Introduction Mobile banking is not what it used to be just a few years ago. Customers around the world are discovering new kinds of experiences that minimize visits to physical branches (or eliminate them altogether) in favor of hyper-convenient, feature-rich apps that let you track expenses, build a budget, or even trade stocks and crypto. quicker to welcome these new experiences, like the EU, Russia and Latin America. On the other hand, we can see some of the markets, like the US, resisting change owing to legacy banking systems and stricter legislation. But the common truth is that mobile banking is not only here to stay - it will never be the same again. In this article we will look at some of the current mobile banking trends that are redefining your day-to-day financial operations, as well as new approaches to building mobile banking apps and their potential future. Trends Security Let’s first talk about the issue that prevents someone from trying mobile banking in the first place: the safety of their data and funds. As mobile devices introduced new security features like on-device encryption and biometric authentication (first with fingerprints, later with the face and even with your iris), mobile banking has seen an explosion in adoption since it first became a concept with the breakthrough of the smartphone in 2008. Biometrics But progress in that area hasn’t stopped. On the contrary, cybersecurity engineers are constantly introducing new security measures aiming at preventing attacks from happening in the first place and boosting devices’ underlying security. The pandemic has exacerbated the need for security methods that rely on non-fungible traits of the bank account owner rather than passwords or secret codes that can be copied. For example, voice recognition technology has made great strides in becoming available for use in the mobile banking context, and some companies have successfully launched pilots. At Sinara Bank, we aim to build trust in our biometric solutions as we adopt the “One-time contact” approach to offering our retail banking services. This means the client needs to complete a one-time biometric authentication procedure in our branch, and subsequent banking services will be provided on a remote-first basis. We are also experimenting with offering initial biometric authentication without any branch visits at all, and are seeing a positive dynamic with adoption. Voice biometrics is increasingly getting adopted by US bank call centers to securely authenticate account holders who can finally ditch learning a secret phrase or punching in their credit card number on the line. HSBC UK claims it was able to prevent almost £1 billion in customer funds from being stolen by malicious actors thanks to its adoption of voice authentication technology. These “voiceprint” models can be effectively scaled to mobile apps and even combined with existing biometric authentication methods like fingerprint and face recognition to create a unique biometric identity for every customer that is simply impossible to spoof. Real-Time Monitoring Banks also turn to Big Data models to learn how to identify and stop attacks in real time by monitoring millions of active processes across branches and security systems and identifying patterns that would indicate an attack vector. Data analytics derived from banking mobile apps can be a principal contributor to ensuring the security of the banking system. Features Banking apps are more feature-rich than ever. Here are some of the innovations that keep banning customers coming back: Superapps Banking apps have evolved from simply allowing users to check their balance and conduct basic transfer operations to offering the full scope of banking services and even third-party integrations that simplify everyday tasks and empower a healthier financial lifestyle. These bank apps offer instant chat-style customer support, built-in loan instruments and financial expenses dashboards that help customers track their spending habits and plan ahead, automatic bill payment, and sometimes even public transportation payment options, airline tickets and cinema and theater tickets, typically offered as part of the bank’s loyalty program. Of course, customers increasingly find banking apps with better UX to be more appealing. According to internal research by Sinara Bank, only 7% of our clients took advantage of remote APR deposits in 2019. In 2022, that number was 60%. We are seeing a similar dynamic with pre-approved loans as well. This year alone, our app’s MAU and DAU have jumped 11% and 20% respectively. In addition to that, almost all of our clients transitioned to mobile-only banking, abandoning desktop versions and bank branch visits altogether, with just under 10% of our client base sticking to the legacy desktop web application to manage their finances. Overall penetration of our mobile banking app skyrocketed from 40% to 75% over the past few years, with even the most skeptical groups like elderly depositors finally moving on. We can confidently say that clients overwhelmingly prefer a remote-first banking approach, and we responded accordingly with all new features being remote and mobile-only. More Ways To Pay NFC payments are arguably the most convenient way to pay for goods and services - just tap with your phone and you’re done. It’s seamless, secure and blazing fast, but also not the only way to pay with a smartphone. The banking apps of 2023 need