Comparison

Monese vs BT Pay

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Monese

This app offers a digital banking alternative, allowing users to manage multiple currencies, send and receive money internationally, and access a contactless debit card. It provides budgeting tools, real-time notifications, and features like savings pots and virtual cards for secure online payments.

Highlights
  • Multi-currency accounts (GBP, EUR, RON)
  • Contactless Mastercard debit card
  • International money transfers
  • Virtual card for online payments
  • Savings pots
  • Real-time spending notifications
  • Credit score building (UK only)
Features
Read full description

Monese is the banking alternative you’ve been waiting for. We’re the money app that helps you budget smartly, spend wisely and switch between currencies in a flash. Whether you need a GBP, EUR or RON account (or all 3!), you’ll be able to manage your money straight from your phone and enjoy the flexibility to live, work, travel, study and thrive wherever life takes you. We even have business accounts! Join over 2 million people and open a Monese mobile money account today. It’s simple, fuss-free and easy – so how does it work? • Open a GBP, EUR or RON account, straight from your phone • Easily switch between currencies and manage your money all in one place • Get a contactless Mastercard debit card you can use globally – online, in-store or at ATMs • Spend abroad with no extra fees on card spending and ATM withdrawals • Quickly send and receive money locally and internationally in multiple currencies • Create a virtual card and pay online or in-store for an extra layer of security • Open a joint account to easily spend, share and save with a loved one, roommate or friend With our feature-rich smartphone app, you’ll also get: • Real-time notifications: Instant updates whenever you use your account • A detailed spending overview: Full transparency around your transactions • Savings pots: Put money aside for something special • Apple Pay: A fast, easy and secure way to pay with your Apple Pay • Automatic Direct Debits and recurring payments: the easy way to pay for things like mobile phone contracts, rent, or gym memberships Plus, you can also: • Build your credit score: Use Credit Builder to grow your credit history and savings at the same time (UK only) • Link your PayPal account: Manage your PayPal balance and transactions from Monese, and add your Monese card to your PayPal wallet • Enjoy state-of-the art security features: 3D Secure, card locking, strong encryption and biometric login • Get instant account statements in PDF or XLS whenever you need Enjoy the convenience of being able to send and receive money straight from your phone, get your salary paid in, set up Direct Debits and recurring payments, all while maintaining a complete overview of your earning, spending and saving. Withdraw cash from ATMs worldwide for free, within generous allowances, and add money to your account by bank transfer, debit card, or with cash at over 84,000 locations in the UK, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal or Spain. You can open an account with us regardless of your citizenship or financial history, as long as you’re at least 18 years old and live in the European Economic Area (EEA).

About

BT Pay

Send and receive money easily using just a phone number. Manage your bank cards, view transaction history, and access exclusive offers. Integrates with HealthKit for personalized deals based on your activity.

Highlights
  • Send and receive money via phone number
  • Transfer money between your cards
  • View transaction history and card balances
  • Access STAR loyalty points and credit card payment info
  • Receive exclusive STAR partner offers
  • Personalized offers based on HealthKit data
Features
Read full description

Acum poti sa transferi bani în cel mai simplu mod în care ai făcut-o vreodată …cu telefonul! Inregistreaza-te in aplicatia BT Pay, lansata de Banca Transilvania, completand urmatoarele informatii: numarul de telefon, data nasterii si detaliile cardurilor BT pe care le doresti sa fie incluse in aplicatie, in format digital. Ce poti face cu aplicatia BT Pay? Multe: • Trimiti bani catre cine doresti sau poti solicita sa ti se trimita bani cand ai nevoie. Tot ce trebuie sa stii pentru transfer este numarul de telefon al persoanei catre care/de la care este transferul de bani; • Poti transfera bani intre conturile cardurilor tale BT; • Poti vedea istoricul tranzactiilor cardurilor cuprinse in BT Pay si cati bani mai ai pe cardul BT. Daca ai si card de credit BT, poti afla inclusiv sumele lunare de plata si cate puncte de loialitate STAR ai acumulate, pentru a le folosi ulterior la alte cumparaturi. Totul, in timp real; • Primesti in exclusivitate oferte ale partenerilor STAR si ale BT; • BT Pay integreaza HealthKit pentru a-ti oferi oferte personalizate in functie de numarul de pasi facuti, dar numai daca tu oferi acces acestei functionalitati. Bucura-te de experienta BT Pay!

Screenshots

Monese4 screens
BT Pay4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: BT Pay at none against Monese's shown. BT Pay also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and review sentiment (37% vs 19%). Monese's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Monese against 4.8 for BT Pay. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.4K and 2.1K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 19% of Monese's written reviews are positive against 37% of BT Pay's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Monese ships an update every 3 weeks, BT Pay fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 26, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Monese versus BT Pay: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMoneseBT Pay
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (2.4K ratings)4.8 (2.1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews18.8% of reviews36.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.4K — better2.1K
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size203 MB439 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMonese LTDBanca Transilvania

Customer experience

Monese

All ratings2,403 ratings
Positive92.8%
Neutral1.7%
Negative5.5%
Written reviews368 reviews
Positive18.8%
Neutral1.9%
Negative79.3%

BT Pay

All ratings2,051 ratings
Positive94.9%
Neutral0.9%
Negative4.2%
Written reviews234 reviews
Positive36.8%
Neutral7.3%
Negative56.0%

Bugs and requests

Monese

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

BT Pay

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Unable to add/update personal details
  • Payments and transfers often fail or get stuck
  • App freezes during verification steps
  • Inconsistent behavior when switching devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add option to manually enter SMS verification codes
  • Improve transaction history and notification features
  • Enable support for non-Romanian users and devices
  • Integrate advanced budgeting and analytics tools

In-app purchases

None

Monese

No in-app purchases

None

BT Pay

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Monese free?
Monese is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BT Pay free?
BT Pay is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Monese or BT Pay?
BT Pay is rated higher. Monese averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.4K ratings, while BT Pay averages 4.8 from 2.1K ratings.
Do Monese or BT Pay have ads?
Monese shows ads; BT Pay does not.
Which is updated more often, Monese or BT Pay?
Monese ships an update every 3 weeks, and BT Pay fortnightly. Most recently, Monese was updated on October 26, 2026 and BT Pay on October 26, 2026.

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