MENU

Mobile-first banks
Category

318

The Monzo effect: how traditional banks are challenging the challengers

via Which?

Many of the major high-street banks have added challenger-style features to their mobile banking offerings in recent years. The article covers key features of the apps from Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland, HSBC, and Lloyds. When choosing a bank, it’s important to shop around to make sure you’re getting the best deal:  Starling and Monzo’s apps are known for their budgeting and personal finance features, while high-street banks tend to offer a wider range of products through their apps. (more…)

Banks, Mobile-first banks

April 19, 2019

258

New study: Challenger banks overtake traditional banks in customer satisfaction, in 4 charts

via Tearsheet

Challenger banks have leapfrogged to the forefront in overall customer satisfaction, according to a new study from FIS.

The 2019 FIS Performance Against Customer Expectations (PACE) surveyed almost 1800 US consumers.

Customers increasingly like challenger banks

63 percent of direct bank customers report being “extremely satisfied”, compared to 52 percent of credit union customers and just 19 percent of customers of the top 50 global banks. (more…)

Analytics, Banks, Mobile-first banks

April 17, 2019

669

Monzo’s Tom Blomfield on lie-ins, video games and finding his zen

via Wired.co.uk

Waking up at 3:45am, on the treadmill by 4am while going through emails, reading a book a day and finding time to meditate – that’s the myth of the superhuman startup founder. It would be “pointless even if it were true”, says Tom Blomfield, the 33-year-old co-founder of one of Europe’s newest unicorns – digital bank Monzo. Recently, the company raised more than £200m in funding and plans to expand into the US. (more…)

Mobile-first banks, People of fintech

April 16, 2019

204

New challenger Xpats kicks off from Mexico

via FinTech Futures 

Xpats Challenger Bank is a new Mexican venture targeting, as you can imagine, expats around the word, with a digital and mobile offering.

FinTech Futures understands that the new digital bank was set up by Ictineo Plataforma, which offers financial solutions for productive sectors of the population with low incomes. The company is a financial institution regulated by the CNBV. (more…)

Banks, Mobile-first banks

April 16, 2019

239

Challenger banks face challenges with global expansion

via Tearsheet

European challenger banks are going global. Revolut and N26 are set on acquiring local licenses to launch in markets around the world by assembling regulatory SWAT teams. Others, like OakNorth, are licensing their technology out to go global. Regardless of the expansion strategy, it’s not all unicorns and rainbows as these neobanks push on the growth envelope. Challenger banks are quite delayed in their entry to the US market and have bumped into resistance in other geographies, too. Will challenger banks succeed with their global ambitions? (more…)

Banks, Mobile-first banks

April 15, 2019

182

Rise of challenger banks in Asia

via The Edge Markets MY

Challenger banks have been a trend in markets such as the UK in the last few years, but activity is ramping up in Asian markets like South Korea, Greater China and Southeast Asia, says James Lloyd, fintech and payments leader for Asia-Pacific at EY, in the recently published Citi GPS: Global Perspectives and Solutions report, titled “Bank X: The New New Bank”. (more…)

Banks, InspirAsia, Mobile-first banks

April 14, 2019

239

Aussie fintech Volt Bank starts by asking consumers what they want

via ZDNet

In January, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) gave fintech startup Volt Bank a licence to operate without restrictions as an authorised deposit-taking institution (ADI). The green light was given to the new player following APRA approval in May 2018 to act in the Australian finance market as a Restricted ADI.

The APRA approval gave Volt the title as the first digital startup bank in Australia to receive a banking licence since the early 2000s. Funds up to AU$250,000 deposited into Volt are guaranteed by the Australian government as part of this arrangement.   (more…)

Banks, InspirAsia, Mobile-first banks

April 11, 2019

396

The Challenger: Dozens’ Aritra Chakravarty

via AltFi

At the beginning of 2019 luminous yellow adverts promoting a mysterious new app began spreading across London.

Called Dozens, the app appeared almost out of nowhere with a digital banking service similar to a Monzo or Starling, but with the addition of a curious 5% fixed interest bond aimed at “savers”.

The only question on everyone’s mind was – who was behind this mysterious startup? (more…)

Banks, Mobile-first banks, People of fintech

April 10, 2019

316

Chase On Gen Z, Mobile Banking — 10 Years In

via PYMNTS

With more consumers than ever interested in fulfilling all their financial needs on mobile, both legacy banks and FinTech firms are focusing on creating digital-only banking services, designed to catch and keep customers using their smartphones to bank. What’s more, financial institutions (FIs) and payment providers around the world are trying their hand at providing all the capabilities of an established bank on the smartphone.