to support more ways of payment to offer customers choice and flexibility, plus, retail chains may create special cashback programs that incentivize customers to use one payment method over the other. QR code payments are a fantastic alternative to NFC payments for customers who, for example, don’t have an NFC-enabled device. This way, they can quickly pay by pointing their camera at the QR code at the checkout counter and deduct funds directly from their bank account. Another popular way to pay is digital wallets and bank-enabled BNPL services which have skyrocketed in recent years as players like Klarna, ShopPay and Afterpay introduced simple loan-based payments on websites, typically with zero interest. Banks are creating hybrid services that combine easy-to-use digital wallets that do not require card credentials with BNPL options that incentivize quick purchases and create an additional revenue stream. Instant Transfers Gone are the days when you needed someone's sixteen-digit bank account number and other lengthy details to conduct a basic wire transfer, which would be executed within several banking business days. At Sinara Bank, we introduced instant operations like C2C, C2B and me-2-me pulls several years ago. Now, we’ve added phone number and QR code transfers between individuals and organizations. We already hit a turnover of $4 million on these operations, up from zero, and we are currently testing instant phone number-based cross-border transfers as well. This trend is global: for example, the US’ Federal Reserve is currently testing its instant transfer system called FedNow that would finally allow the aging US banking system to catch up with the modern world. Of course, other phone number-based transfer applications like Zelle aren’t quick to give up their market shares. Virtual Assistants In the advent of virtual assistants, users rely on Siri, Google Assistant, and even on brand new products like Bing Chat to simplify their interactions with devices and boost productivity, and banks are implementing the same functionality in banking apps to speed up routine tasks like sending quick transfers to relatives or paying bills. Artificial intelligence AI is all the rage, and banks can take advantage of it to perform deeper financial analysis of its customers and offer more personalized financial products. Some companies like Affirm already use AI to accurately score potential borrowers with limited credit history. Crypto and Assets Digital currency is not only for enthusiasts anymore. Governments around the world are flocking to legalize and take advantage of all that digital assets have to offer. Even the United States is piloting a so-called “digital dollar” that should unlock next-generation banking capabilities for millions of retail clients. Sinara Bank is proud to be one of the Russian banks partaking in the digital ruble pilot program. But industry-wide adoption does not stop with analogs of regular currency - many banking apps are starting to integrate with popular cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum and USDT. Some of the leading global banks that are opening their doors to crypto include Revolut, Ally Bank, USAA and even Bank of America., Banking-as-a-Service Neobanks have recently sprung up across the financial landscape to provide competition to traditional banks by undercutting them and introducing features previously unheard of. These novel institutions often lack branches and boast convenient apps with features that younger customers have come to expect from digitally native financial services like PayPal. In response, banks are turning to Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) platforms to create customized neobank-like experiences that rely on their own infrastructure, diversify their offerings and attract more customers. An everyday example of BaaS solutions are airline credit cards that one might use regularly to accumulate miles and fly cheaper. These cards are issued by banks, not airlines, and in this scenario, both of them reap the benefits. Another example of BaaS are neobank-esque financial companies like Chime that rely on the infrastructure of a legacy bank (in this case, Bancorp Bank, N.A. and Stride Bank, N.A.) to provide services that the underlying banks do not, thus netting those banks more clients. Open Banking Similarly to BaaS, open banking involves the bank opening up some of its tightly kept infrastructure to a third party, but unlike BaaS, it is designed to integrate information from your account with a third party app, like a financial management and planning app that keeps track of your expenses for you. An example of this is Wallet by BudgetBakers, which can synchronize with your bank account to unlock insights into your spending, projected income and overall financial outlook. Conclusion Any banking app can check your balance. So if you want your app to stand out in this increasingly crowded feel, think of ways to pack as many features as possible in the simplest app possible. The future of mobile banking is that of peace-of-mind security that customers don’t have to think twice about, and of infinite flexibility that allows them to manage their entire financial life from a single app. And with more artificial intelligence tools becoming available every day, it’s up to the banks and app developers to take advantage of it to create apps customers will rely on throughout their entire financial journey.
