Monzo vs Novo
Both Monzo and Novo clear the checkouts our readers ask about most. Here is where the two part ways on fees and verification.
Monzo issues on Visa · Mastercard and Novo on Mastercard; verification is ID + proof at Monzo versus Business KYC at Novo.
Monzo is the more cost-effective option for everyday spending and travel thanks to its free virtual cards, no monthly fee. Novo still clears the same checkouts in our tests, so match the table to the services you actually pay for.
Where they split
| Field | Monzo | Novo |
|---|---|---|
| Card network | Visa/Mastercard | Mastercard |
| Card type | Digital Bank / Neobank | Digital Bank / Neobank |
| KYC | ID + proof | Business KYC |
| Card issuance fee | Free (with Monzo account) | Free |
| Monthly fee | Free (standard account) | Free ($0 monthly, no minimum balance) |
| Top-up fee | — | — |
| FX fee | No FX fees | — |
| Crypto funding | No | No |
| AI tool support | — | — |
| Risk level | Low-Medium | Low |
| Our rating | 8.3 | 8.3 |
| User reviews | 407 | 926 |
| Best for | App Store / Play · Free issuance | App Store / Play · Free issuance |
A green left edge marks the side that holds the advantage on that row, where the data gives one.
Two cards, one decision
- Novo carries the lower risk flag in our file, which some users prefer for a primary card.
- They trade blows — pick on the two or three rows that match how you actually spend.
The head to head
Monzo is the cheaper card to hold: free to create and no top-up fee, against free and no top-up fee at Novo. Novo earns its keep only if you need the rows where it leads in the table.
Questions people ask
That depends on what you spend on. Monzo scores 8.3/10 against Novo'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 is the cheaper card to run. Both Monzo and Novo issue virtual cards for free.
Monzo asks for ID + proof at signup; Novo asks for Business KYC. 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 Minecraft Store. 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
Monzo and Novo both landed in our top picks for 1 checkouts. Grouped by category so you can jump straight to the one you actually pay for:
🎮 Gaming 1
Their BIN ranges
Cards issued in 🇬🇧 UK · 🇺🇸 US — 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: