Touchscreen technology isn’t particularly game changing in banking. For the most part, users simply look at transactions, type a few numbers, and press a button or two. Touchscreen or mouse, it works pretty much the same. 

However, Australia’s Westpac Bank (creators of Cash Tank and Impulse Saver) has figured out a way to use the swipe motion to simplify the funds transfer process. In its new iPad app (launched today), each account is shown on the screen in a small summary box.

To initiate a funds transfer, users move the summary box for account A over the summary box for account B, then type in the amount (see first screenshot below). Similarly, to initiate a payment, users drag the summary box over to the “payments zone” on the right to begin a bill payment (second screenshot).

Bottom line: While pushing a box around on a screen may not be faster than using a mouse in desktop online banking, it’s an intuitive way to use an iPad app. Kudos to Westpac for incorporating it into their app.

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Westpac (AU) iPad funds transfer (10 July 2012)
Simply drag the “from” account box over “to” account to begin the funds transfer

Westpac (AU) bill-payment process
Drag to “from” account over to the payment zone on the far right to begin a payment