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We're with you on the go (Global Image)

Loren

During this difficult period caused by the Coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak, we want you to know we’re taking every measure available to us to keep you and your money moving.

Last week, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a [global pandemic](https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19---11-march-2020). This has seen a strong response from governments and companies of all sizes, and most of us will be ultimately affected in some way.

Here’s what we’re doing to make sure you’ll continue to have access to your money, however this may be impacting you. 

### It’s business-as-usual for us
All Monese services will keep working as they’ve always been. There won’t be any changes to how your Monese account and card operate.

As a technology-led business, we’re in a great position to manage situations like this. Our team is fully set up to continue giving you the same quality service you’re used to. All our employees are working from a safe environment; everyone from across our four offices is encouraged (and given everything they need) to work from home. Many of us often work this way anyway!

You can always find more details about our service status [here](https://status.monese.com/) (it’s all systems go), but we’ll update it - and this post - if anything changes.

### We’re mobile by design
Our service is mobile and flexible by its very nature. Our app allows you to manage your money from the comfort and safety of your own home (without having to venture out to a high street branch).

Aside from that, here are some of the features that might be more useful now than ever:
- __Contactless payments:__ all Monese cards come with contactless technology, so that you never have to touch a card machine when paying for something (just hover it closely over the machine, and it’ll do its magic). This is something that’s also been [recommended](https://www.finextra.com/newsarticle/35384/who-urges-switch-to-contactless-to-slow-virus-transmission) by the WHO.
- __Pay with your phone:__ Monese cards support [Apple Pay](https://monese.com/blog/2019/04/apple-pay-is-here) in 31 countries and [Google Pay](https://monese.com/blog/2019/09/google-pay-europe) in 12 countries, so you can pay quickly and safely without even having to get your wallet out.
- __Shop online:__ if you’re trying to avoid physical stores, you can safely use your Monese card to shop online. Or you can [create a virtual card](https://monese.com/blog/2019/12/create-virtual-card) to separate your purchases and lock it when you aren’t using it. Our cards are also enabled with 3D Secure. This gives you an additional layer of security for many online stores, by texting you a one-time password to type in before completing the purchase.
- __Use your phone to move money:__ if you need to receive or send money to your friends and family during this difficult period, you can do so with just a few taps. Our apps will let you set up fast transfers of all kinds, and if they’re between Monese accounts, they’re totally free and instant. 

### Latest updates
We're updating this post as we add more news, advice and guidance to the blog – keep checking back to stay in the loop!

## If your travel plans are disrupted
__Updated on 17 March:__ If your travel plans are now up in the air, we feel you. That’s why we’ve gathered [some advice](https://monese.com/blog/2020/03/covid-19-travel-disruption) that might help guide you, including some of our team’s recent experiences and learnings. And we’re preparing many more tips and recommendations, which we’ll add to our blog as we have it.

## How to stay away from scams
__Updated on 31 March:__ There's been an increase in scam attempts amidst the coronavirus pandemic - [here's](https://monese.com/blog/2020/03/avoiding-coronavirus-scams) what you need to be watching out for so you don't fall victim to fraud. Plus [here](https://monese.com/blog/2020/03/make-sure-youre-talking-to-us)'s how to make sure you're really talking to us.

## New contactless limits
__Updated on 1 April__: As of April 1st, Mastercard has raised contactless payment limits for many countries &mdash; just keep in mind that merchants need to update their card machines. Here are some examples of what the limits have been raised to now: £45 in the UK, €50 in Germany, 100 zł in Poland, €50 in Portugal and €50 in Spain.

## Tips on working from home
__Updated on 2 April:__ Many people are now stuck working from home - including us! We've gathered some [tips from our team](https://monese.com/blog/2020/03/stay-sane-working-remotely) to help you stay happy, healthy, motivated and sane while working remotely. And we've made [a Twitter thread](https://twitter.com/monese/status/1245716282063892481) exploring how Monese parents are coping with working from home with kids!

## Keeping your spending in check
__Updated on 6 April:__ Staying home for most of the time gives you a good chance to review some of your regular spending. [We've got a few ideas](https://monese.com/blog/2020/04/keep-spending-in-check-self-isolating) for where to start, plus how to be mindful of the toll this situation's taking on sole traders and small businesses.

At Monese, our mission is to make it easy to manage your money - wherever you are in the world. We’re all in this together; we’re a business designed to keep you moving whatever happens, and we’re always [here for you](https://monese.com/contact).

