nomoneda

Monzo

Global fintechDGS €100k protectedBest for: UK bankingBest for: BudgetingBest for: Mobile-first
79/100Rated on 6 of 6 dimensions

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Deposit protection: DGS €100k (IE)
  • Strong UK current account
  • budgeting pots
  • instant notifications

Cons

Rating breakdown

Foreigner onboarding100
USD handling20
Transfers50
Value & fees30

How the score is calculated

Why this score

Strongest liftFees transparency4.5/5 · 20% of the model
Additional supportReliability4/5 · 20% of the model
Main constraintForeigner onboarding3/5 · 25% of the model

Good fit for

  • you receive SEPA transfers

May not fit if

  • you need to hold USD
  • you need crypto in or out
Licence & deposit protection
DGS €100k protectedDGS €100k (IE)

This is a licensed bank, so eligible deposits are protected by the deposit guarantee scheme (DGS) up to €100,000 per customer. That's a key safety factor when choosing.

Licence
Bank · Central Bank of Ireland
SEPA Instant
Send & receive

Editorial review

Data reviewed by Founder and editor, nomonedaUpdated: 2026-08-15

Monzo is a licensed bank (Central Bank of Ireland), so eligible deposits carry DGS €100k (IE).

It is a global fintech licensed in IE supporting GBP etc, EUR. FX model: Mastercard rate, no markup.

It tends to suit uk banking, budgeting, mobile-first.

Fees & terms

Exchange rate
Mastercard rate, no markup
Card cost
Free / paid tiers (Plus, Premium)
USD withdrawal
Not disclosed
Withdrawal fees
Not disclosed
Limits
Not disclosed
USD yield
Not disclosed
Cashback
Not disclosed
Currencies
GBP etc, EUR
Cards
Global Physical, Global Virtual
Transfers
SEPA in/out, SEPA Instant in/out
Payments
Apple Pay, Google Pay
Licence
Bank — Central Bank of Ireland
IBAN
IE
SEPA Instant
Send & receive
Verification of Payee (VoP)
Rolling out
FX model
Mastercard rate, no markup
Opening requirements
Needs Irish address
English support
Yes
Remote opening
Yes
Headquarters
United Kingdom

Transfer routes

One row per direction, rail and currency — with what we hold on fees, speed and limits. A blank fee is not a free transfer; it is a fee we have not collected.

Transfer routes and their published fees
RouteFeeSpeedLimits
SEPAincomingEURFreeNot published
SEPAoutgoingEURFreeNot published
SEPA InstantincomingEURNot publishedInstant
SEPA InstantoutgoingEURNot publishedInstant

Who holds your money

The name on the app is not always the company holding the balance, and deposit protection follows the licence rather than the brand.

Provider stack: role, organization and what it is answerable for
RoleOrganizationAnswerable forApplies to
Licence holderMonzoCentral Bank of IrelandOperating under regulatory permissionAll currenciesDGS €100k (IE)
Deposit guaranteeDGS €100k (IE)Central Bank of IrelandPaying out if the deposit holder failsEURDGS €100k (IE)

Recent updates

  • 2026-08-15checked14 facts about Monzo re-checked against their sources

All updates

3 similar services

Chosen by overlap in what people use them for, not by category — the services that would land in the same shortlist as this one.

3 similar services
ServiceScoreDocumentsHead-to-head
Wise85/100No local address neededCompare
Trade Republic71/100No local address neededCompare
Paysera74/100No local address neededCompare

User reviews

User score

No reviews yet.

Editorial score

79/ 100
How we score

FAQ

Is my money protected?
Yes. Monzo holds a full bank licence (Central Bank of Ireland), so eligible deposits are protected by DGS €100k (IE).
What IBAN and transfers?
Monzo issues a IE IBAN. SEPA Instant: send + receive.
Can I open remotely, in English?
Opening is remote. English support is available. Requirements: Needs Irish address.

Data provenance & verification

Every fact is checked against an official source and stamped with a date. We re-check fees quarterly and document requirements twice a year. Fields not yet independently verified are labelled honestly.

Fully verified8 sources · 6 official

Independently corroborated, rated on the full model and checked within the year. This service can appear in our ranked picks.

13 of 16 fields independently verified1 not disclosedUpdated: Dataset compiled:
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