Standard Bank announced the launch of its ground-breaking new banking app that offers greater flexibility for customers and introduces exciting new functionality.
“Standard Bank’s app for tablets is set to transform mobile banking and the way that customers experience banking. It is all about allowing the customer to dictate functionality and customise the app according to their needs, rather than the app dictating to the customer what should be prioritised”, says Standard Bank Group’s Personal and Business Banking CEO, Peter Schlebusch.
One of the key differentiators of the new Standard Bank app is that it provides Standard Bank customers with a single-view platform for all interaction with the services offered by the bank. Customers can access their business and personal accounts as well as insurance, wealth management and stockbroking activities in one go. Popular banking functionality from the current mobile phone app has been optimised for the new app for tablets, and enhanced to include comprehensive beneficiary management, payments to phone contacts, cash withdrawal without a card, future-dated and recurring payments, savings goals and an innovative Impulse Save feature.
“We looked at the ways that always on, always connected smart mobile devices were changing customer behaviour. The app was therefore developed to meet increasing demands for mobile banking by our customers”, says Mr Schlebusch.
“The nature of how customers are engaging with banks is changing significantly as mobile devices have become ubiquitous. These tools are an extension of people’s lifestyles, and as banking is a part of everyday life, it is imperative for Standard Bank to have a pivotal place in that world.”
“In line with our overall strategy we started with the customer in mind, taking an outside-in approach. We acknowledged that every customer’s needs are different, and we took care in designing a look and feel that customers could easily identify and interact with. The key is about creating an intuitive, user-friendly and interactive experience,” says Mr Schlebusch.
A personalized banking solution
The Standard Bank App has dashboards with movable tiles. Each tile displays a different financial solution that forms part of the customer’s profile and provides important insight about each solution at a glance.
Customers are able to arrange the configuration and display of each tile to suit their needs, whether in order of importance, or frequency of use. In addition, users are able to create their own descriptive names for their dashboards and accounts.
Multiple screens can be created with different appearances depending on whether customers are logging in to their business or personal banking profile.
Security
Standard Bank has taken security extremely seriously.
“The privacy and security of our customers is of the utmost importance to us and we have carried out extensive testing, and incorporated advanced security features similar to those found in internet banking,” says Mr Schlebusch. For things that need greater security – like creating a beneficiary – an additional One Time Password will be sent to the customer’s phone.
While the application is technically extremely advanced, it is the customer-centricity behind the technology that Standard Bank is most proud of.
“We have researched and thought about what causes friction in our customers’ lives and tried to remove that. We have tried to be respectful of people’s time and incorporated delightful features to make their lives that little bit easier. With this new approach to banking, our customers are able to do their banking even more conveniently and securely,” says Mr Schlebusch.
The application is currently available for Apple and Android tablets. While Standard Bank’s current mobile phone app is still accessible on Android, Apple, Blackberry and Windows phones, the new app has been optimised for larger screen tablet devices and will provide customers with an easy-to-navigate, comprehensive, customisable banking solution with increased features and functionalities.
The bank says an updated smartphone banking app will follow in the second half of the year.
