Why do you use it in the UK? I prefer to use a credit card wherever possible for CCA section 75 cover (over £100). That includes payments abroad, for which I have a Lloyds Avios card which offers 0% fees for purchases.

I've primarily got the Monzo card for Cash Machine withdrawals abroad. And if I'm paying somewhere I'm not sure I can trust the vendor. For example where they want to take the card to swipe it themselves (restaurants without wireless terminal), or where they want to use the mag strip. You can enable and disable mag strip payments from the App, which is a great feature IMO.

The great thing (at the moment anyway) about Monzo is its easy to top up so no reason to hold a big balance on it, no fee's to catch you out and you can clear the remaining funds in the UK on your return (many others seem to have fee's for UK use).

For larger foreign currency payments I would still very strongly advice getting a 0% Fee credit card. And I would definitely advice using a credit card in the UK for anything over £100.

so I've just entrusted them with pics of my ID along with other personal details :face_with_monocle:

OK, so i don't need it immediately but I like the idea of getting it now rather than waiting but also don't want £100 tied up (planning trip to USA in summer).
Can I top up the £100 now and withdraw it all the day i get the card from a UK ATM without any fees and without the card being cancelled?

Starling bank is a good alternative: starlingbank.com/ Their current accounts are protected up to £85,000, Monzo are releasing currents accounts later this year that are protected up to £85,000. The Monzo prepay account is not protected. ~2 weeks waiting list currently for Starling bank though.

As my Supercard travelex (was fantastic) is ending, I might as well jump shift

I have it, I find Revolut much better though. The only card out of many that I actually use.

I wonder if I can use this in Minsk, Belarus?

Starling offers 0.5 pc on deposits and 12 APR overdraft much better than Barclays

I would also like to know, going on holiday to Thailand soon.

Received mine today, ordered yesterday.

Cheers OP.

I used this card while in the Pyrenees and Barcelona last week and it was amazing. Great exchange rates and no fee for using abroad. The 2 people I went away with also have Monzo which meant it was so easy to split any costs/bills on the app. Would highly recommend Monzo!

My card arrived today after ordering yesterday afternoon. Speedy! Thanks OP

I have both the Revolut card and the Monzo card.

Both are good for using abroad (to avoid exchange rate fees) and for withdrawing cash from ATM's. I think Monzo is better than Revolut as it has no fees of it's own for withdrawls (Revolut charges 0.5% after the first £200/month) and as others have pointed out Monzo has dynamic exchange rates all of the time whereas Revolut charges more at weekends. Both have no fees for use in stores, online, etc. With Revolut you can store money in 5 currencies (£, $, Euro, Polish, CHF). Both have set limits as to how much you can use the card - Monzo I think is £250/withdrawl and £1000 max withdrawls per month.

JUST BE AWARE - that when using any of the cards to withdraw cash from ATM's abroad, the ATM provider may charge you per withdrawl. This is not a fee that goes to Revolut or Monzo - it is an ATM bank charge. If you look at the Monzo community threads you can get info on which ATM's charge/don't charge in different countries.

The ability to control and monitor transactions via your mobile is great - on a number of occasions when purchasing goods online, I have had conformation from Monzo even before I got confirmation from the online shop I was purchasing from.

If planning on using either or both of these cards abroad, I would recommend that you also bring a back-up debit and/or credit card just in case (e.g. the Halifax Clarity card). Also - don't use either of these cards for deposits on hire cars, etc as a large amount of your cash would be blocked by the car hire company.

What's the difference between using Monzo & the Halifax Clarity credit card which MSE recommend & also has no fees worldwide?

Designed for transactional banking and not savings. I used the card recently in USA and had no issues. If any balance on card on return to uk then you can withdrawal from UK atm again no charge.

What's the point of having an account which doesn't give you any interest on deposits?

I used this card whilst in Barcelona just 2 weeks ago. Make sure you choose to withdraw in Euros and not use the ATM exchange rate (accept to not convert by ATM company, and Monzo will give you the kick ass exchange rate).

I even used it to withdraw from ATM's in Spain, and got a better exchange rate than when I took emergency euros in cash out from the UK. Never going to go to a cash exchange bank again!

I have this and revolut and monzo wins everytime for these simple reasons:

They don't reduce the exchange rate at weekends and the withdrawal limit at a cash machine is higher (£400 abroad on monzo vs £200 on revolut.)

Generally, though you can't go wrong with either.

Spending is instantly updated on the app and gives you a notification straight away. It's also bright pink which was very handy when I dropped it without realizing in a car park last week!

I can also confirm that there are no fees. When topping up the initial £100; the card is dispatched within a day or so, there is no minimum balance and no time limits on spending. You can withdraw all £100 the day you receive the card if you wished.

