There has been a lot of chat about Monzo but don't forget about Starling Bank that is a true current account with bank switching, faster payments and FSCS protection up to £85,000.
It has the same fee free spending abroad as Monzo and they are quite similar in most aspects currently, except that Starling is a current account not a prepay account. This means that money in Monzo is not protected under FSCS until it becomes a current account.
Starling is a full bank account complete with sort code and account number. You can pay people instantly, set up direct debits and standing orders, and you’ll get a globally-accepted Contactless Mastercard debit card too. Your money is protected up to £85,000 with the FSCS.
- Open an account in minutes all from your mobile
- No charges when you use your card abroad
- Zero monthly account fees
- 24/7 In app customer support via: Live Chat, message and email.
There is a approximately a 10-14 day wait when I last checked.
All comments (66)
thomas01155
12 Jun 17#1
There has been a lot of chat about Monzo but don't forget about Starling Bank that is a true current account with bank switching, faster payments and FSCS protection up to £85,000.
It has the same fee free spending abroad as Monzo and they are quite similar in most aspects currently, except that Starling is a current account not a prepay account. This means that money in Monzo is not protected under FSCS until it becomes a current account.
Starling is a full bank account complete with sort code and account number. You can pay people instantly, set up direct debits and standing orders, and you’ll get a globally-accepted Contactless Mastercard debit card too. Your money is protected up to £85,000 with the FSCS.
- Open an account in minutes all from your mobile
- No charges when you use your card abroad
- Zero monthly account fees
- 24/7 In app customer support via: Live Chat, message and email.
There is a approximately a 10-14 day wait when I last checked.
bandit17
12 Jun 17#2
Sounds good, since you can use your card abroad, I assume you can make online purchases in Euros or Dollars with no fees as well? :smile: Thanks.
whelan189
12 Jun 17#3
any limits?
Pootled
12 Jun 17#4
Guess we have to wait two weeks for the code to find out if it is any good.
thomas01155
12 Jun 17#5
Yep you can use the card online also :-)
thomas01155
12 Jun 17#6
You can send up to £10,000 faster payments from the account per 24 hours. What type of limits did you want to know about :-)?
They have a live chat on their website that might be quite helpful.
whelan189 to thomas01155
12 Jun 17#7
taking cash out abroad, revolut is 200£ per month, monzo is 1000£ month, anymore then this then its a 3% fee
thomas01155
12 Jun 17#8
I have been using it for a week and haven't had any issues yet. Used it on a USD site also and worked fine. I like that you can chat 24/7 on the live chat, I dislike calling up if I have questions about things.
thomas01155
12 Jun 17#9
Ah, you can take up to £300 day out in the equivalent currency. So around £9000 a month (depending on amount of days) in an equivalent currency I believe.
whelan189 to thomas01155
12 Jun 17#10
ahh thats quite good then thanks , there all good till they get mainstream then start acting like normal banks
thomas01155
12 Jun 17#11
Yeah Supercard used to be great, then it changed, then it closed down. Revolut used to have less limits with exchanging as far as I know, now have to be a premium member for higher limits.
Best card that has survived it all is the Halifax Clarity Credit Card.
HankHandsome
12 Jun 17#12
Metro Bank is also an option if people just want a spare account. You can get a contactless debit card with basic bank account with them as well which not all banks offer.
Feel people that think this is a pre paid card it isn't, it's a fully fledged current account.
Zameen
13 Jun 17#15
So you can take money out abroad from a local atm in local currency with no charges whatsoever incl atm and cash advance ? also get mastercard exchange rates
thomas01155
13 Jun 17#16
It is a debit master card so no cash advances. But yeah there will be no charges at ATMs unless the ATM has a fee itself for use like they do in some countries. You get the MasterCard exchange rate which is always decent. When using an ATM make sure it charges you in the countries currency and not GBP.
Zameen
13 Jun 17#17
does the money in your account get interest ?
thomas01155
13 Jun 17#18
"Our current rate is 0.5% AER on positive account balances.
Our rate from the 4th June 2017 will be 0.5% AER on balances up to £2,000 and 0.25% on balances above £2,000, up to £85,000" - starlingbank.com/leg…ng/
If you are after good interests rate then it probably isn't the best account for you :-)
I have two accounts currently, I'm only using Starling for use in other currencies and another account for higher interest rates.
scrumpypaul
13 Jun 17#19
daughter goes to USA in August to study for four years. would this be a good option for her?
ethanol
13 Jun 17#20
how does it compare to Revolut?
No1_VIPER
13 Jun 17#21
The app on the Play Store seems to have pretty bad reviews. Some people saying that it's even got a virus in it oO
Think I'll stick with Monzo, and wait for current accounts to roll out properly.
