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Finovate Blog
Tracking fintech, banking & financial services innovations since 1994
A look at the companies demoing at FinovateFall on September 14-16, 2020. Register today and save your spot.
ReceiptHero unlocks the power of receipt data for banking & accounting users, enabling real-time digital receipts to flow from POS terminals to mobile apps.
Features
Reducing the need for paper receipts
Increasing business insights – product level data powering business decisions
Seamless accounting UX for expense management
Why It’s Great ReceiptHero provides real-time solutions. First bank partner is Nordea, with more banks announced soon. Looking for new partners globally including banks or PSPs, please reach out to get more insights!
Presenter
Chris Moore, CPO Moore works closely with banks, fintechs and PSPs. His background is in startups & scaleups in addition to working in OP Financial Group’s innovation lab before joining ReceiptHero. LinkedIn
A look at the companies demoing at FinovateFall on September 14-16, 2020. Register today and save your spot.
ARM Insight’s synthetic data process unlocks the value of data by delivering actionable insights from hard-to-access financial transaction data while ensuring privacy is protected
Features
Privacy Data Protection: Reducing the use of raw data
Regulation Compliance: Managing privacy and data obligations (i.e. GDPR)
Product Innovation: Using AI/ML tools to enable data-driven innovation
Why It’s Great Synthetic data is the “breakthrough” data set for maximizing your data potential, while minimizing your risk. It is the future of data that should be used now.
Presenter
Steve Shaw, SVP Marketing Shaw is responsible for the overall marketing, branding and communications strategy for ARM Insight. Shaw has over 20 years of marketing experience at startups and Fortune 500 companies. LinkedIn
It is hard to imagine having a better start to your week than Plaid had seven days ago when the innovative fintech (and Finovate alum) announced that it had agreed to be acquired by Visa for $5.3 billion.
But the €90 million ($100 million) raised by Swedish open banking platform Tink on Monday is nothing to sneeze at. In fact, the funding, which is the company’s largest to date, is a reminder that investment interest in (and funding for) companies dedicated to developing the infrastructure that connects consumers, banks, and the financial technologies is very much in abundance.
“Our aim is to become the preferred pan-European provider of digital banking services and to offer the technology needed for banks, fintechs, and startups to leverage the opportunities of open banking and enable them to successfully develop financial services in the future,” Tink co-founder and CEO Daniel Kjellén said in a statement.
Tink demonstrated its platform most recently at FinovateEurope 2019. For more on this year’s Finovate event in Europe kicking off next month, visit our FinovateEurope 2020 page.
Azimo, one of our earliest FinovateEurope alums, announced a pair of big changes at the top to begin the new week.
The London-based money transfer firm, founded in 2012, promoted its COO Richard Ambrose to CEO back in August, as Azimo founder Michael Kent took what TechCrunch referred to as a lateral move to become executive chairman. Today, Fintech Futures, Finovate’s sister publication, reports that the company has appointed Dora Ziambra to the post of Chief Operating Officer. Azimo also promoted its head of finance Tatiana Okhotina to the post of Chief Financial Officer.
“We’re fortunate to have the depth of talent to fill these top roles internally,” Ambrose said in a statement. “We’re lucky too that Azimo will continue to benefit from the experience and leadership of these two outstanding women.”
Here’s our weekly roundup of the latest news from our Finovate alumni:
Union Bank to leverage technology from FIS for core banking.
Italy-based CREDEM leveragingWorldline’s Payment and Liquidity Hub software CRISTAL to process Target2 payments
POS software Vend partners with Klarna to offer retailers more flexible payment options.
U.K. food retailer The Co-operative to deployACI Worldwide’s fraud management solution, ReD Shield.
A partnership between TransferGo and Currencycloud will enable the money transfer company to enter 14 new markets.
YellowDogforges reseller agreement with Annex Pro.
Bankable cozies up with Plaid to allow its bank customers to connect with their users’ bank accounts.
Ohpenappoints former Tesla marketing leader Corinne Aaron as new head of marketing.
Segmint to acquire WAND’s Product and Service Taxonomy division.
CuneXuscelebrates 2019 success with a 40% year-over-year increase in consumer reach.
Three Key Lessons We Learned from Plaid – Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard that Visa is acquiring Plaid for a deal that’s worth $5.3 billion. The fact that they were so widely used at such an early stage is a testament to the quality of their code, but there are also a few key lessons to take away from their success.
