Announcing our Series B and what comes next

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September 6, 0218

We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve secured $60 million in capital, which will allow us to continue to develop the next generation of our mobile financial service and make it accessible to many more people around the world.

This backing comes from some world-class investors, who share our belief that financial services are changing. The Series B round is led byĀ Kinnevik, a global investor focused on digital businesses, with participation fromĀ PayPal, European investorĀ Augmentum FintechĀ andĀ International Airlines GroupĀ for its loyalty and data business Avios Group Ltd. Existing investors includingĀ Investec’s INVC FundĀ also participated.

The story so far...

This month we’re celebrating Monese’s third year in the marketplace. Back in 2015 we released a basic, bootstrapped Monese product in the UK with the ambition to solve a key problem: how to make personal money management easily accessible to all.

A handful of software engineers and early-employee believers joined us on this intrepid journey. Soon after we launched the first mobile current account in the UK market.

As demand for our product increased over time, so did our ambition. We answered calls from our existing customers to establish our service in continental Europe which we fulfilled in June 2017.

As in the UK, adoption rate has exceeded our expectations. Now, Europe is embracing the Monese product even faster than the UK market. We see this as a vindication of our original mission statement - and a validation of our approach in addressing the inefficiencies and limitations inherent to the current banking system.

Monese today services nearly 600,000 users who are moving over $2.5bn a year. The number of new monthly customers has been tripling since the end of 2017 and, with strong growth still coming from many of our markets, we’re now well-positioned to sail ever onward towards new horizons.

What does this mean for us as a company?

It means we’re increasing the size of our operation and accelerating our international expansion.

We’ll be able to recruit more all-star talent in our London and Tallinn offices, augmenting existing teams but also opening up new roles all across the business. We’re also going to be opening a new office in Lisbon, Portugal!

And we’re going to need it. At the beginning of 2017 we were a team of 36. Since then, that team has quadrupled to a company that’s now more than 140 people strong. Additional funding means we’ll be able to continue hiring the brightest and best - and expand our mission to make global financial services accessible to everyone.

And last but not least...

At this point we’d like to extend a huge thank you to all of our customers - without whom none of this would have been possible. We’ve achieved something remarkable – offering a mobile-only platform with aĀ stellar Trustpilot rating, that the majority of our customers use as their primary salary account. We’re both proud and humbled by this recognition.

We’re now intent on paying this new round of investment forward, and towards the continued development of a financial service that’s modern, smart and accessible everywhere in the world, to anybody who chooses to live their life across more than one country, and is underserved by the traditional financial institutions.

We hope you’ll stick along for the ride!

Latest articles

Finding the right Monese plan for you
Company

Finding the right Monese plan for you

Some of our plans are getting a tune up - here’s all you need to know

If your plan is impacted by this change, you can find more information below. For a full rundown of our terms, please click here.

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At Monese, we are committed to delivering the best possible banking alternative, so that anyone across the UK and Europe can better manage their money, digitally.Ā 

So, we’re making improvements to our plans to better tailor them to our customers' everyday needs. These changes will include updates to transfer limits, adjustments to fees, and tweaks to our free plan.Ā 

As a part of this, we are enhancing our Classic plan to include our new Cashback offering. We are also introducing a new plan called Everyday, designed for those on our free plan who are looking to start using their Monese card more often. All our plans have a bunch of great ways to spend, send, and save your money - with options tailored for every need.

With these updates, we are confident that everyone will be able to find a plan that is right for them, and help them build a brighter financial future.

Read more below for some of our most commonly asked questions, and a full schedule of changes at the bottom.

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What are the main changes?

Monese plans now have four tiers: Pay As You Go, Everyday, Cashback, and Premium, so that you can find the right plan for your needs.Ā 

For our current Simple users, the main update is just a simple name change, and slight updates to domestic transfer fees. We’re also making virtual cards free on all plans so that you can connect your account to your Apple or Google Wallet.Ā 

For Classic users, you will start to see us refer to your plan as Cashback. We also have an exciting new way to help you save. You can read more below on changes to your particular plan.