Stay safe!

While everyone’s trying to cope with the outbreak, we’re focused on keeping you and your money safe

Dealing with Covid-19

COVID19-Blog 50390c38ed0094a386d62c09f1033516

Blog post > Dealing with Covid-19

We’ve got some great news!

Monese just surpassed a magical number - over __1 MILLION__ people have now signed up! This is marvellous proof that we are making a real difference and we’re incredibly proud of reaching this milestone. 

Here at Monese, we have been unrelenting in our vision for a new and better type of financial service: __one that gives people the freedom to thrive anywhere.__ 

<div data-comp="signup"></div>

Years ago, I moved to the UK with a great job and high hopes for the next chapter of my life. Opening a bank account took months. It was an expensive and painful experience. Monese was created so no one should have to endure the hassle of opening a bank account in a new country. 

Today, more and more people expect this freedom, as they find themselves in new places - be it for work, family, study, travel, business, or retirement reasons. We believe your money should be with you every step of the way, so you can focus your energy on pursuing your dreams.

3,000 people are joining Monese daily, across 31 countries in Europe, and a majority of our customers use the app as their primary salary account. We already support 12 languages (and counting) in a continued effort to help everyone manage money freely wherever they are.

We’ve worked hard to make Monese even better, by introducing Apple Pay across Europe, launching Monese Business for small businesses, announcing an exclusive partnership with Avios for seamless financial and lifestyle management, and new features to help you manage your money. We continue to be blown away by the feedback and support we receive from our customers. Here’s just a sample:

Diane - “I couldn’t get a bank account anywhere without specific kinds of proof of address which I didn’t yet have access to. Monese was the only solution I found that gave me a prepaid card, sort code/account number so I could send and receive money (rent, salary), and that also let me use direct debits immediately, which was crucial in being able to set up utilities especially. I went from being incredibly frustrated with the inability to get a bank account to thinking now that I don’t really need one.”

Ari - “I waited 2 hours at my local branch to open a bank account and after 2 hours I was still only halfway in the queue! So I went home and, in 7 minutes, I had my Monese account, a card on the way to my home - and a current account in the UK before even moving out there.”

Lachezar - “I've been using Monese for more than 2 years now and it's only getting better with time. The app is getting more user-friendly with every update. It notifies me of every transaction for peace of mind and I can also send money abroad for literally nothing compared to other payment solutions. Lost your card? No problem! You can cancel it in the app in seconds and order a new one. Mine arrived in less than two days. Simply a financial service revolution and I'm glad to be a part of it.”

So much has been achieved against our vision for new and better financial services, but we’re not stopping here! There’s so much more on the horizon we can’t wait to tell you about, but for now we’d just like to say a huge thank you from all of us at Monese for helping us make Monese such a success - we really couldn’t have done it without you!

Over 1 million people have now signed up to Monese – and we couldn’t have done it without you!

Thanks a million!

One Million Monese Signups

Blog post > Thanks a million!

Country Tag > United Kingdom

Now that the festive holidays are upon us, I want to thank you for all the support you’ve given us this year. I’d also like to share some of the ways we’ve made Monese bigger and better in 2018, and give you a sneak peek at what’s coming up in 2019!

Here at Monese, we are building a new kind of financial service - one that is unrestricted by national boundaries or financial borders. A financial service that makes it easier for you to live, study, work, travel or retire anywhere in the world; that is fast and keeps people connected; one that speaks your language wherever you happen to live.

<div data-comp="signup"></div>

We expect next year to be even more exciting and we can’t wait to get going! 

## 2018: a year of growth 
![Monese 238 ARaudjalg 39479](//images.ctfassets.net/96dxy75w1gjr/5KLbz3wOpVXTFXbPOXsvAr/16e382413d51c4cdd080789c7921c86d/Monese_238_ARaudjalg_39479.jpg)

This year was a transformative year for Monese that saw us expand our operation in many ways. We also celebrated our 5th birthday, which gave us a great opportunity to look back and reflect on what we have achieved so far...

## Over 700,000 people have signed up
Everyday thousands more are joining Monese. In 2018 our number of sign-ups trebled, and we’ll soon have one million people signed up to Monese. Most of our customers use Monese as a primary account and trust us with their salaries with 75% of our incoming funds being salary payments - this tells me that Monese is meeting a real need. 

