs anonymous.
On your other point, look up Mobile Pay in Denmark. No QR codes just phone numbers. So market stalls put their mobile pay number on their stall and you send them the money. They get a notification. You get whatever you were paying for. Similar things like Venmo exist too.
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In the UK paym supports businesses. Iâm actually still so surprised it hasnât taken off further. Then again what percentage of âmarket stallâ businesses who take cash declare earnings accurately. Still hoping monzo integrates with paymâŚ
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I think this is a really good idea and something Monzo should pick up when theyâve got current accounts going.
Itâs also a good reason to keep the pre-paid cards around.