ITSCREDIT’s Joao Pinto on the Digital Lending Opportunity – ITSCREDIT is a spinoff from ITSECTOR and is a fairly new player in the digital lending space. In this interview, Pinto talks to us about the digital lending opportunity, how his company fits into the current state of this fintech subsector, and what we can expect to see next.
Kasasa Enhances its Take-Back Loan – Community bank marketing expert Kasasaannounced a partnership with Carleton today in which Kasasa will integrate Carleton’s insurance and debt protection calculations into its Kasasa Loan.
Plinqit Brings Rewards-Powered Financial Literacy to First Community Bank – One day in the distant future, children will be educated in basic financial literacy as readily as they are taught algebra. Until then, solutions like Plinqit from HT Mobile Apps will be valuable tools for credit unions and community banks looking for novel ways to engage and educate their members and customers.
Credit, Data, and Cryptocurrencies: Graychain Rebrands as Credmark – The company that is bringing credit data clarity to the cryptocurrency industry is entering 2020 with a new name.
Tradeshift Lands $240 Million as it Inches Toward Profitability – The San Francisco-based company will use the investment to boost expansion efforts and gear toward a “direct path to profitability in the near future.”
Fintech, Financial Services, and the Case for 5G – Calling 5G “something banks aren’t even thinking about,” Celent SVP Dan Latimore said, “we believe the effects of 5G are going to be subtle and profound over time.”
Backbase-as-a-Service Helps Banks Leverage the Cloud to Innovate and Scale – The solution makes the company’s broad portfolio of digital banking offerings available to FIs looking to accelerate their ability to develop and offer new technologies to customers.
Also on Finovate.com
Visa to Acquire Plaid in $5.3 Billion Deal – “Today marks an important milestone for our company and for fintech,” company co-founder and CEO Zach Perret wrote on the Plaid blog earlier today. “What started with two founders building in a cramped conference room has become an incredible network that enables millions of consumers to interact with over 2,500 digital finance products.”
Not Another 2020 Trends Prediction Post (Seriously, It’s Not!) – We’re taking a look at the trends you can expect to see on stage next month at FinovateEurope. To keep things simple this year, we assessed the themes at a very high level and broke them down into three categories: the big, the little, and the trends in-between.
Singapore’s Digital Banking License Space Race Accelerates – Is there anyone out there who is NOT trying to secure a digital banking license in Singapore? The Monetary Authority of Singapore announced last week that has received 21 applications for digital bank licenses.
MogoSpend Offers Credit, Cashback, and Help Reducing Your Carbon Footprint – The new digital spending account from Canadian fintech Mogo does more than help Canadians get control of their finances. The solution also offers cardholders generous cashback rewards and a way to make a positive impact on the environment by reducing their carbon footprint.
Getsafe Expands its Insurtech to the U.K. – If your insurance company is offering you drone insurance, you know it’s not your grandmother’s insurance agency. Germany-based insurtech Getsafe does just that– and the company announced today it is expanding its home contents insurance offering (though, sadly, not its drone insurance offering) to users in the U.K.
Raisin’s New Acquisition Gives Company Access to the U.S. Market – European deposit marketplace Raisin announced today it acquired New York-based Choice Financial Solutions.
French Fintech Lydia Locks in $45 Million – TechCrunch reported this morning that French mobile payment app Lydia has raised $45 million (€40 million) in a round led by Tencent.
Visa’s Tap to Phone Brings Contactless Payments to mPOS – With Visa’sTap to Phone app arriving pre-installed on the new, enterprise grade smartphone from Samsung, a broad range of merchants will have access to yet another way to accept payments from customers.
INTL FCStone Acquires International Bank Transfer Firm – Headquartered in Germany, GIROXX offers international bank transfers and currency hedging. INTL FCStone plans to leverage this technology to expand its current client base to small-and-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The new digital spending account from Canadian fintech Mogo does more than help Canadians get control of their finances. The solution – which also comes with a Mogo Visa Platinum Prepaid Card – also offers cardholders generous cashback rewards and a way to make a positive impact on the environment by reducing their carbon footprint.
“With MogoSpend,” company founder and CEO David Feller explained, “our goal was to create a product that gives consumers even more control than a debit card and with cashback rewards that rival the best credit cards in Canada, without charging monthly or annual fees, and importantly, we wanted to make this a card that also help make a positive impact on the planet.”
Feller noted that 57 percent of Canadians carry credit card debt, which he connected with the problem of overspending. This, according to Feller, leads to overconsumption which he said was “directly linked to climate change.” He added, “Being more mindful around spending can help us achieve important life goals like buying a home and retirement, and many of us are becoming increasingly aware that being a mindful consumer is key to a healthy planet.”