## Hello, small businesses
A few months ago, we launched Monese Business, growing our offering to customers and businesses across the UK and Europe. Monese Business can be set-up in five minutes and comes bundled with personal money management in one simple-to-use app. Opening a business account can be a notoriously time-consuming and complicated process, especially if you’re not a local. It can sometimes take weeks, or even months, to open a business account, and Monese Business speeds up and simplifies this process no end.

![business account-open@2x-copy](//images.ctfassets.net/96dxy75w1gjr/6egn3fvwUr7wVACamcmMr/27f74373cebfeedf406360893a5fc692/business_account-open_2x-copy.png)

We know that life moves fast for entrepreneurs and that their work often takes them all over the world. They need their financial service to be fast, connected, and transparent. Money management for business shouldn’t slow down anyone’s ambitions. Rather, it should be with them at every step, wherever they are in the world. 

## New features

We also introduced a whole host of new in-app features, which have included Pay Your Contacts, 3D Secure support, Smart Transaction screens and Recurring Payments (known as standing orders in the UK) as well as new currencies and card designs.

![IMG 9771](//images.ctfassets.net/96dxy75w1gjr/6lG9bhmD0jKX8zDyo2S4ds/856b308eef88db02e286039c748e12fe/IMG_9771.jpg)

## We speak your language
Monese customers are able to mamage their money in 12 languages as supported by the Monese app - and we’re not stopping there! We have plans to introduce many more over the course of 2019. In addition, we also provide in-app customer support in 28 languages. So, If you ever need to contact us, there’s a good chance we speak your language.

## Monese Premium for those who want more
Earlier in 2018 we introduced the Monese Premium plan. Designed with the high-end users in mind, we have removed all transactional and foreign exchange fees, providing a truly exceptional and frictionless mobile money management experience. We can confidently recommend Monese Premium as the best package for those who travel frequently - whether it’s for business or pleasure. If you’re travelling for three months around the globe, or spending two weeks on holiday, there’s no reason to worry about restrictions on withdrawals or charges on exchange rates. Monese Premium represents the best value financial service in terms of sending large amounts of money abroad. Everything is included in the cost and capped at a monthly fee - making for an awesome money management experience that is cost effective, stress-free and completely unlimited.

![Monese 291 ARaudjalg 1272](//images.ctfassets.net/96dxy75w1gjr/6ChKlhUBRvhGP9epOCo8my/10c60a8fc0a3efcefa3c548836ee523a/Monese_291_ARaudjalg_1272.jpg)

## One of the fastest growing FinTechs
Monese is one of the fastest growing FinTech companies in Europe, which is evidenced by the investors it has secured in its latest financing round. In September, we closed $60 million of additional financing from Kinnevik, PayPal, International Airlines Group and Augmentum Fintech. This investment is being used for both product development and international expansion, and it will allow us to make our service accessible to many more customers. These investors bring an unparalleled level of expertise in their field, and are helping guide us as we navigate the next stage of our growth. We were also recently named by the UK’s Sunday Times’ Fast Track as one of 10 ‘Disruptors to Watch’ in 2018.

## New offices
We recently also opened two new offices in Lisbon and Berlin, and now have over 200 people in the Monese team in total working across our offices in the UK, Estonia, Portugal and Germany.

We have been blown away by the support you have given our app on multi-language customer service sites like [Trustpilot](https://trustpilot.com/review/www.monese.com "Trustpilot Monese reviews") where you have given us a great 9.1/10 rating, we're one of the highest rated financial services companies on the site! We’re never complacent and the feedback you have given us this year is very important to us.

## Coming in early 2019 
We are already working on the new products and features that are coming straight to your Monese app in early 2019. 

### New payment channels
We’re working on introducing additional payment channels. We know from our conversations with customers that a lot of you have requested these features and would welcome both the convenience and extra security they offer.

### Better ways to manage money
We will also introduce a range of money management tools in early 2019, so you can enjoy even more control over your finances from within your Monese app.

### More ways to fund your account 
Our customers can fund their accounts via debit card top-ups, bank transfers or cash deposits - we already have more than 40,000 cash deposit locations available. We are soon rolling our more ways to top-up in Europe, and have will soon be introducing support for the SOFORT payment method - as frequently used in Germany and Austria. 

### Meeting our customers
We also plan to host many more customer events across Europe. We really value your feedback and meeting customers face-to-face to understand how we can make even more improvements to our financial service. Expect to hear more from us in the New Year!

