Algbra
Algbra is a sustainable and values-focused financial app that we’ve built to create an inclusive ecosystem that fits with the everyday financing needs of ethically minded consumers.
The Algbra app provides you with an e-money wallet and a Mastercard Debit card. It comes with tools that can help you lead a social and environmentally conscious life, such as a Carbon and Water Tracker to review the impact of purchases, the ability to offset your carbon footprint and donate money to causes you care about through 'Donations'.
Powered by an ethically-minded team, Algbra is a sustainable financial impact app and platform that sits at the intersection of values, finance and technology.
Our promise to you:
- We will never hold your money in an unethical or high-risk manner and we will adhere to strict policies around the industries in which we invest. As an Algbra customer, you will always have access to this information and be made aware of where your money is being held.
- Transparency is at our core of everything we do; from full visibility of where your money is, to crystal-clear details on all fees or charges.
- We’ll always put our values into action by giving back to our community and working with them on social impact initiatives. We’ll also give you the opportunity to join these initiatives and be part of making a difference.
- You’ll be a part of the equation, through social impact tools embedded within the Algbra app (like our Carbon Footprint Tracker and offsetting tools).
- We've adopted a systematic approach to ethical finance, with a focus on financial inclusion, literacy, and gender equity, that will never waver.
We come from the communities we serve and our team consists of Tier 1 members from the industry with diverse backgrounds and experiences.
Algbra’s success is measured by the work that we do to educate, engage and empower overlooked communities and enable them to take control of their finances.
We’ve established Algbra X, Algbra’s social impact foundation, dedicated to working with our communities to create innovative spaces that support grassroots initiatives and inspire engagement across the UK. Algbra X is a UK registered charity, Charity Number: 1197329.
To learn more about our community work and see the impact we are making, visit our Community page.
Algbra is headquartered in London, United Kingdom. For more information, get in touch with us via info@algbra.com.
We're launching Algbra in the United Kingdom first, with plans to expand to the rest of Europe and beyond soon after!
For general enquiries, you can contact us via email at info@algbra.com or give us a call on +44 203 997 6820.
For urgent issues or support queries, please head to the app and tap on 'Support' from the 'Profile' section. There, you can chat to a member of our team live. Alternatively, you can email us at support@algbra.com.
For general enquiries, you can contact us via email at info@algbra.com or give us a call on +44 203 997 6820.
For urgent issues or support queries, please head to the app and tap on 'Support' from the 'Profile' section. There, you can chat to a member of our team live. Alternatively, you can email us at support@algbra.com.
Account
Opening an account is simple. You’ll just need the following:
- An internet-connected device equipped with a camera,
- U.K. mobile number,
- Valid ID documents (e.g. passport or driving licence),
- And proof of address (such as a utility bill).
We’ll ask you to upload a selfie and photos of your identification documents via the app so we can verify your identity. Once your application is approved, you can use your account and order your sustainable Algbra card straight away!
To open an account with Algbra you just need to be a U.K. resident over the age of 18 and possess valid identity documents.
For more information about what you'll need, check out this article.
No, we don’t carry out credit checks or do anything that might impact your credit score/rating. When you apply for an Algbra account, we use trusted third parties to verify your identity by searching public databases. This might leave what’s called a ‘soft footprint’ of us conducting this search on your credit history so there’s a record of us having requested this information.
We’re still in Beta, so we’re inviting members of the waiting list to test out the app ahead of full launch.
If you’d like to get early access, you can join the waiting list here.
We’ll notify all waiting list members once the full version is live, when you can download the Algbra app from the iOS App Store and Android Google Play Store.
We have designed and developed the Algbra app to keep your information secure, using bank-grade encryption to protect your data in-transit and at-rest.
In order to protect your account, please take the utmost care to keep your Algbra account details private and your card secure.
You can find guidance in our Privacy Policy or by getting in touch with us via info@algbra.com.
But we understand that you might decide to close your account anyway. You can do this by speaking to our Support team via the in-app chat. By logging in and notifying us there, we can verify that it’s you making the request and not someone else.