As consumers flock to banking apps, succeeding in the world of digital banking is not as easy as it used to be when mobile apps emerged a decade ago. In the new Digital Banking Tracker™, PYMNTS examines how startups are competing with legacy brands, social media services and even eCommerce companies that want to add financial capabilities to their platforms. (more…)

Analytics, Banks, Mobile-first banks

April 10, 2019

181

UK Challenger Bank Redwood Surpasses £100 Million Lending Milestone

via Crowdfund Insider

UK-based challenger bank Redwood has reportedly surpassed £100 million in lending. As previously reported, Redwood is considered one of the newest additions to the future of banking, joining peers such as Monzo, Starling, Revolut and more. Redwood is on a mission to target the SME market and its products include mortgages for business owners and professional landlords, as well as a range of savings accounts. (more…)

Banks, Mobile-first banks, SME

April 10, 2019

415

Varo Money gets NICE anti-fraud tech

via FinTech Futures

Varo Money, the US challenger bank, has selected NICE Actimize to implement its financial crime strategy for anti-money laundering (AML) protections, including know-your-customer (KYC) requirements, sanctions screening and transaction monitoring capabilities.

Varo will integrate NICE Actimize’s AML Essentials, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) AML solution that detects and scores a range of banking activities, including customer due diligence, transaction monitoring, watch list filtering and Suspicious Activity Report (or SAR) filings. (more…)

Banks, Fintech news, Mobile-first banks, Security

April 9, 2019

479

Sources: Y Combinator’s growth fund to back challenger bank Monzo

via TechCrunch

Just five months after announcing £85 million in Series E funding, Monzo is already gearing up to raise additional funding, which would almost double its valuation.

As reported in the Sunday Times yesterday, the U.K. challenger bank is close to raising £100 million in further funding in a new round led by an unnamed U.S. investor. If the deal goes through, it will reportedly give Monzo a pre-money valuation of close to £2 billion, up from £1 billion in October.

Now TechCrunch has learned that the new U.S. backer is Y Combinator. (more…)

Banks, Deals, Fintech news, Mobile-first banks

April 8, 2019

436

‘Why would anyone want to become a bank’: Will more challenger banks evolve as banking as a service providers?

via Tearsheet

Starling Bank recently raised £75 million to fund a European expansion. As part of that announcement, the UK-based challenger said it had signed on three new clients to its banking as a service.

According to Starling, it has 20 institutional clients on its BaaS platform, which it launched in August 2018. Payment volume through the service is doubling month over month. (more…)

Banks, Mobile-first banks, Open Source/ API

April 1, 2019

372

NatWest trials money management app

via Finextra

UK bank NatWest is trialling a standalone personal finance app that uses AI, data analytics and Open Banking APIs to help customers better manage their money.

The app, called Mimo, will help customers budget, remind them of the financial tasks they need to do and provide proactive and personal insights into their money, looking at their bills or day-to-day spending, as well as insurance, subscriptions and utilities before offering tips on the best deals on the market.

(more…)

Banks, Mobile-first banks, Open Source/ API, PFM/PFP services

April 1, 2019

361

Citi urges incumbents to grow their own challenger brands as new entrants shrink the market

via Finextra

Incumbent banks operating on ageing technology stacks are looking at a 30% revenue hit as new digital-first challengers enter the market, according to a report produced by Citibank. (more…)

Banks, Mobile-first banks

April 1, 2019

235

Bank Negara Malaysia to Pave the Way for Neo Banks

via Fintech News Malaysia 

by Vincent Fong

Bank Negara Malaysia will soon release its requirements for a virtual banking license by end of this year. Virtual banking license seems to be all the rage these days with Hong Kong announcing their 3 approved licensees the same day Malaysia announces its ambitions to regulate this space. (more…)

Banks, InspirAsia, Malaysia, Mobile-first banks

March 27, 2019

422

Tandem Teams Up With Token.io For Open Banking Opportunities

Via Crowdfund Insider

Turnkey open banking platform provider, Token.io Limited, announced on Monday it has formed a partnership with digital-first challenger bank Tandem Bank to achieve PSD2 compliance and leverage open banking opportunities. According to Token.io, Tandem is now looking to look beyond core compliance, developing innovative new services that make use of new opportunities around payments.  (more…)

Fintech news, Mobile-first banks, Open Source/ API

March 26, 2019

431

Viva Republica finalizes consortium for internet-only Toss Bank

via The Korea Herald 

Viva Republica, operator of mobile payment app Toss, said Monday that it has finalized a consortium to establish Toss Bank, the third internet-only bank here.

The consortium will consist of Silicon Valley-based venture capital Altos Ventures, Goodwater Capital, Brazil’s Nubank, UK fintech player Revolut, and the Korea Electronic Certification Authority, the company said in a press release. (more…)

InspirAsia, Korea, Mobile-first banks

March 25, 2019

552

World’s fastest growing SME neo-bank announces Middle East expansion

via FinTech Magazine

Open, a neo-banking startup which offers business banking solutions for startups and SMEs, has announced that it will expand into the Middle East market. (more…)

Banks, Fintech news, Mobile-first banks, SME

March 22, 2019

376

Monzo and OakNorth join forces to offer savings accounts in challenger bank tie-up

via AltFi

Savings accounts will launch for Monzo’s 1.6m customers on Monday, powered by fellow fintech unicorn OakNorth.