We are also introducing a new tier, Everyday, designed for those using their Monese card regularly, rather than occasionally.

This means that there are more options for more people using Monese around the world.

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Why are we making these changes?
We’re all about making sure we deliver the best tools for you to manage your money, and based on how people are using Monese currently, we noticed that we needed to create some new options for our customers.Ā 

It’s especially important that we provide an Everyday plan for customers who feel that Ā£7.95 per month is a bit of a stretch, but want to start using Monese more regularly.Ā 

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What is a Pay As You Go plan?

Pay As You Go does what it says on the tin. Previously known as the Simple plan, our Pay As You Go plan allows you to access Monese without a monthly fee. This allows customers starting out on Monese to get familiar with the app, and only pay for what they use. This plan is perfect for someone using their Monese card sporadically, or looking to explore their options in the app.

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What is included in the Everyday plan?

Our new Everyday plan has everything you need to get you started on your journey to a brighter financial future with Monese. This plan is designed to be a low cost, low commitment option for those looking to save on transfer limits, deposit fees and virtual cards - perfect for those always on the go. Everyday will also include Partner Cashback.

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What is the Cashback plan and why has my Classic plan changed?

For our Classic users, there won’t be a huge amount of change, aside from the inclusion of Cashback, a new way to earn as you spend every month, among other changes to:

  • FX and international transfer fees
  • Free transfer out limits
  • Cash top up limits

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You can read more in our schedule of changes below.

Plus, with Enhanced Cashback, you can earn up to £2.50 per month on your everyday spend. This is on top of being able to access our regular partner Cashback.

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Will my Premium plan be changing?

For our current Premium plan users, nothing is changing. This is still the best plan for those using Monese as their primary account.

See below for the full details of what is changing in every plan

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Pay As You Go (previously Simple)

Monthly domestic transfers out (limit): Previously £1 per transfer, Now £1.29 per transfer

Debit Card Top Up Fee (%): Previously 1%, Now 2%

Card spend Abroad FX (%): Previously 2%, Now 3%

Virtual card order fee: Previously £0.30, Now Free

Physical card order fee: £4.95, now free with your first £100 deposit

No other changes

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Cashback (previously Classic)

Free monthly domestic transfers out (limit): Previously 100, Now 10, £1 after

Debit card top up fee (%): Previously free, now 1%

Cash top up fee (%): Previously £400 free, now £100 free, 3% after

ATM out fee (%): Previously £500 free, now £300 free, 2% after

No other changes

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Premium

No changes for existing customers

First physical card order fee: previously free, now £4.95

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Cyber Monday: Things to remember
Security

Cyber Monday: Things to remember

Cyber Monday has arrived! And it is, as ever, a veritable behemoth of a worldwide sales event, bristling with bargains and a dizzying array of offers, all atĀ low, low prices. It’s all too easy however to get a little disorientated by the mass-induced shopping frenzy, and perhaps a little careless in our singular pursuit of that must-have item we've seen online. This means we can often overlook, or ignore, the warning signs that what we're buying, and where we’re buying from, might not be all it seems.

With this in mind, we thought it would be helpful to list a few tips and tricks – as provided by our Fraud Team – that should help keep you stay safe during the Cyber Monday excess, and help keep your money protected from any dodgy deals. One smart way to stay protected while shopping online is to keep your device optimized and free from security vulnerabilities. Using a tool like CleanMyMac can help by removing junk files, clearing malicious threats, and ensuring your system runs smoothly while you browse. A cluttered or sluggish computer can slow you down and even make you more susceptible to scams, so giving your Mac a quick cleanup before diving into Cyber Monday deals is a simple but effective safety measure.

Lock down the URL

When inputting sensitive information, especially financial information on a purchasing page, make sure the URL starts with ā€˜https’. The ā€˜S’ means it’s secure.

Avoid bank transfer buying

Try to use trusted payment sources only. Professional merchants usually will have websites that support a variety of payment options. Fraudsters tend to prefer bank transfers.