![Monese 039 ARaudjalg 0625](//images.ctfassets.net/96dxy75w1gjr/3ZJFjBvB3Lq41Hq79CtHq3/206da5f59580a42809e00ef930efcc7b/Monese_039_ARaudjalg_0625.jpg)

## We’re hiring! 
Finally, we know that 2019 is going be even better than 2018. We’re growing in every way, and that means we are hiring. So, if you think you’ve got what it takes – or you know some brilliant people who want to help build a smart and globally connected financial service – [we’re recruiting for the following roles right now](https://monese.com/careers "Careers"). 

![Monese 263 ARaudjalg 39830](//images.ctfassets.net/96dxy75w1gjr/246lRC4rhvdV4V56q14oL4/97073c1b43b1ab8abf3b38dc58947f63/Monese_263_ARaudjalg_39830.jpg)

## Building an instant mobile money account for mobile people 
At Monese we are working to create the world’s most connected and portable financial service. We believe money management should be smart, inclusive and built around you.

Thanks again for all your support over the last twelve months, we really do appreciate it. We can’t wait to share more updates, products and features with you in the coming months. 

Here’s wishing you all a very happy New Year!

Here are some of the ways we’ve made Monese bigger and better in 2018, plus a sneak peak at what’s coming up in 2019!

Why we can't wait for 2019

Monese 2019 S

Blog post > Why we can't wait for 2019

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.

<div data-comp="signup"></div>

This backing comes from some world-class investors, who share our belief that financial services are changing. The Series B round is led by __Kinnevik__, a global investor focused on digital businesses, with participation from __PayPal__, European investor __Augmentum Fintech__ and __International Airlines Group__ for its loyalty and data business Avios Group Ltd. Existing investors including __Investec’s INVC Fund__ 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 a [stellar Trustpilot rating](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.monese.com "Trustpilot Monese reviews"), 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!

We’ve secured $60 million in capital, which will allow us to continue to develop the next generation of our mobile banking service.

Announcing our Series B and what comes next

Rocket 02

Blog post > Announcing our Series B and what comes next

We’ve secured $60 million in capital, which will allow us to continue to develop the next generation of our mobile financial service

A number of years ago I moved to the UK. After walking into a high street bank with the modest intention of opening an account, I found myself leaving without one.

Without an established credit history and a utility bill to prove my address, I was left in a ridiculous Catch-22 situation. I needed a bank account to get a job and a place to live but, in order to get a bank account, I was required to have a job and accommodation. I now know that there are billions of people across the world who find themselves in similar situations, struggling to set up their lives in different countries.

Monese was established to remove those legacy barriers that still exist in today’s ‘modern’ banking. We believe that bank accounts should be available to anyone. They should also make it easier for people to live, travel and work anywhere in the world – regardless of where they are from or where they are going.

In 2015, Monese launched as the UK’s first mobile money service that enabled customers to manage their money entirely on a mobile phone without ever visiting a bank branch. I’m excited to announce that Monese is now one step closer to a money account without boundaries with the app now being made available across Europe.

<div data-comp="signup"></div>

Today, anyone can open a Monese account in a matter of minutes and spend, send and save like a local in 20 countries – Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and the UK.

![I hate hidden fees Monese app screen](//images.ctfassets.net/96dxy75w1gjr/ndZViIQkDgjcZIDJFmnjq/10e1f9934563f53915c4cdf0a13b3ec3/hate_hidden_fees.png)

Better than that, our customers are able to view and manage two accounts in two separate currencies simultaneously – a European IBAN account in euros and a full UK account, with a sort code, in pound sterlings – all for no extra cost. Accounts come with either a white (Euro) or blue (UK) Mastercard contactless debit card to make it easier to remember which card to use.

In order to properly celebrate our new Eurozone accounts, we are offering both new and existing customers the ability to send €350 Million in fee-free money transfers between its UK and Eurozone accounts. You can find out more about this offer by visiting www.monese.com/freemovement.

Multiple accounts make managing your money in different countries a breeze, as money flows between your Monese accounts in real-time. We have also rolled out 7 new languages, enabling you to truly manage your money like a local across Europe and replace your old bank account.

We feel this is a smarter way towards personal money management. We’d love for you to drop us a line and let us know what you think!

A number of years ago I moved to the UK. After walking into a high street bank with the modest intention of opening an account, I found myself leaving without one.

Latest articles

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Dealing with Covid-19

Thanks a million!

Why we can't wait for 2019

Announcing our Series B and what comes next

Monese Eurozone Accounts

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