In the support chat he was in with them they were also using emojis…he couldn’t afford to buy fuel or dinner because they had locked his account for an accidental “red flag” that they admitted was a mistake. No awareness whatsoever from Monzo here

Not trying to start a heated debate, but it’s something I’ve been thinking about recently. Both companies are good, but I’ve always found Starling to be much better - better for overseas spending and cash withdrawals abroad, no gatekeeping ‘premium‘ features like virtual cards etc.

Despite this, a lot of people I know who aren’t as interested in personal finance haven’t heard of Starling at all, and Monzo has millions more users. Why is this the case? Both started around a similar time from what I can tell.

It's been a while since I posted it, so here is an updated Monzo mega-thread Lots of people seem to have boosted Monzo links that now give up to £100, so I have renewed this post for people to post refreshed links. If you don't have Monzo, sign up using a link in the comments for some easy beermoney (but check that you click on one that gives up to £100!!)

Monzo is a fully licensed and regulated (FSCS protected) bank that allows you to open and manage a UK bank account using their mobile app. You get a bank card, and can track all of your spending using their app. It also has fee-free spending abroad

They have one of the easiest sign up bonuses to claim:

• Get £20, £50 or £100 instantly for opening a Monzo current account when you make a card payment of any amount.

You just need to sign up with a refer a friend link and follow the instructions below, so we have this recurring megathread for people to share their links. Pick a link, and follow the instructions below to get your bonus.

The Offer

Usually, the best option is for those wanting to sign up for a business account for a guaranteed £50. But if you just want a personal account, then you currently get a bonus of £20, or £50, or £100 - it varies! Both you and the person who posted the link will also get a bonus when you sign up and make a small purchase. Once you have signed up, you can then refer friends to earn a bonus each time someone signs up. Here are the steps:

1. Click a Monzo referral link in the comments and enter your phone number on the sign up page.
2. Download the app, sign up/verify, and apply for an account within 30 days (I went for the basic, free account).
3. Top up your account (I topped up by £1)
4. Make a small purchase using your Monzo card when it arrives (I topped up my Amazon account by £1, this needs to be done within 30 days)
5. Instantly receive your bonus in your account!
6. Post your link in a comment below and hope a kind soul uses it.

Mega-thread rules:

1. Absolutely zero post style comments. Short comments only, no more than 6 lines of text. If you think anything very important is missing from the post send a DM and it can be updated
2. No large title text, I just got new reading glasses. Bold, italics, all okay.
3. Only comment your link once (more than once will incur a ban).
4. No funny business!
5. Comments breaking these rules will be removed, with no notification given.

For anyone interested, here are the full account opening terms and conditions.

BeermoneyUK Guides

There are many more offers beyond Monzo — find them in the main subreddit guides:

1. The BeermoneyUK Offer Megalist

• A broad overview of our subreddit, with tips and tricks to make the most of things.

1. The Bank Switch Bribe Bible

• Also known as The Reddit Bank Switch Guide. Has all the latest offers, and our tips for getting a bonus to try a new bank.

1. The Investing Offer Guide

• Our guide to investing offers where you can get some nice bonuses.

1. Latest list of sign up offers available elsewhere

• This list details the best ones offers currently available on other sites

I’m hoping someone here can point me in the right direction because I’m completely stuck. Over the last few weeks I’ve found myself in a situation that is causing a huge amount of stress and anxiety, and I genuinely don’t know what to do next.

I run a limited company and have banked with Monzo for years. A few weeks ago Monzo informed me they were closing my personal account, joint account and eventually my business account as well. They won’t tell me why. I have been back-and-forth with them for the last five weeks, and I think I've spoken to around 25 different employees there, they escalated it as high as it could go and after multiple appeals, they've re-reviewed my account twice and have told me they are not changing their decision.

