Last updated: 17 September 2026. I checked every price, rate and offer behind these Monzo guides against monzo.com on 17 September 2026.
By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance
Monzo has been my main current account for more than four years. I pay for the Perks plan, keep my everyday spending and Pots there, and fund my Sprive mortgage overpayments from it. So every guide below starts from a live account.
Monzo guides: every article in one place
Monzo says it has more than 16 million personal and business customers. I have written about it from more angles than almost any other app I use. All of my Monzo guides sit below, grouped by the question you arrived with. That might be which paid plan to pick, where to keep your savings, how Monzo compares with Chase, Starling and Biscuit, or how the sign-up reward works.
This page contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.
Nothing here is financial advice, and CoolCuration is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. If you are unsure which account suits your circumstances, speak to a qualified adviser.
Eligible deposits are protected up to £120,000 per eligible person per UK-authorised bank, building society or credit union by the FSCS (since 1 December 2025). For Monzo, the deposit-taker is Monzo Bank Limited.
Get the Monzo sign-up reward
Rewards start at £5 and the amount is picked at random, so Monzo's own invite page shows you the exact figure once you tap through. My referral page has the link and the steps to claim it.
Start here
New to Monzo?
First, two Monzo guides for anyone weighing up the account: my verdict after four years of daily use, and what a new customer gets for joining.
The paid plans
Extra, Perks and Max
Monzo raised its plan prices in 2026, so the first guide holds every new price and date. After that, the other two decide whether Perks, or Max, earns its monthly fee.
Saving and investing
Pots, savings and Monzo Investments
Savings pots are deposits at Monzo Bank. Monzo Investments, however, are not deposits, so the value can fall as well as rise.
Capital at risk. The value of investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.
Head to head
Monzo vs the others
Three one-on-one comparisons: Starling, the other original app bank; Chase, for cashback; and Zopa's Biscuit, for interest.
The wider picture
Where Monzo fits among UK accounts
Beyond my Monzo guides, these four roundups rank Monzo alongside other UK bank accounts, savings accounts and money apps.
The offer
Monzo referral pages
The live sign-up offer for the current account, plus the investments referral, which Monzo has paused.
The regulation
Where Monzo stands with the regulators
Monzo Bank Limited is a UK bank, authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by both the PRA and the Financial Conduct Authority. In addition, it appears on the FCA Register under firm reference number 730427.
Because Monzo holds a full banking licence, your current account and your savings pots are deposits with Monzo Bank Limited. So the FSCS limit of £120,000 applies to all of them added together, not to each pot separately. The FSCS runs a protection checker if you want to confirm a firm is covered.
Monzo Investments are different, because the money is invested rather than deposited. Eligible investments are protected up to £85,000 per person per FCA-authorised firm by the FSCS. However, that cover applies if the firm fails, not if your investments fall in value.
CoolCuration itself is not authorised or regulated by the FCA, and nothing in these guides is financial advice. For free, impartial guidance on bank accounts and saving, the government-backed MoneyHelper service is a good place to start.
How I do it
How I cover Monzo
Every one of these Monzo guides comes from my own account. Monzo is my main current account, so my everyday spending, my pots, my Perks plan and my Sprive overpayments all run through it. The screenshots show my own app, and the Perks sums use my own usage.
Beyond that, I check each price and rate against Monzo's own pages and legal terms on the day I write. That matters because Monzo changes its figures often. The Railcard cancellation fee moved within a fortnight in 2026, so I never carry a number across from an older guide.
Finally, I disclose the money side wherever it applies and mark every referral link as sponsored. The verdicts stay mine, though. That is why my Monzo guides name the stale balance, the Vue ticket I barely use and the paused investments referral next to the good parts.
Monzo guides FAQs
What is Monzo?
Monzo is a UK bank that runs entirely through an app, operated by Monzo Bank Limited. The free account covers everyday spending, pots and budgeting, and three paid plans add extras on top. My Monzo review covers four years of using it as my main account, and it is the natural place to start among these Monzo guides.
How much do Monzo's paid plans cost?
Monzo sells three paid plans: Extra, Perks and Max. Prices rose in 2026, and new customers have paid the new prices since 13 August. My Monzo Perks price increase breakdown has every tier, the key dates and the maths.
Is my money safe with Monzo?
Monzo Bank Limited is covered by the FSCS, so eligible deposits are protected up to £120,000 per person. Savings pots sit with the same bank, so they share that single limit with your current account. My savings pots guide sets out how that works in practice.
How does the Monzo sign-up reward work?
Rewards start at £5 and the amount is picked at random, with the referrer and the new customer getting the same figure. Meanwhile, within 30 days the new customer has to open an account, add some money and make a first card payment. The live link and steps are on my Monzo referral page.
Which Monzo plan pays for itself?
That depends on which extras you would buy anyway. In my own account, the Railcard alone clears the Perks fee. Max, on the other hand, makes sense mainly for people who would otherwise pay for travel insurance, phone insurance and breakdown cover. My Monzo Perks vs Max comparison prices those three policies one by one.
How does Monzo compare with Starling and Chase?
All three are app-first and FSCS-protected, so the differences come down to interest, cashback and extras. Chase leans on cashback, Starling on business banking and travel extras, and Monzo on budgeting tools. My Monzo vs Starling and Monzo vs Chase guides go through each one.
Join Monzo with a sign-up reward
Either way, the free account costs nothing. If you do join through my link, Monzo's invite page shows the reward you could get before you apply.
Rates, prices and offer terms change, and every rate mentioned in these guides is variable unless it says otherwise. Nothing on this page is financial advice; consider a qualified adviser before making decisions about your money. Capital at risk. The value of investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances of each client and may be subject to change in future. This page contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view. CoolCuration is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
More from CoolCuration
- Sprive guides. Every guide to the mortgage overpayment app I fund from my Monzo account.
- Chase refer-a-friend code. £50 each for eligible new Chase customers who pay in £1,000 within 30 days.
- Chip app guide. The savings app where I keep the money that is not in my Monzo pots.
- Emma app trial. One view of Monzo alongside every other account you hold.
- Gifts for techies. Gadgets for the person who reads bank app changelogs for fun.
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