We think opening a bank account should be as easy as possible. That's why we let you do the whole thing on your phone in just a few minutes. But one thing that's different about opening an account with Monzo is that you'll need to send us a short video of yourself.
Sending your bank a selfie might sound a bit weird. But it helps us get you up and running as quickly as possible – while still making sure we're following all the regulations we have to as a bank.
All banks need to confirm that our customers are who they say they are
A basic legal requirement for banks is that we have to know exactly who has accounts with us. These checks – known as KYC (Know Your Customer) in the banking world – cover all the things you're probably used to from other banks, like ID verification and proof of address.
First and foremost, we need to check that it's really you creating the account. When you open a bank account in person, this is really easy: you can see the person right in front of you! But since we're a digital bank, we need some other way of checking.
We'll ask to see some form of ID. Then, to confirm you're really you, we'll ask you to take a selfie video.
When you sign up to Monzo, we get you to send us a video saying "Hi, my name is [your name], and I want a Monzo Bank account."
This way, we know that the ID you've provided belongs to you. And it means we can confirm that you consent to opening the account.
Your video selfie is secure
We only use your video selfies to confirm your identity, and nothing else. We store your video on your account in case we need to verify you again later (like if you forgot your PIN and need a reminder). But we keep it safe, like all your other personal data.
We know taking the video can feel a bit awkward. But it'll usually only be seen by someone in our Customer Operations team once (and it means you can open an entire bank account on your phone!).
What if I can't take the video?
We need the selfie video to verify your identity. So if you can't take the video on your own device, you won't be able to open a Monzo account.
You can always communicate in the video in other ways if you need to. For the "My name is..." sentence, we accept:
Spoken word
Written word (you can hold it up on paper)
Sign language (BSL, ASL, Makaton etc.)
AAC devices (augmentative and alternative communication devices)
We hope that taking your selfie video is a fun little moment at the start of your Monzo journey.
Any questions? Come and ask our community of Monzo experts over in our forum!