A new, simpler design is the easiest way to describe the iOS7-inspired makeover of Check’s bill pay and personal finance management app. But users won’t have to look long to find other ways that Check has worked to make it quicker and more efficient to make payments via smartphone.
“People want to know first and foremost three things,” said Guy Goldstein, Check CEO, in a conversation yesterday. “What you have, what you owe, and when bills are due.” To this end, the redesigned app not only puts payment functionality on the home screen, but also features enhanced navigation that makes it easier for users to manage bills, view reports, and change settings.
The redesigned app is the company’s first major initiative since raising $24 million in funding in September. The goal is to evolve a solution that began as a PFM app into a real payments application. “Our vision is to be a mobile payments company,” said Goldstein.
Check has also worked to create a more visually appealing app, both in terms of overall design, as well as in the way the app communicates with the user. For example, positive visualizations accompany periods when no bills are due.
Check thinks features like this help combat the negative psychology that often accompanies paying bills and managing personal finances. “People have so much stress about their money, especially in the U.S.,” said Goldstein.
The app will be available at the iTunes App Store by the end of the month.
Check was launched in 2008 and has nearly 10 million customers. The company processes bill pay volume of more than half a billion each year for a run rate of $2 million a day. Check (as Pageonce) demoed its technology as part of the FinovateFall show in 2010.