Starling Bank vs Monese

About Starling Bank

About Monese

Table of Contents

Monese vs Starling Bank – At a Glance

Monese vs Starling Bank – Plans, Costs & Fees

Monese

Monese has 4 account levels. The higher the cost of the subscription, the more things you will get without having to pay extra for.

Monese Starter: No monthly fee

Additional Costs:

• Physical debit card – £4.95
• International transfers – 2.5%
• Card spending in other currencies – 2%
• ATM withdrawals – £1.50 per withdrawal
• Pay cash into your account – 3.5% of the amount paid in

Monese Essential: £1.95 per month

Additional Costs:

• Physical debit card – free
• International transfers – 2%
• Card spending in other currencies – 0.5%
• ATM withdrawals – up to £200 per month free
• Pay cash into your account – 3.5% of the amount paid in

Monese Classic: £5.95 per month

Additional Costs:

• Physical debit card – free
• International transfers – 0.5%
• Card spending in other currencies – free
• ATM withdrawals – up to £500 per month free
• Pay cash into your account – free up to £400 per month

Monese Premium: £14.95 per month

Additional Costs:

• Physical debit card – free
• International transfers – free
• Card spending in other currencies – free
• ATM withdrawals – up to £1500 per month free
• Pay cash into your account – free up to £1000 per month

Starling Bank

Starling Bank have a very simple model. They have incorporated all of the standard banking functions into their free plan, and do not have any monthly paid plans.

Starling Bank do not charge for ATM withdrawals.

Cash can be paid into your Starling Bank account via the Post Office, and there is no charge for this.

Monese vs Starling Bank – Features

Monese

Key Features:

• GBP and EUR current accounts – for all customers as standard
• Mastercard debit card – with full contactless functionality
• Set up direct debits – within the app
• Pots – divide up your money to create separate areas so you can save or keep bills money separate
• Categorised spending – set your own categories
• Set monthly budgets – keep track of your money
• Earn interest and invest – via Raisin within the app
• Real-time spending notifications – see any account activity
• Free transfers in your local currency – and between Monese accounts
• Apple Pay and Google Pay – set up with you debit card
• Pay cash into your account – via the Post Office and PayPoint locations

On the paid tiers of Monese, other features are available:

• Insurances and purchase protection
• Priority customer support
• Credit Builder

Starling Bank

• Easy to use smartphone app – bank on the go, 24/7.
• Instant Notifications – get informed of any activity on your account immediately
• Spaces – Spaces are ‘virtual piggy banks’ within your Starling Bank account, where you can split your money into different areas i.e. bills, saving etc.
• Categorised Spending Insights – Within the app you can analyse your spending via categories to allow you to manage your money more efficiently.
• Starling Bank Marketplace – Starling Bank recommend other financial services – such as insurance, mortgages, pensions and more.
• Free ATM Withdrawals – Starling Bank offer free ATM withdrawals in the UK and within Europe and do not have limits on the free amounts you can take out.
• Savings Goals – easily set up within the app
• Mastercard Debit Card – with full contactless functionality
• Freeze your debit card – instantly stop the card via the app if it is lost or stolen.
• Interest on your current account balance – 0.05% on balances up to £85,000.
• Pay in cash via Post Office branches – up to £1000 per year free.

Monese vs Starling Bank – Debit Cards

Monese

Monese recently changed the design of their cards. Depending on the plan, the card colours on the personal banking accounts are either a simple pearly white, a fresh bright blue or an elegant midnight. Business users get a black card. All debit cards are enabled for contactless, Apple Pay and Google Pay.

Starling Bank

Starling Bank account holders get a Mastercard debit card with contactless functionality, which is enabled for Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay. Personal account cards are teal in colour, and the business card is black.

Monese vs Starling Bank – Safety

Are digital challenger banks safe?

In the 2020s, there are now many new technology focused banks and current accounts available. But are they safe to use, compared to the traditional high street banks? Generally yes they are, as all current account providers in the UK, whether an e-money provider, such as Monese or Revolut, or a fully licensed UK bank, such as Monzo, Starling or Cashplus Bank, they are all regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. This means they are regulated by the same body as the older banks, and should have the same levels of safeguards for your money.