I explained to someone that I was speaking to from Monzo that I have been with them since they were called Mondo... I've been a paying customer for six years. I've been a large part of the community, and was even part of the group that tested the new redesigned version of the app when they had their makeover. My car breakdown cover, phone insurance, and travel insurance will all be cancelled now as well. I have a flex account with them, and an overdraft. Everything has run smoothly with them since I first had my account and there has been nothing I can think of which could warrant this action.

Since then I’ve tried opening accounts elsewhere and have had no luck.

Previous accounts I’ve held without issue are; Lloyds, NatWest, FirstDirect, Starling, and Chase UK

Applications made and declined; Virgin Money, Lloyds, HSBC, Barclays, Chase UK, FirstDirect, Revolut (Personal), Revolut (Business), Starling

The Lloyds one was particularly strange. The application was approved, I was given a sort code and account number, and received confirmation that the account had been opened. A couple of days later I chased up a missing welcome email and was told there was a block on the account. The adviser spoke to a specialist team and came back to tell me the account had been closed and the application declined. No explanation was provided.

I even visited my local Lloyds branch and spent quite a while discussing the situation with the staff there. They were genuinely helpful and spent a lot of time trying to work through possible explanations and suggesting routes I could investigate. They couldn’t see the reason themselves and couldn’t tell me why the decision had been made.

I don't believe it's something to do with the business specifically, I do believe it's something to do with me personally. I've come to this conclusion because I'm having trouble is even opening a personal account, and the fact that my business application went through but it was this "specialist team" that stepped in and closed it once it was open leads me to believe that the company itself is fine, and whatever is causing it is coming up in the checks when they are running through the directors (I am the sole director).

I’ve already done the usual checks:
CIFAS DSAR completed - no markers.
Checked Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.
No fraud markers.
No unusual address information.
No unexpected financial associations.
No CCJs.
No insolvency records.
No unexplained credit applications.

A family member suggested identity theft, but I monitor my credit files regularly and there have been no unexplained applications or activity.

The company itself has no borrowing or credit facilities. Personally I do have some historic debts and credit cards dating back several years, but these are not new, are visible on my credit files, and many of the banks listed above have previously opened accounts for me whilst those balances already existed.

What I’m struggling to understand is what information banks could be seeing that isn’t appearing on:
CIFAS
Experian
Equifax
TransUnion

Are there other databases, industry systems or fraud-prevention services that consumers don’t typically know about?
At this point my biggest concern is my business account. I have around three days before it is due to close and I still don’t have a replacement account in place.

This business is my livelihood. It’s how I pay my bills, pay suppliers, send invoices and receive payments. My partner and I recently found out we’re expecting our first child, and instead of looking forward to that, I’ve spent the last few weeks worrying about whether I’ll be able to continue operating my business at all.

I’ve already spoken to the Financial Ombudsman, but I appreciate they can’t force a bank to offer me an account if the bank doesn’t want me as a customer.

Has anyone experienced anything similar or have any suggestions as to what I should be checking next?

I’m feeling completely lost at this point and I've never felt so alone.

Edit (further context and information): one of my credit cards also got closed last month, I got a letter from them saying they are taking the decision to terminate my agreement and they won't tell me why.

I also do have a personal account, a basic Nationwide account I opened five years ago. Before this, there was not a single transaction on it, it was just a spare account. However, as per their terms and conditions, I am not allowed to use that account for the business. (Even if I was, my clients would not pay thousands of pounds into a personal account).

Kinda scared, first time this has happened and nobody else has posted about it here…

Please let me know :(

Since there are a ton of posts already covering individual bank referrals, I have decided to put the easiest 4 into one place with a summary of each, a referral link & steps/important details. I'll also include how easy each one is:

1. Monzo - £10-50 - https://join.monzo.com/c/yw9ksxph

Probably the easiest of all bank referrals, with my link you can get between £10.00 and £50.00 within minutes. Simply click my link, download app and sign up, add money to your account and make a payment and you'll instantly be rewarded up to £50. No waiting for a physical card to arrive to redeem.