Not voted either way.
thomas01155
13 Jun 17#22
Yeah it should be, though it may be best for her to look into opening a USA bank account on arrival also and then using something like transfer wise to send funds. Best to compare all the rates and see how much each service will cost :-)
Monzo, Revolut, Starling and TransferWise are all services you may want to research.
I'd recommend taking multiple cards abroad incase one gets stolen/lost or they add fees for international use.
thomas01155
13 Jun 17#23
The app is new so unfortunately false positives are still being fixed by some antivirus companies.
A lot of the bad reviews are due to lack of root support like on android phones, as these digital banks are relatively techy thing they attract techy people who have rooted/jail broken phones.
Starling have chosen to take the route a of not allowing rooted devices, which I don't agree with especially with the audience they are targeting.
Monzo do support rooted devices currently, which is a big positive.
Sharpharp
13 Jun 17#24
Starling app doesn't load on Jailbroken iPhone :disappointed:
Firefly1
13 Jun 17#25
I'm going to Fiji and The Cook Islands without internet for 2 months. Can I cope without the app and just use the debit card for all this time? :smile: Thanks. Internet is £5/MB (No, that is not a typo :disappointed: ) so I'd rather not load the app in those 2 months!!
thomas01155
13 Jun 17#26
Yeah, they get hammered in the reviews about it.
Sharpharp
13 Jun 17#27
Well that's a great start.... lets build a banking/money transfer business based on an App.... oh the App doesn't work u say? I'm out
thomas01155
13 Jun 17#28
I wouldn't want you to be without funds so please check with live support, though I think it should be fine.
I would take multiple cards or have a backup card if one gets blocked or doesn't work for some reason etc.
Will you have any access to free WiF? As it will allow you to look at your balance occasionally and what exchange rate it's given you.
thomas01155
13 Jun 17#29
You should leave a review to reflect your feelings about it. I'm on your side and I do think they should support jail broken and rooted phones unless some law or compliance reason makes it illegal :-)
jay7472
13 Jun 17#30
Just joined
Firefly1
13 Jun 17#31
I'm travelling to New Zealand in between the 2 places, which has affordable internet. So can definitely check after 1 month. The exchange rate check is a bit irrelevant if it is Mastercard exchange rate - it's not like I can do better elsewhere?
Firefly1
13 Jun 17#32
I also just spoke to Starling live chat and they confirmed the card will work anywhere in the World that accepts Mastercard - which is pretty much everywhere :smile:
thomas01155
13 Jun 17#33
Thanks for the explanation, I can see where you are coming from with it increasing vulnerabilities. However, I still think if the user wants to take that risk they should be informed of the consequences but allowed to do so. Normally only 'power users' root and jailbreak so may understand the increased risks.
I'm sure a large majority of the users will be standard non root people eventually so the score will probably recover on Google play after sometime.
Rid1
13 Jun 17#34
Perfect! Going to Switzerland soon, awesome timing!
amour3k
13 Jun 17#35
Ain't that sheeeeeeee the truth?!. :-(
Hehehehe, ahhhhhhhh well?. :-)
KonsumerKing
13 Jun 17#36
I,m going to Mars for 5 years , plus 3yrs there and back , so need a card for Martian and Earth units , Internet going to get worse the further from Earth I am ,will stop at a Lunar Station , hope I can get a good exchange rate there and will I get charged ATM fees , worried about the app !..let alone Amazon Prime delivery :wink: Sorry thomas01155 , could not resist a bit of fun ,voted hot mate !
Zameen
13 Jun 17#37
how long does the physical card take to arrive ?
Zameen
13 Jun 17#38
just signed up
thomas01155
13 Jun 17#39
:grin: :grin: :grin: :grin: :wink:
cataplines
13 Jun 17#40
Code is gone now, let's see how long we need to wait...
Ash265
14 Jun 17#41
Sorry, I didn't get it. Why there is a code ? what is it for and where do you use it ?
BulldogNo1 to Ash265
14 Jun 17#42
You sign up and then they text you a verification code to verify it's your phone, then a bit later they send another code so that you can activate your account. They put a 100 use code on here which has obviously now been used up, so you just have to wait for them to send you your unique activation code.
adi0604
14 Jun 17#43
I assume they would do hard credit check on each new a/c before activation, can anyone confirm?
thomas01155
14 Jun 17#44
I believe they only do an identity check, so you should use an address you live at and are on the electoral roll for. A hard credit check is done if you try to add an overdraft to the account after you've opened it, however it's optional, so don't add an overdraft.
You should be able to get the account even if your credit rating is bad/ poor. I'd imagine a CIFAS fraud marker would be an issue.
You might wish to confirm this with the 24/7 live chat on their site.