MogoSpend is accessible via Mogo’s iOS and Android app, and can be set up in less than three minutes. The free service has no monthly or annual fees, works like a checking account, and enables users to instantly transfer funds from their bank account to their MogoSpend account. MogoSpend gives 1.5% cashback on domestic purchases and 3% on international currency purchases. Users can see how much cashback they have earned on the app in real time, and those funds are credited to the users account on a monthly basis, rather than at year’s end.
The only payment card in Canada to offer a carbon offset program, MogoSpend will offset one pound of CO2 for every dollar MogoSpend users spend using the card. The program comes courtesy of a partnership between Mogo and Canadian sustainability and carbon-management solution provider, Offsetters.
Mogo will make the new offering available to members on its waiting list “in the next few months.” Those interested can join the waiting list by downloading the free Mogo app and opening an account.
Community bank marketing expert Kasasaannounced a partnership with Carleton today in which Kasasa will integrate Carleton’s insurance and debt protection calculations into its Kasasa Loan, a move that will allow it to tailor loan limits.
Headquartered in Indiana, Carleton provides financial calculation software, loan origination compliance support, and document generation software. Through the partnership, Kasasa will enable its clients to add debt protection and credit insurance products to their Kasasa Loan offering.
Kasasa will use Carleton’s CarletonCalcs, which will allow it to tailor limits to each client based on their institutional, state, and federal compliance requirements. “By integrating CarletonCalcs throughout the Kasasa service platform, Carleton will ensure compliant loan computations and precise amortization schedules through Kasasa’s dashboard and mobile app,” said Carleton President and COO Matt Ruszkowski.
“We wanted to ensure the Kasasa Loan added a high level of configurability and compliance support to meet our client’s needs, in addition to providing consumers the greatest flexibility when choosing their loans,” said Chris Cohen, EVP, Product Management for Kasasa.
Kasasa debuted its Kasasa Loan in 2017 and showcased it at FinovateSpring 2018. The concept works similar to a regular loan agreement in which the borrower repays according to a regular payment schedule. However, it is unique because every month the consumer has the option to overpay on their loan repayment and at any time in the future if they need to access cash quickly, they have the option to “take-back” any portion of the overpayment.
Kasasa is an Austin-based company with 450 employees. The company counts 900 community financial institutions as clients.
Is there anyone out there who is NOT trying to secure a digital banking license in Singapore?
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) announced last week that it has received 21 applications for digital bank licenses. A decision is expected in June, and the fortunate five who receive licenses will be able to launch their businesses by the middle of next year. Applicants have included a wide range of companies, from e-commerce and telecommunications firms, to fintechs, PSPs, and crowdfunding platforms.
Specifically, MAS is making available two different types of license: a digital full bank license and a digital wholesale bank license. There are two digital full bank licenses available, which would enable non-banks to accept deposits from retail customers. There are seven applicants for these licenses, which come with initial, temporary restrictions on deposits and capitalization.
The digital wholesale bank license will permit firms to lend to SMEs. Fourteen companies have applied for the three digital wholesale bank licenses MAS is making available. These new businesses would be required to meet the same regulations as existing wholesale banks, including capitalization of $74 million (S$100 million). Among the more well-known firms competing for these digital wholesale bank licenses are rideshare startup Grab and Ant Financial.
Also in the running for a digital wholesale bank license is Finovate alum and Best of Show winner Arival Bank. The firm announced its application earlier this week, noting that securing the license “will add tremendous value in Arival’s quest to becoming a borderless fintech bank.” The company plans to leverage its ArivalOS digital banking technology, as well as its banking-as-a-service (BaaS) platform to serve the freelancers, micro businesses, and startups that it believes remain underserved within the broader SME market worldwide.
In other international news on the Finovate blog this week, we talked with João Pinto of Portugal’s ITSCREDIT ahead of the company’s Finovate appearance next month in Berlin. We also featured German insurtech Getsafe’s expansion to the U.K., looked at European deposit marketplace Raisin’s acquisition of U.S. fintech Choice Financial Solutions, and profiled French mobile payments app Lydia as it locks in $45 million in new funding.
Here is our weekly look at fintech around the world.
Central and Southern Asia
Business Maverick looks at PayU’s decision to merge its consumer lending business, LazyPay, with Indian digital credit platform, PaySense.
EpiFi, a Bengalaru, India-based digital banking startup founded by a pair of former Google executives, raises $13.2 million in funding.
Entrepreneur India features B2B digital ledger mobile app, KhataBook.
Latin America and the Caribbean
Resuelve tu Deuda, a Mexican fintech that specializes in helping consumer repair their credit, raises $24 million in funding.
Nasdaq.com lists online payments, banking, billpay, proptech, and lending in its feature, 5 Opportunities for Fintech Disruption in Latin America.
Brazilian neobank Nubank announces its first acquisition, purchasing local consulting company Plataformatec largely to access the firm’s crew of engineering and developer talent.
Asia-Pacific
Digital-only neobank Tonik secures banking license in Philippines ahead of planned launch.
Arival Bank is the latest fintech to throw its hat into the Singapore digital banking license ring.
CredoLabearns listing from Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority OJK) as an official provider of financial services in the country – the first fintech in Indonesia to be granted this recognition.
Sub-Saharan Africa
EverSend founder Stone Atwine talks about trends in the African fintech industry with CNBC Africa.
Kenyan fintech Alternative Circle earns recognition as “One to Watch” in the first global fintex index ranking 2020 by Findexable.
What can we expect from South African fintech in 2020? Ventureburn examines the country’s prospects.
Central and Eastern Europe
Euromoney takes a look at the complicated relationship between banks and fintechs in the CEE region.
The Paypers interviews Valeri Valtchev of the Bulgarian Fintech Association on the evolution of Bulgaria as a fintech hub.
Latvian fintech Jeff App locks in €150,000 to help improve financial inclusion for borrowers in Southeast Asia.
Middle East and Northern Africa
Salaam African Bank in Djibouti selects core banking technology from Oracle FSS.
A partnership between crypto exchange Huobi and Dubai-based real estate firm fäm Properties will enable investors to pay in a digital assets such as Bitcoin, Ether, and XRP.
Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB) introduces its Instant Credit Card service via its mobile app.
As Finovate goes increasingly global, so does our coverage of financial technology. Finovate Global is our weekly look at fintech innovation in developing economies in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and Central and Eastern Europe.
We recently spoke with ITSCREDIT CEO João Pinto. Founded in 2018, ITSCREDIT is a spinoff from ITSECTOR and is a fairly new player in the digital lending space. The Portugal-based company focuses on placing the consumer in control of the lending experience by making the entire process digital.
In this interview, Pinto talks to us about the digital lending opportunity, how his company fits into the current state of this fintech subsector, and what we can expect to see next.
Finovate: There is a wide range of borrowers out there– some who may not be comfortable on digital channels and others who are digital natives. How does ITSCREDIT adapt to this variety?
João Pinto: The main focus of ITSCREDIT is to evolve the lending process so that different types of customers can perform all lending origination actions using online channels. Our aim is that the customers can perform all origination operations online with minimum data input. We do this by retrieving necessary application information from various systems (personal data, financial data, and so on). Our approach to digital lending is to provide processes that are intuitive, attractive, simple, and fast in an online environment to revamp many of the bureaucracies often associated with traveling to the banks’ physical branches.
The customer can access the ITSCREDIT platform via online channels, such as mobile and internet. ITSCREDIT provides interfaces for other channels, as well, such as branch, contact center, and backoffice, which all have access to the client and their application process. This means that the client can start an application in any channel and get information or advice and can continue the process in any other channel. This way, more traditional users that are not as comfortable using digital channels can use traditional channels either in an isolated way, or– more interestingly– in a combined way. The multi-channel approach offers them full control of their application.
Finovate: How does ITSCREDIT underwrite credit risk and how does that approach differ from incumbent players?
Pinto: The ITSCREDIT platform contains four main modules: Flowcredit (Loan Origination), Calculators, Risk Analysis,Scoring, and Collections. Each can operate in isolation or can be combined in any way. Also, the platform is open so that implementations can use as much data as is available in order to have a more complete view of customers and their financials. We believe this is a huge strength of the platform. It allows banks to garner richer information for the risk analysis from both individuals and corporations (through Risk Analysis and Scoring modules), and also makes data available from credit applications processes (through Flowcredit).
In many situations our clients have, in the past, invested heavily in building their credit application analysis. The Flowcredit module easily integrates with such systems and then adds additional information and rules to make underwriting even more accurate and tailored to suit the financial institution needs.
Finovate: Tell us about the role that open banking plays in ITSCREDIT.