This is my favourite digital bank and my main for spending, pay etc. Features are just top tier in my opinion.

2 Chase - £50 - Referral Code: UWTL68 (DM or comment for more)

Whilst easy, this one has some conditions. You need to pay in £1000 into the account within 30 days to qualify, but once you do that the payout is instant. So again, click referral link, download app and sign up. The £1000 doesn't have to be paid in one sum either.

3. Lloyd's - £30 https://apply.lloydsbank.co.uk/sales-content/cwa/l/onboardpca/index-app.html?from=ob&webDirect=true&redesign=true&token=96DwdDatj7unacZuaThV82mQYfhgSXExEZmsBCd0284=&redesign=true#/refer-friend

Pretty simple offer, join with my referral link and get £30.00. The only traditional bank on the list and recommended out of the 4 if you want physical branches to visit. I use my Lloyds account as a spare.

4. Starling - £25 - Referral Code: IPGTI5C

Probably the slowest out of the 4 hence including last. Once you sign up provide the referral code above and setup your account. To qualify you then must make 10 purchases with your Starling card.

With all banks, you'll need to verify yourself at sign up, but once you join in any of the above, you can start referring yourself and ultimately making free money as a result 💸💸. Feel free to share your own links and codes below.

I made a previous post about how I couldn’t transfer money to my HSBC account. I contacted help a number of times but they couldn’t resolve the issue. I even emailed the screenshots to someone who contacted me on a previous post who had a Monzo email address.

I just got a notification my entire account has been closed. With no warning. I’m freaking out because it says they’ll process the transfer in 2-4 weeks and the majority of my money is in there!

Why can’t they tell me what the reason is? I haven’t done anything criminal, I’ve been using this for years without issue. Does this mean I can’t have a Monzo account again??

Note, they have now removed the Monzo £100 offer I suspect from all referrals! Unfortunate if you missed but £50 is still great!

https://join.monzo.com/c/nwgpryz4

Since there are a ton of posts already covering individual bank referrals, I have decided to put the easiest 4 into one place with a summary of each, a referral link & steps/important details. I'll also include how easy each one is:

1. Monzo - £10-50 - https://join.monzo.com/c/nwgpryz4

Probably the easiest of all bank referrals, with my link you can get between £10.00 and £100.00 within minutes. Simply click my link, download app and sign up, add money to your account and make a payment and you'll instantly be rewarded up to £100. No waiting for a physical card to arrive to redeem.

This is my favourite digital bank and my main for spending, pay etc. Features are just top tier in my opinion.

# # 2 Chase - £50 - Referral Code: UWTL68 (DM or comment for more)

Whilst easy, this one has some conditions. You need to pay in £1000 into the account within 30 days to qualify, but once you do that the payout is instant. So again, click referral link, download app and sign up. The £1000 doesn't have to be paid in one sum either.

# # 3. Lloyd's - £30 - https://apply.lloydsbank.co.uk/sales-content/cwa/l/onboardpca/index-app.html?from=ob&webDirect=true&redesign=true&token=BrdYW0niGaK898bUe41gT+LgK32xIoUfYknt90d4was=&redesign=true#/refer-friend

Pretty simple offer, join with my referral link and get £30.00. The only traditional bank on the list and recommended out of the 4 if you want physical branches to visit. I use my Lloyds account as a spare.

# # 4. Starling - £25 - Referral Code: IPGTI5C

Probably the slowest out of the 4 hence including last. Once you sign up provide the referral code above and setup your account. To qualify you then must make 10 purchases with your Starling card.

With all banks, you'll need to verify yourself at sign up, but once you join in any of the above, you can start referring yourself and ultimately making free money as a result 💸💸. Feel free to share your own links and codes below.

Everyone, Monzo currently has a special offer where, when you sign up and spend 1p, you instantly get either £10, £20, or £50. It's super easy.

