Monzo/Starling Banking/Revolut

Psycho Sonny said:
Just came back from 3 weeks away.

Well Starling is crap. Only about 50% of places in the USA and Canada it actually worked. Had to end up using the clarity card most of the time.

Revolut worked everywhere.

I'd say it's more of a back up card or for ATM use only abroad.

Clarity will now be my go to abroad use. With revolut as back up. Starling for ATM withdrawals.
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What was the issue? I've used Starling across the US and Asia with zero issues.
 
Basher said:
What was the issue? I've used Starling across the US and Asia with zero issues.
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I was told sorry your card has been declined, rejected or whatever.

I then said okay try this one. Which worked first time.

It only worked in 50% of places like I said. They were swiping though not chip and pin. Which i thought was weird.

I wasn't exactly in some back end places either. Vancouver, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Doesn't get much more bigger than those in terms of cities.
 
Starling worked everywhere for me on my recent trip abroad to US & Canada, only place it didn't was at petrol stations (but then neither did our Clarity card - something to do with being a UK card).
 
Maccy said:
Starling worked everywhere for me on my recent trip abroad to US & Canada, only place it didn't was at petrol stations (but then neither did our Clarity card - something to do with being a UK card).
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A lot of the places were taking the card off me and swiping it rather than chip and pin. Which I found weird. Possibly the issue?

As in a lot of restaurants and bars, etc. Saying that it didn't work in Gordon Ramsay's restaurant.

It didn't work at universal studios.

It worked at supermarket, tix4tonight. A handful of places.

It got to the point I even started telling them I'll try this first and if it doesn't work I'll give you another card.
 
Psycho Sonny said:
A lot of the places were taking the card off me and swiping it rather than chip and pin. Which I found weird. Possibly the issue?

As in a lot of restaurants and bars, etc. Saying that it didn't work in Gordon Ramsay's restaurant.
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Did you have the 'controls' of the card set correctly? Mine had magstripe payments off by default. You have to choose to have that enabled. Same with things like location based protection, gambling payments, ATM withdrawals and online payments.

So long as that's on you should be fine, I've used Starling across the US and it's always been fine except frustratingly petrol stations but I can live with that.

edit - I've just checked, it automatically locks magstripe payments after a while and you have to enable it.
 
Psycho Sonny said:
A lot of the places were taking the card off me and swiping it rather than chip and pin. Which I found weird. Possibly the issue?

As in a lot of restaurants and bars, etc. Saying that it didn't work in Gordon Ramsay's restaurant.

It didn't work at universal studios.

It worked at supermarket, tix4tonight. A handful of places.

It got to the point I even started telling them I'll try this first and if it doesn't work I'll give you another card.
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Ah yeah, that's completely standard to do that in the US, that said, I've not had any issues with that approach in the past. Weird.
 
Kol said:
Did you have the 'controls' of the card set correctly? Mine had magstripe payments off by default. You have to choose to have that enabled. Same with things like location based protection, gambling payments, ATM withdrawals and online payments.

So long as that's on you should be fine, I've used Starling across the US and it's always been fine except frustratingly petrol stations but I can live with that.

edit - I've just checked, it automatically locks magstripe payments after a while and you have to enable it.
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magstripe is unckecked

so it looks like you have found the culprit. well done.

seems like a lot faffing. what if i don't have data (i had internet in USA but not canada)? just safer to stick with clarity.
 
Yup perfectly normal in the US to take your card away, you then add whatever tip you deem appropriate, and that would come out as another transaction usually.
They don't do chip and pin much so will be the magstripe - you would've got a notification that magstripe is disabled in the app and that's why it was declined.
 
US is about a decade behind most civilised countries when it comes to payments and Fintech. Odd considering.

I've had a few traditional bank cards declined when using magstripe Halifax Clarity and Barclaycard included. So with Starling you at least know exactly what the issue is and don't have to call someone to get it sorted.
 
Psycho Sonny said:
A lot of the places were taking the card off me and swiping it rather than chip and pin. Which I found weird. Possibly the issue?

As in a lot of restaurants and bars, etc. Saying that it didn't work in Gordon Ramsay's restaurant.

It didn't work at universal studios.

It worked at supermarket, tix4tonight. A handful of places.

It got to the point I even started telling them I'll try this first and if it doesn't work I'll give you another card.
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American Petrol stations hate UK cards, never found one that works even AMEX, I give and generally walk in and prepay like a convict trying to get on the straight and narrow :)
 
SPG said:
American Petrol stations hate UK cards, never found one that works even AMEX, I give and generally walk in and prepay like a convict trying to get on the straight and narrow :)
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I was in the states for September and I had reasonable success on the East Coast. About half the pay at pump card machines accepted my Mastercard.
 
Starling’s magstripe security caught be off guard twice when me and the missus stayed in Manhattan back in July. Once I learnt what the issue was, all was good - I just had to keep an eye on the setting from time to time. They are so behind on tech as mentioned it’s hilarious watching staff as they react to the use of Android Pay.
 
Kainz said:
Starling’s magstripe security caught be off guard twice when me and the missus stayed in Manhattan back in July. Once I learnt what the issue was, all was good - I just had to keep an eye on the setting from time to time. They are so behind on tech as mentioned it’s hilarious watching staff as they react to the use of Android Pay.
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I experienced that in a shop in Florida, the guy could not believe I was paying with my phone. I really hadn't expected America to be so behind with technology.
 
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