Pinto: As we mentioned previously, one of our strengths is that the ITSCREDIT platform is open so that implementations can use as much data as is available in order to have a more complete view of customers and their financials. In this scenario, open banking is a key element. It not only makes much more data available from different players, but also makes integrations much easier.
On the other hand, our platform is based on a services architecture, so that it exposes services that can be consumed by third party entities. For example, the use of calculators and loan origination components can easily be used in different commerce sites and therefore originate completely new lines of business for the institutions. For example, a travel agent can have a payment method on their website for their clients based on a personal loan.
Finovate: Looking broadly at the credit and lending industry as a whole, what changes do you anticipate 2020 will bring?
Pinto: In the past years we have seen financial institutions start to approach digital lending for their clients. This journey is still in its early stages, with few institutions providing such functionalities for a few products. We are sure, though, that in 2020 we’ll see more institutions adopting full digital lending with simpler models more adequate to their clients needs. The launch of PSD2 in Europe and other Open Banking initiatives around the world make it much easier to obtain personal and financial data from credit applicants and therefore make the loan origination simpler and faster.
The other area that we foresee a great expansion is through a space we refer to as dPOS (digital Point-of-Sale). A dPOS enables merchants to provide payment methods for their ecommerce platforms with digital lending, providing lower rates on credit cards for end customers and a lower cost and even extra income for merchants.
Finovate: What’s next on the horizon for ITSCREDIT?
Pinto: ITSCREDIT is a spin-off that will be 2 years old in May. We already have 13 clients on three continents: North America, Europe, and Africa. Our journey on the commercial side is to present the advantages of our solutions to more institutions and get more implementations.
In terms of product evolutions, we are enhancing the digital lending capabilities and models and launching new versions in 2020 for brokers and merchants.
Overall, our big aim is to position ourselves as a world-class player for credit solutions, providing innovative and modern solutions for our customers to help them differentiate from their competitors and become more efficient with higher loan volumes.
You can watch ITSCREDIT demo its latest technology on stage at FinovateEurope next month. Register now to save your seat!
If you’re interested in demoing on the FinovateEurope stage this year, reach out to heather@finovate.com or take a look at our event page for more details.
If your insurance company is offering you drone insurance, you know it’s not your grandmother’s insurance agency. Germany-based insurtech Getsafe does just that– and the company announced today it is expanding its home contents insurance offering (though, sadly, not its drone insurance offering) to users in the U.K.
Starting today, U.K. users will have access to Getsafe’s “neo-insurance” offering via its mobile app. The launch is made partially possible via a partnership with Hiscox, which will serve as the carrier for Getsafe’s U.K. contents product. The fintech’s other insurance partners include Munich Re and AXA.
Getsafe’s selection of the U.K. as its next launch site is a strategic one since U.K. residents are already comfortable with mobile-based services and payments. In fact, the U.K. is one of the leading regions of the globe for challenger banks.
The company has already proven itself as the fastest growing insurance agency for millennials in Germany. “Over the last two years, we have shown that our product meets a core need for the young, tech-savvy generation,” said CEO and founder Christian Wiens. “With our insurance delivered through your smartphone, we are developing a product that fits perfectly with the living and communication habits of this generation.”
Getsafe states that today’s move into the U.K. is “just the beginning.” The company plans to expand its offerings to all of Europe in the next few years.
Getsafe has raised $17 million and was founded in 2015. In addition to its contents and drone insurance products, the company offers ad-hoc insurance for travel, liability, bike theft, legal protection, routine care, dental care, and dental replacement. Getsafe also has plans to launch a digital life insurance company in Germany, its flagship market.
A look at the companies demoing at FinovateFall on September 14-16, 2020. Register today and save your spot.
Dorsum’s Wealth Management Communication HUB is a secure, real-time customer engagement channel that connects advisors to their clients.
Features
Automated AI-driven notification system to free up human resources
Real-time client engagement to keep the personal touch
GDPR compliant digital document transfer and approval
Why It’s Great The Wealth Management Communication HUB allow advisors to reach the mass affluent and private segment with digital banking products without losing the personal touch.
Presenters
Imre Rokob, Director of Bus. Dev. Rokob is responsible for the company’s expansion to new international markets. He is an experienced PMP certified project leader with strong IT and financial knowledge. LinkedIn
Gregory Csorba, Sr. Innovation Expert Csorba joined Dorsum’s Banking Innovation team in 2017, where he currently works as a Sr. Innovation Expert, specializing in automated and AI driven technologies. LinkedIn
Ákos Szalay, Sr. Innovation Consultant As Senior Innovation Consultant, running under the nickname “Mr. Simplicity” at Dorsum, Ákos’ main vision is creating simple and easy-to-use solutions for complicated business workflows. LinkedIn
A look at the companies demoing at FinovateFall on September 14-16, 2020. Register today and save your spot.