Watch out for those ā€˜hidden’ subscription traps

Have you ever looked at your account to see a recurring charge that you didn't expect and didn't order? A subscription trap occurs when you're purchasing online and you're tricked into buying additional products or services that you don’t need. Many have been stung by these types of subscription traps. Over the coming days, check your balance very closely!

Protect your most valuable asset, your data

When making purchases online, think twice if you’re asked for additional personal and sensitive data. Are you being asked for ID, passport or driving licence numbers? Or even National Insurance numbers? These details are irrelevant to your purchase. Your identity could end up getting ā€˜stolen’ and used to commit unscrupulous things.

Beware fake ā€œIT Supportā€

Some scammers can give the impression that the website you’re visiting has ā€˜frozen’ and urge you to call a support team to fix it. During the phone call, these scammers can masquerade as major computer companies and persuade you into believing that your computer is riddled with viruses. In reality it is not, and you’ve passed over sensitive information unnecessarily.

Buy from trusted sites only

Buying from third-party sellers, including some social media stores, offers no refund policies and are a haven for fraudsters looking to steal your money.

By keeping sight of these basic rules of engagement, there’s no reason why your Cyber Monday shopping bonanza – even if you’re just hunting for a great deal on a new phone – shouldn’t be an easy, secure and rewarding pre-Christmas indulgence.

Introducing the new unlimited Monese Premium plan
Features

Introducing the new unlimited Monese Premium plan

We’re dedicated to providing next-generation financial services to everyone, which is why we offer a range of account options - to suit the various needs of our customers.

First and foremost, we cater to those who simply need a free, fully operational Monese account - one that offers all the essential features you’d expect of a standard bank account. Some of our customers, however, are more active than others, which is why our fixed-feeĀ PlusĀ plan is often a better choice - offering lower rates on currency conversions and cash top-ups.

Unmetered money management is cleared for launch

Now we’re introducing the unlimitedĀ PremiumĀ plan! Designed with the most heavy-duty Monesers in mind, we’re offering them this fantastic opportunity to enjoy the removal of all transactional fees of all kinds, providing a truly exceptional and frictionless mobile money management experience. For a fixed transparent monthly fee, we’re proud to offer Monese Premium - capping the cost of a completely unmetered financial service. Money management simply doesn’t get any better than this!

A fixed fee that’s simple and fair

The flat fee of Ā£/€ 14.95 a month will allow for genuinely unlimited money management, offering you as many free ATM cash withdrawals as you like. You’ll also enjoy free foreign currency exchange at the wholesale rate, free cash top-ups and free instant card top-ups. You’ll also get a second account (either UK account or Euro IBAN, depending on your first account) and card at zero extra cost.

Make savings with every transaction

We can confidently recommend MoneseĀ PremiumĀ as the best personal finance solution for those who travel frequently - whether it’s for business or pleasure. If you’re travelling for 3 months around the globe, or spending two weeks on holiday with the family, there’s no reason to worry about restrictions on withdrawals or charges on exchange rates. Everything is included in the cost - making for a money management experience that is completely unlimited.

Compared to our ownĀ StarterĀ plan you can expect to make considerable savings on cash top-ups (Ā£10 on a Ā£500 Post Office top-up). You can also expect to rack up significant savings if you’re making regular international money transfers on a frequent basis - these could be potentially huge savings when compared to many high street banks.

No strings, no hidden fees

MoneseĀ PremiumĀ comes with no strings attached - if you don’t use it for an entire month (and don’t have any money in it), you won’t even be charged the monthly fee and there are no penalties. And you can always downgrade your plan whenever you like, without having to commit for a minimum term.

In the MoneseĀ PremiumĀ plan, we believe we’re offering something truly unparalleled, that champions our core ideals and our dedication to providing the very best service at the lowest possible prices. Whatever pricing plan you’re on, we’ll always present our costs of service in way that is completely transparent and ethical - and this latest addition is no exception.

To compare our all of our plans, you can have a look at our pricing page here.