The cards pin code is sent to your registered mobile telephone number once you have activated the card upon receipt, the pin code can be changed as any other bank card using an ATM.

I use this as my primary spending card within the UK for instore and online shopping, I have used this abroad in Europe in restaurants, shops and ATMs without any problems or fees. The exchange rate from local currency to pounds was better than the money exchange kiosks! just ensure that if asked; do you want to be charged in pounds or local currency? go for local currency otherwise you will pay the shops card transaction exchange rate.

I use the app on my android phone which is great, instant notification on spending, you can block the card if lost and also unblock it when found, enable / disable the magnetic stripe for older card machines or where chip and pin doesn't work.

Android pay works well, the card is also contactless upto £30 then after that the card terminal will ask for your pin code (you can still touch to pay for higher transaction just you will be required to enter your pin) I guess this is the same for other contactless cards.

You can link your current account bank card to the app for ease of topping up; the topups are instant, you may also setup a standing order from your account to top up the Monzo card which takes a day to clear.

you can split a bill with others using the app, add notes and upload receipts / photographs to each individual transaction.

Customer service is available via online instant messaging within the app 24/7

Monzo will be starting current accounts later in the year having been approved by the FCA, staff and some initial investors are currently trialing the current accounts

The only negative I have found with the Monzo card is that had I not had the Monzo card I would have probably spent less money on holiday.

Android pay top ups are now supported.

Also My limits have recently gone up becasue I have been using it a while :smile:

I used to have Revolut and it went straight in the bin as soon as I got Monzo.

I use it as my main card in the UK now and if I go on holiday I don't bother taking any cash with me just use this card everywhere.(And if I need cash I just use an ATM abroad and know i'm not getting charged any fees)

Yes

Can I use this in Europe with no fees

Very helpful too, thanx. :-)

Revoult or this ?

I've got one, pretty good and useful, used it in Paris the other week,.

For more info and opinions check this thread:

hotukdeals.com/fre…078

There's no difference in the fees, but some people might not get accepted for the credit card.

I use this and love it, helps monitor where money goes and once money is loaded to the card, you don't have to keep checking your bank account to see if you have enough - works like a separate account - the apps really simple and useful.

Thanx for allll the above info. guys. :-)

Metro bank is good for travelling in Europe, but this card has no fees anywhere

You're better off opening an account with Metro bank if you just want a spare card or a card to take on holiday. There's no requirement for a £100 "pre-deposit" either.

I used this when I went abroad a few months ago - brilliant card.
When I ordered it before I left it arrived next day :smile:

BTW - I just applied through the MSE link and it says the card should get to me by this Friday 9th :smile:

Here is some info from MSE and you if go through their link:

Need-to-knows

No fees to spend or withdraw cash.
You must initially top up £100 to get the card. After that, you can top up a minimum of £10 by debit card. You can top up less than £10 via bank transfer, but this takes at least one working day to clear. Debit card top-ups show up almost straight away.
You must apply and manage the card via the app which is available for iPhone and Android.
You'll receive the card within one to two working days if you go via our link above (there's a waiting list, but our link ensures you reach the top of the queue).
Monzo now has full FCA regulation, though the prepaid card isn't FSCS-protected. However, they are backed by Wirecard and any money loaded is ring-fenced so in the event of bankruptcy, your money is protected.
You can withdraw up to £250/day and £1,000/month. There’s no name printed on the card to make it easier to send out cards. If you're using the card for online payments, just enter your name as usual, and the card number. You shouldn't have any problems.

So I take it either Android Pay, and/or via PayPal, isn't happening then?, or .....

I'm looking at a quick trip abroad soon, and something like this may just be the ticket I'm looking for? (no pun intended, hehehe), but only if it's right ... lol.

Other than entering your Card Details, is it only Apple Pay that's supported then?.

Or .....

And after dropping your £100 into the Monzo Bank thing, how quickly soon after do you then get their Bank Card the sent out to you too?, or ..... thanx. :-)

Just signed up... I know a friend who has this who has said it has helped with his spending! You have to put £100 on your Monzo account before you can receive your card... So ensure you have this ready.. You can do this via Apple Pay or enter in your card details if you do not have Apple Pay set up on your phone

At the time you posted it, there was no get deal link showing on the HDUK iPhone app. That's why I was querying it.

Thank you

Great pre load card and app for using abroad.
used mine in France, Greece and Spain with no ATM problems at all.

thanks for sharing

Just a pre paid card at the moment. Starling bank offers full current account with nearly same app. No fees as well...

Have used this to buy deals from this website in foreign currency. Very good rate too

Sorry, I meant just click get deal

Eh? Which link?

Monzo obviously isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I think it's a pretty good deal, especially if your planning on going abroad anytime soon.

There's usually a waiting list but use the link to skip it.