CASHOFF’s Cashback 2.0 solution is based upon your customers spending behaviours and their favourite brands and targeted to each individual customer. Giving customers up to 50% Cashback each purchase.
Features
Repays banking loans or makes charity donations
Funding by Brands, means lower bank loyalty costs
Increasing banking loyalty, engagement and cross selling opportunities
Why It’s Great Cashback 2.0 uses AI and Machine Learning to tailor offers to each individual customer. Customers are allowed up to 50% cashback for each purchase. Increasing customer engagement is highly targeted.
Presenters
Darren Hughes, CEO Hughes is passionate about developing new products and solutions for the financial services industry with more than 20 years experience in financial services business leadership. LinkedIn
Billy Leung, Director Leung started his first business at the age of 8 and explored 40+ countries across 6 continents. He was a speaker at Finovate, Slush and a number of Fintech conferences in the US, Europe and Asia. LinkedIn
A look at the companies demoing at FinovateFall on September 14-16, 2020. Register today and save your spot.
Tensorflight automates the process of property inspections using AI on existing satellite and street view imagery to give insurance industries the same data in a fraction of cost and time.
Features
Our software provides instant property data on construction type, number of stories, total floor area, roof pitch and geometry, solar panels and more with global coverage!
Why It’s Great Tensorflight offers a unique solution with instant risk-related information about a building with global coverage, analyzed by our AI algorithms.
Presenter
Maksymilia Wandel, Head of Key Account Experienced professional in IT sales development and channel partner management. A graduate of one of the top law schools in Poland and Master of Laws in International Law at the University of Miami. LinkedIn
One day in the distant future, children will be educated in basic financial literacy as readily as they are taught algebra. Until then, solutions like Plinqit from HT Mobile Apps, that reward users for learning how to be better savers and consumers, will be valuable tools for credit unions and community banks looking for novel ways to engage and educate their members and customers.
“There is a true need for improved financial literacy with 41 percent of Americans reporting that their lack of understanding of finances is holding them back from making financial progress,” HT Mobile Apps CEO and founder Kathleen Craig said. “And Plinqit has a proven track record – more than 60 percent of users that reach their savings goal continue to save by setting new goals.”
This helps explain why First Community Bank has decided to partner with HT Mobile Apps. The Arkansas-based bank, with $1.5 billion in assets and 26 branches in Arkansas and Missouri, will offer the Plinqit savings app and financial literacy solution to its customers.
“We are proud to do everything in our power to strengthen our local economy, and one of the best ways we can deliver on our promise is by helping people learn about finances so they can begin saving,” First Community Bank CEO and chairman Dale Cole said. “Plinqit is a unique tool that satisfies our customers’ digital needs and encourages smart financial decisions.”
Plinqit’s Build Skills feature enables users to earn money by watching contextual videos or successfully completing lessons and quizzes on key personal finance concepts. For example, a bank customer opening their banking app to make a credit card payment may see a Build Skills notification that notes their heavy credit card spending. The app may then suggest exploring credit management or debt consolidation options by way of an educational video. The different videos and quizzes have a value – 50 cents, for example, or $1 – which, once the video or quiz is completed, is deposited into the user’s Plinqit account.
To get started, users link their Plinqit account to their bank or credit union checking account, and then set up as many as five savings goals in the Plinqit app. Plinqit helps users determine how much to set aside on a regular basis in order to meet the different savings goals on schedule. Users earn money by reaching savings goals, referring others to the platform, and, as noted above, by engaging the video and other personal finance content. The app is free to use; all that is required is ownership of a U.S. checking account.
HT Mobile Apps demonstrated Plinqit at FinovateFall last year. The Michigan-based company provides banks and credit unions with a variety of customer engagement and retention solutions including Banker Jr., Member Jr., and 2019 acquisition, Hip Pocket. The partnership news with First Community Banks comes in the wake of a year that saw the company’s app record higher user engagement of 55 percent on average compared to the average finance app engagement rate of 36.3 percent. The company also announced that it inked partnerships with more than a dozen banks and credit unions in 2019. HT Mobile Apps’ platform now serves clients in 20+ states with assets ranging from $26 million to more than $40 billion.