Sharpharp
14 Jun 17#45
You have got to laugh at these cowboys... if their banking is anything like their customer service i'm glad I didn't join.
This was the response to by question about why the App doesn't load on iPhone...
"We are not supporting iPhone SE anymore, that is why you can't run the app".........
So let me get this right, they do not support the SE specifically>???? That's crazy Russians for ya (his name was Victor)
thomas01155
14 Jun 17#46
That seems really odd that the SE isn't supported! It's not like it's that old, what version of iOS does it run?
Honestly though that isn't a customer service decision, that is probably from the developers to drop support for a device. At least they were blunt and to the point :-)
Update: I just spoke to customer service and they said the app functions on the iPhone 5 and above. Is your phone jailbroken?
Sharpharp
14 Jun 17#47
Yep, I wouldn't ever get an iPhone if I couldn't Jailbreak it. -Every other app I've ever used works fine
EndemicAlarm
14 Jun 17#48
Is this any use for paying online when charged in foreign currency?
thomas01155
14 Jun 17#49
Yep it's good for that :-) Revolut and Monzo are also good.
Ash265
15 Jun 17#50
Thank you.
PLUSMAN
15 Jun 17#51
Already have Monzo and Revolut, so I'll give this a go and see what it is like for overseas travel. Activation code arrived within a few hours and card is due to be dispatched on Friday. The key benefit I see with these services is the (so far) lack of fees for use overseas and the ability to see instantly payments etc as they are made (For example with Monzo, I get notification from Monzo that I've just carried out a transaction online even before the online shop confirms it).
nigelbutler
15 Jun 17#52
Yeah love Monzo for that Took it to Spain was using contactless you get the instant notification and shows the euro pound conversion
Brilliant - total control - well unless you are in the pub
zan87
16 Jun 17#53
I am going to Spain in August. I don't like carrying too much cash but I'm wary of charges for using card or withdrawing cash. Would this be my best option?
Firefly1
16 Jun 17#54
My card came today. Everything so far has been super professional and I'm impressed :smile:
thomas01155
16 Jun 17#55
This, Monzo or Revolut :-)
zan87
16 Jun 17#56
Is there a best out of the three or are they pretty comparable? Im quite new to this stuff.
Thank you.
thomas01155
16 Jun 17#57
They are all pretty similar. I'd just go for Starling as it's a real current account then if there is something you don't like try one of the others. The card should work almost everywhere.
Revolut is partially a current account, though I'd say Revolut customer service is below the other two.
Monzo haven't released current accounts yet and requires a minimum £100 topup to initially open the account. Sometimes prepay cards can also be a bit odd.
thomas01155
17 Jun 17#58
New code :-) 0JFY8PX3
Quinten
17 Jun 17#59
Not sure if it works for multiple uses, but I managed to create my account using this code. Cheers!
jamiedb
20 Jun 17#60
All set up and liking the look and feel of things! I'll most likely be using my Aqua Reward card abroad but will take this as a back-up (or if I forget my Aqua PIN!). Thanks for making me aware :smile:
thomas01155
20 Jun 17#61
No worries, the starling card will be useful for cash withdrawals abroad since as your reward credit card will cost 3% (minimum £3) per card withdrawal which is quite high. Though for purchases the Aqua card is better :smile:
panddda
24 Jun 17#62
I've had an Aqua card for a while for the international conversion rates, and also the high interest rate that means I'm more inclined to pay it off every month unlike the low Clarity one. But they're annoying me so much now I'm about to bin it - the fraud blocks seem to happen just about every month, especially if I'm using it during the night time UK. So just be wary if you're planning on using Aqua abroad and take a backup as they have got serious reliability issues! One way around it is to request an additional card holder (you can keep the card yourself) as the second one often works for the same transaction that the first one declined (no sense to it whatsoever!). I love Monzo and am using that more and more now.
jamiedb
24 Jun 17#63
Thanks for your review lol. Might as well get a 2nd cardholder for one of my friends I'm travelling with. They're taking Euros and a Halifax Clarity so hopefully we should be okay! :smile:
liamdaly
1 Jul 17#64
I've been a Starling customer for awhile now, moved from Lloyds and couldn't be happier. Customer service is fantastic. Using it abroad when traveling is great as I am not charged ridiculous fees.
Looking forward to Monzo to launch though, as I also use it as a top up card when traveling
Pootled
20 Jul 17#65
I've been using a month now and have no problems. Certainly better than Halifax as an every day use card.
fd225
20 Aug 17#66
Plenty of sign up codes left on my account :smile: 4FNSEKK9
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Opening post
Apple Store: itunes.apple.com/gb/…430
Google Play: play.google.com/sto…oid
It has the same fee free spending abroad as Monzo and they are quite similar in most aspects currently, except that Starling is a current account not a prepay account. This means that money in Monzo is not protected under FSCS until it becomes a current account.