Monese

Monese is not a licensed UK bank, but rather an e-money provider. This means that customer deposits are not covered up to £85,000 by the FSCS in case of the companies insolvency, like it would be if it was a fully licensed UK bank. However, Monese state that customer deposits are protected by their practice of ‘safeguarding’. They say:

Safeguarding means your money is kept separate from any money owned by Monese or PPS and it’s placed into a secure account with an authorised bank, or covered through an insurance policy or similar guarantee. We never lend your money to anyone and it’s always available to you, on demand. There’s also no upper limit per customer or account for safeguarding. This means that all the money within your Monese account is protected.

Starling Bank

Starling Bank are a fully licensed UK bank, and as such, customer deposits are covered up to £85,000 under the FSCS.

In 2021 they received the highest score out of all banks in the UK in a study by consumer group Which? that looked at banking security.

Your debit card can be instantly frozen and unfrozen via your app.

Monese vs Starling Bank – Business Banking

Monese

The Monese business account is available to users with a Monese personal account:

• Business account costs £9.95 per month
• GBP account only for business
• Money management tools
• Pay cash into your account via Paypal & the Post Office

As of late 2022, Monese has stopped accepting new business account applications.

Starling Bank

Whilst the basic Starling Bank Business account is free, for £7 per month you can sign up for the Business Toolkit – which contains the following features:

• Instant Invoices – sent directly from the app
• Automated Expenses – separate your expenses into categories
• Tax Estimates – the app analyses your account and estimates the taxes due
• Record & Submit VAT – get a running total of the VAT position.
• Bills Sorter – upload bills and schedule payments.
• Accounting Software Integration – Xero, Quickbooks and more
• Business Spending Insights – account analytics
• Business Spaces – categorise your funds

Read our full Starling Bank Business Review.

Monese vs Starling Bank – Travelling

Monese

• Monese account holders get a GBP and EUR account as standard.

• When abroad, paying with your card is free on the paid tiers (there is a 2% charge on the free account).

• ATM withdrawals abroad are free up to your tier limit.

Starling Bank

• Payments with the Starling Bank debit card are free overseas

• Starling give free-free ATM withdrawals abroad, with no upper limit

• Starling do currency transfers at the interbank rate, with a fee of 0.4% of the amount converted.

Monese vs Starling Bank – Child accounts

To open a full account with Starling Bank or Monese, users must be over 18 years old.

Starling Bank – Kite

Whilst Starling Bank do not offer a stand-alone account for users under 18, they do offer Kite, which is aimed at younger users. Full account holders can apply for an extra card for their child, which is fully controlled by the main account, which has full visibility. The card can be used for a range of payment and banking activities and costs £2 per month. Visit Starling Kite

Monese

Monese do not offer a product for younger customers currently.

Monese vs Starling Bank – Mobile App

Starling Bank’s simple and intuitive app won Best Banking App at the 2021 British Bank Awards.

Monese have less features within their app than some competitors, but the money management and account features are functional and accessible.

Monese vs Starling Bank – Extras

Starling Bank

Starling Bank offers the following products and services in addition to their core banking products:

• Starling Bank Marketplace – a place where you can get additional services such as insurances or ISA investments via third party providers such as Wealthify and more.
• Starling Bank also offers joint accounts, and thus offers in combination with Starling Kite a banking solution for your entire family. Visit Starling Bank Joint Account.
• As of November 2023 an interest rate of 3.25% AER / 3.19% Gross (variable) interest is paid on balances up to £5,000 held in current accounts. However, Starling Bank also offers a 5.53% AER/gross on a 1-year fixed saver account (money cannot be withdrawn for 1 year) for amounts from £2,000 to £1,000.000. Find out more about Starling Bank 1 year fixed saver.

Monese

Monese do have more extras on offer than Starling Bank – especially on their paid monthly tiers.

• GBP and EUR account for all customers
• Credit Builder – a way to improve your credit for £7.95 per month
• Insurances and payment protection on paid tiers
• Joint account

Monese vs Starling Bank – FAQ

Monese vs Starling Bank – Verdict

Starling Bank has done fantastically well over the past few years, having gained millions of customers. Their app-focused banking product is good value and works very well. Therefore it is always hard to choose above them, and if you are looking for an all-rounder digital bank to replace your current bank, then they are a great choice. Monese do have certain benefits however, that, if they fit your situation, make them a better bet than Starling. For instance, if you do not have a UK address or credit history, it is easier to set up, and if you need a Euro account as well as a GBP, then they may be the option for you.