The partnership will see Monzo launch seven types of savings ‘pot’, ranging from an easy-access account offering 1% AER all the way to a 12-month fixed-term account boasting a 1.53% AER.

Two of the accounts are available in a cash ISA, with an easy-access account at 1.14% AER and a 12-month fixed account at 1.38% AER. (more…)

Banks, Fintech news, Mobile-first banks

March 21, 2019

512

The challenger bank playbook: A deep dive

via Finextra

Finextra reports on the rise of the challenger bank economy in Asia, as Money20/20 prepares to open its doors to a new wave of disruptors and innovators in Singapore next week.

As challengers – established firms – and neobanks – digital mobile outfits – are not burdened with legacy technology, they are able to disrupt the status quo. These organisations have taken off in the UK because of the traditional industry having adopted digital banking from the late 1990s.

According to KPMG’s global head of banking and capital markets Judd Caplain, this phenomenon has expanded immensely and there are now more than 100 challenger banks operating worldwide. Caplain lists Asian players such as China’s MyBank backed by titan Alibaba, WeBank launched by conglomerate Tencent, Digibank of India, Vietnam’s Timo, Japanese outfit Jibun Bank and South Korea’s K Bank and Kakao Bank as success stories.

(more…)

Banks, Global trends, InspirAsia, Mobile-first banks

March 13, 2019

245

Starling Debuts New Business Lending Strategy

via PYMNTS

U.K. challenger Starling Bank is moving forward with plans to introduce business lending services.Starling’s Head of SME Banking Stuart Doignie spoke with the publication during the RFi Group Global Business Banking Summit, noting that the bank plans to introduce unsecured business loans sometime this year. Loans may be between £5,000 ($6,540 USD) and £250,000, or larger, depending on demand and interest.

However, the company, which operates on a mobile-first platform to target smaller businesses, will not aim for an entirely automated lending service. (more…)

Banks, Mobile-first banks, p2p/online lending

March 8, 2019

270

US mobile bank Chime raises $200 million, valuing its business at $1.5 billion

via TechCrunch

San Francisco-based mobile banking startup Chime announced it has raised an additional $200 million in Series D financing led by DST Global, valuing its business at $1.5 billion. The oversubscribed round also included participation from new investors Coatue, General Atlantic, ICONIQ Capital and Dragoneer Investment Group, along with existing investors Menlo Ventures, Forerunner Ventures, Cathay Innovation and others.

To date, Chime has raised approximately $300 million, including last year’s $70 million Series C, which then saw the company valued at $500 million.

With the new funding, Chime has now raised the most funding and has the highest valuation among other U.S. challenger banks.

(more…)

Mobile payments/banking, Mobile-first banks

March 4, 2019

Revolut Now Offers an App Store for Business Banking

Revolut, a digital only bank that says it is signing up over 120 businesses per day, has launched a new services for their business customers – Revolut Connect. This new feature is described as an “App store” for businesses to help provide easier access to digital tools. (more…)

Fintech news, Global trends, Mobile-first banks

June 25, 2018

827

Monzo joins with IFTTT to help customers create their own applets

By Monzo,

We believe that a truly smart bank should empower people to manage their money in a way that suits them. Today, we’re proud to announce that we’re the first bank to partner with the world’s largest automation platform — IFTTT! (more…)

Mobile-first banks

June 9, 2018

UK challenger bank Starling seeks £80m funding

UK challenger bank Starling is looking to raise £80 million in its latest quest for funding – and it has ended its relationship with TransferWise.  (more…)

Banks, Mobile-first banks, Payment processors/providers/gateways

May 31, 2018

982

Revolut expands payments feature to friends nearby

By Revolut

Sending and requesting money is one of the most popular features among Revolut users, and we’ve just made it even better. (more…)

eWallets, Fintech news, Global trends, Hotnews, Mobile-first banks

May 16, 2018

997

Starling Bank calls time on contactless payments

Starling Bank has added a range of Garmin smartwatches to its growing roster of contactless payment devices. (more…)

Banks, Mobile-first banks

May 11, 2018

The World is Going Cashless & Digital Challenger Bank Revolut Wants to Lead the Way

Cash is king no more. Today’s society is all about mobility and the digitization of all forms of finance. How consumers spend and manage their money has changed dramatically in recent years and that pace of change is accelerating. Revolut is a new breed of banks that has replaced the corner branch with a robust smartphone app that reduces cost while providing superior services. Revolut has grown rapidly, jumping from zero to 1.5 million users in less than three years. A cashless (or at least less cash focused) is near and according to Revolut co-founder and COO Vlad Yatsenko, Revolut is going to lead the way. (more…)

Fintech news, Hotnews, Mobile-first banks

April 12, 2018