Please note that once you close your account you will not be able to open a new account with us for 12 months after closing one.
If you have any feedback, general thoughts or complaints that you’d like us to address before you make up your mind, please do let us know. You can also take a look at our Complaints Process, which we’ve made as simple as possible because we’re committed to meeting your expectations and improving our products and services.
Should you decide to close your account anyway, please note that you’ll need to bring your account balance to zero before we can do this for you.
In order to use the Algbra app, we need to verify your identity in line with financial services regulations commonly referred to as ‘Know Your Customer’ (KYC) and Customer Due Diligence (CDD). This enables us to protect the integrity of Algbra’s community and provide a secure service for all of our customers.
Cards
Thanks for joining! You’ll receive your Algbra card after we’ve approved your account application. For now, this is just for Beta users but we’ll be opening this up to the waiting list soon.
You can use your Algbra Debit Card to make purchases online and in millions of physical locations worldwide. Just look for the Mastercard logo or for a notice that a merchant it.
If you have any trouble, just get in touch with us via the in-app chat and we’ll be happy to help.
When you use your Algbra card to make a purchase in another currency, we’ll use the Mastercard Exchange rate. While traditional banks may apply a charge to the ECB rates, Algbra doesn’t charge any fees to the Mastercard rates.
You can see the up to date Mastercard Exchange rates here, at any time.
Algbra card purchases are protected under the Mastercard Chargeback Scheme, which allows you to dispute a transaction in the following situations:
- The merchant did not provide the goods and services as described (or did not provide the goods and services at all).
- There was an error when transacting with the merchant which has led to you being incorrectly charged.
You must only ask for a chargeback after you have tried to resolve the issue by contacting the merchant.
This is particularly important for non-fraud cases because Mastercard will require evidence that you’ve contacted the merchant and tried to resolve the dispute with them first. We’ll request this evidence from you when raising this case with Mastercard.
Once a chargeback is raised with a merchant, they have 45 days to respond. If the merchant rejects the chargeback claim, it can take longer to resolve the case and may take up to 12 weeks.
We’ll be sure to keep you updated on the progress and status of your case until completion.
If your card is lost or stolen, please follow the steps detailed below to freeze your card and protect your money.
- Go to the ‘Cards’ tab in the Algbra app
- Find your card and select ‘Freeze card’
- Select ‘Report lost or stolen’
You can also block your card by contacting us through the app as soon as you notice it’s missing.
If you’ve forgotten your PIN, you’ll need to change it. If you enter an incorrect PIN 3 times, it will be automatically blocked (please get in touch with us via the in-app chat if your PIN is blocked).
To change your PIN:
Step 1
Go to the 'Card' section in the app and tap on 'Card Security'. Then select ‘Change PIN’ and follow the instructions.
Step 2
Visit a cash machine of any of the major high street banks (such as Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, etc) insert your card and check the balance to confirm your PIN.
If you spot a transaction you don't recognise or your card is lost or stolen, it's important to block your card as soon as possible to protect your money.
To block your card:
- Go to the ‘Cards’ tab in the Algbra app
- Find your card and select ‘Freeze card’
- Select ‘Report lost or stolen’
You can also block your card by contacting us through the in-app chat as soon as you notice any suspicious activity on your account or that your card is missing.
You can change your PIN in 2 steps:
Step 1
Go to the 'Card' section in the app and tap on 'Card Security'. Then select ‘Change PIN’ and follow the instructions.
Step 2
Visit a cash machine of any of the major high street banks (such as Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, etc) insert your card and check the balance to confirm your PIN.
That's it, you're all set!
As per regulations, Algbra is required to 'safeguard' all customer deposits and funds.
We do this by holding the money you deposit or receive in a client money bank account, which we manage on your behalf. We have client accounts with banking partners that are ESG compliant.
Safeguarding protects your money because if Algbra was to ever become insolvent, the money in these client accounts would be used to pay out to you (and other customers).
Your account holds e-money which is not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. For more information about how we protect your money, please get in touch with our team via info@algbra.com.