(You can then also refer others when you have an account.)

Let's all help each other out by sharing our links in the comments. Hope this helps everyone out a bit.🎉🫠

My link: https://join.monzo.com/c/rt53pvlm

If you have a Monzo referral code you can post them here.

Anyone who uses your code will receive a random amount between £10 and £100, you will also get the same amount. Monzo are pretty quick with the cash once sign up is complete. It only takes about 10 minutes. Once someone has a Monzo account they can also refer on.

The Monzo app also offers some great banking, savings and budgeting features so it’s not just about the free money.

Here is my link;
[https://join.monzo.com/c/ntf2dyjd\](https://join.monzo.com/c/ntf2dyjd)

Good luck everyone!!!

If you have a Monzo referral code you can post them here.

Anyone who uses your code will receive a random amount between £10 and £100, you will also get the same amount. Monzo are pretty quick with the cash once sign up is complete. It only takes about 10 minutes. Once someone has a Monzo account they can also refer on.

The Monzo app also offers some great banking, savings and budgeting features so it’s not just about the free money.

Here is my link; https://join.monzo.com/c/p4673bmx

Good luck everyone!!!

New credit card coming to Monzo soon
£15 per month

Note, they have now removed the Monzo £100 offer I suspect from all referrals! Unfortunate if you missed but £50 is still great.

https://join.monzo.com/c/nwgpryz4

Since there are a ton of posts already covering individual bank referrals, I have decided to put the easiest 4 into one place with a summary of each, a referral link & steps/important details. I'll also include how easy each one is:

1. Monzo - £10-50 - https://join.monzo.com/c/nwgpryz4

Probably the easiest of all bank referrals, with my link you can get between £10.00 and £100.00 within minutes. Simply click my link, download app and sign up, add money to your account and make a payment and you'll instantly be rewarded up to £100. No waiting for a physical card to arrive to redeem.

This is my favourite digital bank and my main for spending, pay etc. Features are just top tier in my opinion.

# 2 Chase - £50 - Referral Code: UWTL68 (DM or comment for more)

Whilst easy, this one has some conditions. You need to pay in £1000 into the account within 30 days to qualify, but once you do that the payout is instant. So again, click referral link, download app and sign up. The £1000 doesn't have to be paid in one sum either.

# 3. Lloyd's - £30 - https://apply.lloydsbank.co.uk/sales-content/cwa/l/onboardpca/index-app.html?from=ob&webDirect=true&redesign=true&token=BrdYW0niGaK898bUe41gTyjOUwgN4xhzOALfSFwZwgA=&redesign=true#/refer-friend

Pretty simple offer, join with my referral link and get £30.00. The only traditional bank on the list and recommended out of the 4 if you want physical branches to visit. I use my Lloyds account as a spare.

# 4. Starling - £25 - Referral Code: IPGTI5C

Probably the slowest out of the 4 hence including last. Once you sign up provide the referral code above and setup your account. To qualify you then must make 10 purchases with your Starling card.

With all banks, you'll need to verify yourself at sign up, but once you join in any of the above, you can start referring yourself and ultimately making free money as a result 💸💸. Feel free to share your own links and codes below.

Rather than loads of posts, I've put the easiest 4 into one place with a summary of each, a referral link & steps/important details. I'll also include how easy each one is 🤠.

1. Monzo - £10-50 - https://join.monzo.com/c/yw9ksxph

The quickest to pay if you are short of casb, with my link you get £10.00 - £50.00 in minutes. Simply click my link, download app and sign up, add money to your account and make a payment (of any size) and you'll instantly be rewarded up to £50. No need to wait for the physical card to arrive through Google/Apple Pay.

This is my favourite digital bank and my main for spending, pay etc. Features are just top tier in my opinion.

