Technology
04/26/2017

Recognizing How Fintech Companies Are Making Banks Better


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While the financial technology sector is still viewed as a source of competition, most fintech companies focus on providing solutions that will ultimately make banks more efficient and profitable. True, some fintech firms do compete head-to-head with banks, but the great majority of them are more interested in partnering with banks in ways that will benefit both sides. In recognition of this growing trend towards cooperation, FinXTech.com recently held its 2nd annual Best of FinXTech Awards, which highlights collaborative efforts between banks and fintech companies working together in a successful partnership. From a pool of 10 finalists, three winners were chosen by this year’s FinXTech Advisory Group. The judging criteria were strength of integration, innovation and growth in revenue, reputation and the customer base that resulted form the project. The three teams, whose stories are detailed below, were honored today at the FinXTech Summit in New York.

USAA and Nuance

Headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, USAA wanted to develop a stronger relationship with current customers while also attracting new customers through the use of technology that would meet their needs and preferences. Since 2013, USAA has utilized Burlington, Massachusetts-based Nuance’s virtual assistant technology—called Nina—on its mobile banking app. Nina leverages natural language understanding and artificial intelligence to provide a proactive and personalized customer experience. In 2016, following Nina’s widespread adoption by USAA members on the mobile channel, the bank deployed Nina on its usaa.com website.

On usaa.com, Nina provides immediate, human-like support and assists USAA members with tasks such as activating cards, changing a PIN, adding travel notifications and reporting lost or stolen cards. Nina goes far beyond a static question-and-answer capability to deliver a more human experience that speaks, listens, understands and helps USAA members get things done efficiently. Nina responds to 1.4 million requests per month and eliminates the need for USAA members to sift through menus, ensuring that every interaction begins and ends with an effortless, natural experience. Through its partnership with Nuance, USAA is able to provide its customers with a compelling, multi-channel, automated customer service experience that keeps it ahead of the pack.

Scotiabank and Sensibill

In October 2016, Scotiabank—Canada’s third largest bank—and Sensibill, both of Toronto, launched eReceipts, a service that allows customers to store, organize and retrieve any receipt (paper or electronic) directly from Scotiabank’s mobile banking app and wallet. Scotiabank is the first of the Canadian Tier 1 banks to rollout the solution, and Scotiabank CEO Brian Porter has referred to it as a “game-changing application.”

Sensibill’s receipt processing engines uses deep learning and machine-learning to extract and structure information about each item, including product names and SKU codes. This adds clarity to otherwise vague transactions and reduces the friction associated with searching for a specific purchase. The service is also the first to offer consumers automatic matching of receipts to card transaction histories, which supports customers’ need for convenience and accessibility and enables Scotiabank to provide a seamless end-to-end payment experience.

Scotiabank customers use the service to track both personal and business expenses, with approximately 38 interactions with the service per month per customer. In the same way that online and mobile bill pay serves as a “sticky” product that retains customers who do not want to move their information to another bank, eReceipts has the propensity to reduce attrition. Forty-eight percent of eReceipts users use the app’s folders and notes to keep themselves organized, with captured receipts often being revisited. Not only does the app improve the customer experience, it also has the potential to lower the bank’s costs. For example, Scotiabank believes that 20 percent of credit and debit card queries could have been resolved through the Sensibill app, which ultimately should lead to a reduction in call center activity.

Green Dot Corp. and Uber Technologies Inc.

One of the biggest challenges workers in the gig economy face is gaining speedy access to their earnings. In March 2016, Uber, the transportation network company headquartered in San Francisco, and Green Dot, a prepaid card issuer located in Pasadena, California, launched a customized business version of Green Dot’s GoBank mobile checking account. Initially piloted in San Francisco and a few other cities, the solution provides Uber drivers with immediate access to their funds through a feature called Instant Pay. All drivers do is open a free Uber debit card from a mobile GoBank checking account and use this account to access their earnings instantly, for free, up to five times per day. Drivers are also able to use their Uber debit card for free at any of GoBank’s 42,000 ATMs spread across the country, and can also use it for transactions wherever Visa cards are accepted.

The pilot was so successful that in June 2016, Uber offered the solution to all of its drivers nationally, resulting in over 100,000 drivers signing up since August. That same month, in response to driver feedback and increasing demand, Uber and Green Dot announced it was expanding Instant Pay to work with not only a GoBank account, but almost any U.S. MasterCard, Visa or Discover debit card that is attached to a traditional checking and savings account. The expanded debit card program has scaled quickly, with millions of transactions having occurred between the August launch date and September 30, 2016.

The other seven finalists in this year’s Best of FinXTech Awards were IDFC Bank and TATA Consultancy Services, Franklin Synergy Bank and Built Technologies, National Bank of Kansas City and Roostify, Somerset Trust Co. and BOLTS Technologies, Toronto-Dominion Bank and Moven, Woodforest National Bank and PrecisionLender, and WSFS Bank and LendKey.

WRITTEN BY

Jack Milligan

Editor-at-Large

Jack Milligan is editor-at-large of Bank Director magazine, a position to which he brings over 40 years of experience in financial journalism organizations. Mr. Milligan directs Bank Director’s editorial coverage and leads its director training efforts. He has a master’s degree in Journalism from The Ohio State University.