Starling is a full bank account complete with sort code and account number. You can pay people instantly, set up direct debits and standing orders, and you’ll get a globally-accepted Contactless Mastercard debit card too. Your money is protected up to £85,000 with the FSCS.
- Open an account in minutes all from your mobile
- No charges when you use your card abroad
- Zero monthly account fees
- 24/7 In app customer support via: Live Chat, message and email.
There is a approximately a 10-14 day wait when I last checked.
All comments (66)
Apple Store: itunes.apple.com/gb/…430
Google Play: play.google.com/sto…oid
It has the same fee free spending abroad as Monzo and they are quite similar in most aspects currently, except that Starling is a current account not a prepay account. This means that money in Monzo is not protected under FSCS until it becomes a current account.
Starling is a full bank account complete with sort code and account number. You can pay people instantly, set up direct debits and standing orders, and you’ll get a globally-accepted Contactless Mastercard debit card too. Your money is protected up to £85,000 with the FSCS.
- Open an account in minutes all from your mobile
- No charges when you use your card abroad
- Zero monthly account fees
- 24/7 In app customer support via: Live Chat, message and email.
There is a approximately a 10-14 day wait when I last checked.
They have a live chat on their website that might be quite helpful.
Best card that has survived it all is the Halifax Clarity Credit Card.
metrobankonline.co.uk/
Our rate from the 4th June 2017 will be 0.5% AER on balances up to £2,000 and 0.25% on balances above £2,000, up to £85,000" - starlingbank.com/leg…ng/
If you are after good interests rate then it probably isn't the best account for you :-)
I have two accounts currently, I'm only using Starling for use in other currencies and another account for higher interest rates.
Think I'll stick with Monzo, and wait for current accounts to roll out properly.
Not voted either way.
Monzo, Revolut, Starling and TransferWise are all services you may want to research.
I'd recommend taking multiple cards abroad incase one gets stolen/lost or they add fees for international use.
A lot of the bad reviews are due to lack of root support like on android phones, as these digital banks are relatively techy thing they attract techy people who have rooted/jail broken phones.
Starling have chosen to take the route a of not allowing rooted devices, which I don't agree with especially with the audience they are targeting.
Monzo do support rooted devices currently, which is a big positive.
I would take multiple cards or have a backup card if one gets blocked or doesn't work for some reason etc.
Will you have any access to free WiF? As it will allow you to look at your balance occasionally and what exchange rate it's given you.
I'm sure a large majority of the users will be standard non root people eventually so the score will probably recover on Google play after sometime.
Hehehehe, ahhhhhhhh well?. :-)
They put a 100 use code on here which has obviously now been used up, so you just have to wait for them to send you your unique activation code.
You should be able to get the account even if your credit rating is bad/ poor. I'd imagine a CIFAS fraud marker would be an issue.
You might wish to confirm this with the 24/7 live chat on their site.
This was the response to by question about why the App doesn't load on iPhone...
"We are not supporting iPhone SE anymore, that is why you can't run the app".........
So let me get this right, they do not support the SE specifically>???? That's crazy Russians for ya (his name was Victor)
Honestly though that isn't a customer service decision, that is probably from the developers to drop support for a device. At least they were blunt and to the point :-)
Update: I just spoke to customer service and they said the app functions on the iPhone 5 and above. Is your phone jailbroken?
The key benefit I see with these services is the (so far) lack of fees for use overseas and the ability to see instantly payments etc as they are made (For example with Monzo, I get notification from Monzo that I've just carried out a transaction online even before the online shop confirms it).
Took it to Spain was using contactless you get the instant notification and shows the euro pound conversion
Brilliant - total control - well unless you are in the pub
Everything so far has been super professional and I'm impressed :smile:
Thank you.
Revolut is partially a current account, though I'd say Revolut customer service is below the other two.
Monzo haven't released current accounts yet and requires a minimum £100 topup to initially open the account. Sometimes prepay cards can also be a bit odd.
I've had an Aqua card for a while for the international conversion rates, and also the high interest rate that means I'm more inclined to pay it off every month unlike the low Clarity one. But they're annoying me so much now I'm about to bin it - the fraud blocks seem to happen just about every month, especially if I'm using it during the night time UK. So just be wary if you're planning on using Aqua abroad and take a backup as they have got serious reliability issues! One way around it is to request an additional card holder (you can keep the card yourself) as the second one often works for the same transaction that the first one declined (no sense to it whatsoever!). I love Monzo and am using that more and more now.
Looking forward to Monzo to launch though, as I also use it as a top up card when traveling
Certainly better than Halifax as an every day use card.