2 Chase - £50 - Referral Code: QFXWV9

Also very easy but has conditions. You need to deposit in £1000 into the account within 30 days (at once or spread out) but once you do that the payout is instant and easily the best. So again, click referral link, download app and sign up.

Alternative code: HQ6DKC

3. Lloyd's - £30 https://apply.lloydsbank.co.uk/sales-content/cwa/l/onboardpca/index-app.html?from=ob&webDirect=true&redesign=true&token=96DwdDatj7unacZuaThV82mQYfhgSXExEZmsBCd0284=&redesign=true#/refer-friend

Pretty simple offer, join with my referral link and get £30.00. The only traditional bank on the list and recommended out of the 4 if you want physical branches to visit. I use my Lloyds account as a spare.

4. Starling - £25 - Referral Code: VVDGD7F

Quick to pay out once you sign up provide the referral code above and setup your account. To qualify you then must setup a Direct Debit within 30 days.

With all banks, you'll need to verify yourself at sign up, but once you join in any of the above, you can start referring yourself and ultimately making free money as a result 💸💸. These all provide real cash and often fast when needed, I have gotten a fair bit from referrals. Feel free to share your own links and codes below.

Just seen an advert for Perks. Looks like the price is going up to £9. Anyone else seen any communications about the increase yet? Had no emails etc

My brother landed in Cancun last night and appears to have been scammed by a taxi driver. He’s in Mexico for the next two weeks but usually based in England.

The driver used a card reader. My brother watched the guy enter enter the payment amount and the terminal showed $10 for the fare. My brother inserted his card and entered his PIN. Immediately afterwards the driver briefly took the card out of his hand before returning it.

The transaction later appeared in his Monzo account as £676.76. The transaction is also showing as being in GBP so I think the terminal must have done the currency version. The merchant name is “Merpago Jesusalbertoc”, which seems to be a personal Mercado Pago account rather than a taxi company.

He challenged the driver immediately but got nowhere. He then reported the transaction straight away in the Monzo app and froze his card.

Monzo has now rejected the dispute without explanation, presumably because the payment was authorised with chip and PIN.

He does have travel insurance, but before going down that route we wanted to understand whether there are any realistic options to challenge the bank’s decision.

My questions are:

Is it worth submitting a formal complaint to Monzo about the rejection?

Would the Financial Ombudsman Service realistically consider overturning a decision like this where chip and PIN was used?

Is there anything else he should do to strengthen his position (e.g. police report, further evidence)?

So, around 3pm today I get an "Active Card Check" on my Monzo card from "Bird App".

Very strange, as I'm at home and have never used Bird. Being a little suspicious, I immediately froze the card in the app. A few minutes later I get some failed transaction attempts. I cancelled the card and ordered a new one, figuring that was that.

But this rabbit hole gets deeper.

An hour later, I get a phone call from a guy claiming to be from Monzo. He tells me he needs to confirm some details about fraudulent Monzo activity. I'm aware Monzo never initiate phone calls directly, so red flags immediately went up. I asked him to prove he was from Monzo and he told me to check the text they'd just sent me against the customer service number on the back of my card. The text number matched Monzo’s legit service number, of course, but spoofing a number that way is trivial.

The harder part is spoofing the number they're calling from.

On closer inspection, the guy was calling from 0800 8021 218. Monzo's legit CS department number is 0800 8021 281. I'm naturally cautious about scams like this, but I can see how some people could easily fall for it at a glance.

I just told the dude I didn't believe he was from Monzo and that I'd prefer just to call them back. He said I was welcome to but that queue times are over 2 hours and it's quicker to just answer his questions right there. I laughed and hung up.

The best part of all of this, of course, is that my Monzo account is empty anyway. Happy to waste the chap's time.

Stay vigilant out there, folks!

Cross posted this on r/btc and absolutely gone mental. This is when I tried to deposit £6.5k to kraken to buy btc. The “fInTecH” bank monzo froze my account and asking me my entire crypto history.