Genome vs Monzo
Torn between Genome and Monzo? The comparison below is built from the same test data we use across the rest of the site.
Genome issues on Visa and Monzo on Visa · Mastercard; both ask for ID + proof.
Monzo is the more cost-effective option for everyday spending and travel thanks to its free virtual cards, no monthly fee, 0% foreign transaction fees, no top-up fee. Genome is the better fit for power users who need ad spend and AI subscriptions.
The two, compared
| Field | Genome | Monzo |
|---|---|---|
| Card network | Visa | Visa/Mastercard |
| Card type | Digital Bank / Neobank | Digital Bank / Neobank |
| KYC | ID + proof | ID + proof |
| Card issuance fee | Virtual card 1 EUR (first 10); 10 EUR from 11th | Free (with Monzo account) |
| Monthly fee | Free EUR (card monthly fee); non-EEA personal account 20 EUR/mo or 200 EUR/yr | Free (standard account) |
| Top-up fee | Non-Genome card top-up 3% (externally initiated 1%) | — |
| FX fee | Non-card currency transactions 2%; EUR/USD/GBP conversion 1% | No FX fees |
| Crypto funding | No | No |
| AI tool support | ChatGPT | — |
| Risk level | Medium | Low-Medium |
| Our rating | 9.3 | 8.3 |
| User reviews | 159 | 407 |
| Best for | Ad spend · AI subscriptions | App Store / Play · Free issuance |
A green left edge marks the side that holds the advantage on that row, where the data gives one.
Side by side
- Tight on fees? Monzo is the cheaper card to hold day to day.
- If you wear several hats, Genome is the more flexible of the pair.
- Genome edged Monzo on our composite rating across fees, risk and merchant tests.
- If risk rating weights your choice, Monzo is the calmer of the two.
The head to head
Run the numbers against your own usage. Monzo runs free to create plus no top-up fee per top-up; Genome runs about $1.09 plus a 3% top-up. For one or two subscriptions the first column wins; for ad-platform billing and AI subscriptions, the second does.
Questions people ask
That depends on what you spend on. Genome scores 9.3/10 against Monzo's 8.3/10 in our tests, but the two split on fees, KYC and crypto funding. Read the table above, then match it to the checkouts you actually run.
Monzo works out cheaper: no virtual card issuance fee, free account maintenance, 0% foreign transaction fee, no top-up fee. Genome adds about $1.09 per virtual card, a 2% FX fee, a 3% top-up fee.
Genome asks for ID + proof at signup; Monzo asks for ID + proof. If a light sign-up is the priority, the one with the lower KYC label is the faster route.
Both show up in 1 of the same test scenarios, including Zoom Video Communications. They overlap on a good share of checkouts, so the choice between them matters most on those pages. Where one is accepted and the other is not usually comes down to the billing country and 3-D Secure handling.
Where both show up
Genome and Monzo both landed in our top picks for 1 checkouts. Grouped by category so you can jump straight to the one you actually pay for:
🧳 Travel & Productivity 1
Their BIN ranges
Cards issued in 🇦🇺 Australia · 🇬🇧 UK — the country guides group every range we track from there.
What our charge log shows
Every count here is a real charge attempt we placed on that range, renewals included, with the gateway response recorded. Weeks tracked is how long the range has been in the programme: