Yes, Banks Can Compete with Apple’s New Credit Card

Yes, Banks Can Compete with Apple’s New Credit Card

What’s in your wallet? Or rather, what’s in banks’ clients’ wallets? Some sexy competition appeared on the market yesterday, as Apple announced the pending launch of its own credit card in collaboration with Goldman Sachs and Mastercard.

The card is touted more for its mobile and digital qualities than its shiny titanium finish. Despite the shine, however, many of the card’s features and offerings aren’t new. And that’s good news for banks. While traditional financial institutions aren’t as sexy as tech companies such as Apple, they are generally viewed as more trustworthy. And with that kind of foundation, all banks need to do is piece together the features into their own credit card offering and market it properly.

Fortunately, there are plenty of fintech firms out there to help. Here are some of the features Apple is promoting and a list of corresponding fintechs that can help banks take the same approach.

Physical card security

Apple boasts a titanium card with the customer’s name etched on the front– no credit card number, no cvv code, no expiration date. All of that information is tucked away inside the app. Physical card innovator Dynamics takes a similar (though admittedly less visually appealing) approach. The Pennsylvania-based company offers a computer-in-a-card that hides part of the card number, the cvv code, and expiration date on the physical card until the consumer enters their PIN into the card. As an added bonus, Dynamics also offers in-card loyalty and rewards features, as well as a card that hosts multiple numbers, allowing customers to toggle between debit and credit cards.

Chat functionality

As a company that is known for simplifying technology, Apple is taking a similar approach with its customer service. “Have a question? Just text,” is the message the company features on its card website. Fortunately, there are plenty of fintechs that help banks simplify their customer experience. Two such companies are Finn.ai and Clinc, both of which leverage AI to save banks money on customer service representatives, while simplifying and expediting access to answers via a chat interface.

PFM

One way to win over customers is to convince them you’ll help them organize their finances and ultimately save them money. That’s why Apple is offering in-app PFM capabilities. And while the technology hasn’t changed much since it debuted before the fintech craze, the colorful user interface is beautiful enough to convince anyone to want to look at their spending behavior.

Banks have seemingly endless options to compete with this feature. And while most financial institutions currently offer some sort of PFM capabilities, it’s worth looking at it from a superficial point of view. Utah-based MX and Sweden-based Tink both offer visually-pleasing interfaces that are arguably more beautiful than Apple’s and are backed by powerful PFM engines.

Mobile app security

Apple’s iPhone holds the hardware for both fingerprint and facial recognition technology, and since the company is reinforcing its focus on security, it is leveraging biometrics for account access. With the right software, banks can leverage fingerprint and facial recognition technology as well. Jumio, IDology, and Mitek all offer technology banks can implement for fast account access, as well as account onboarding.

Fast onboarding

With access to consumer data, Apple has an advantage of being able to quickly onboard new consumers using existing consumer information. There are multiple fintechs that help banks onboard consumers quickly, as well, including Digital Onboarding, Q2’s Gro Solutions, and Fenergo. Digital Onboarding motivates customers to open new accounts using incentives and gamification. Gro Solutions touts the ability for customers to open and fund accounts in under four minutes. And Fenergo takes a holistic approach to onboarding, providing banks a lifetime view of the client to help perform data refreshes, ongoing due diligence, and upsell and cross-sell opportunities.

Rewards

Credit card rewards programs may seem like a feature of the past, but rewards are certainly still relevant. With its new card’s rewards program, Apple once again seeks to simplify things by offering consumers daily rewards. Two fintechs, Cardlytics and Cartera Commerce, offer tried and true loyalty and rewards programs. These offerings not only boost consumer loyalty, they also offer banks further insight and analysis into consumer spending.

Apple’s new credit card is shipping this summer. Fortunately for banks, fintechs are here to help them compete.

Cartera Commerce Acquired by Ebates

Cartera Commerce Acquired by Ebates

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Card-linked offers (CLO) solutions company Cartera Commerce announced this week it has been acquired by loyalty marketplace, Ebates. San Francisco-based Ebates anticipates the acquisition will bolster its loyalty marketing offerings and will offer new loyalty programs to its existing clients.

This announcement further demonstrates consolidation in the CLO/rewards space that peaked in 2012. Last month, CLO company edo Interactive was acquired by Auego.

Massachusetts-based Cartera Commerce partners with companies who use loyalty programs to reward their customer base. The company works with 5 of the top 10 U.S. credit card issuers and 5 of the 6 largest U.S. airlines. Since it was founded in 2005, Cartera has distributed 20+ billion points and miles. At FinovateFall 2011, the company debuted its Local Offers solution which aimed to help banks compete with daily deals sites.

In the press release announcing the acquisition, Cartera Commerce CEO Tom Beecher said, “We are excited to leverage Ebates’ expertise and solutions to enhance the loyalty marketing services we provide to our clients – and to work together on new and exciting offerings for our customers.” Beecher will remain CEO of Cartera Commerce, which will continue operations in its Massachusetts office.

Ebates launched in 1999 and was acquired by Rakuten in 2014. The company has distributed almost $1 billion in rewards to its user base of 20 million shoppers.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

On FinDEVr.com

  • Braintree Hires John MacIlwaine as New CTO.

Around the web

  • First national private bank of Turkey, Yapi Kredi to deploy Eyeprint ID from EyeVerify for mobile logins. Join EyeVerify in London for FinovateEurope.
  • Envestnet | Yodlee partners with mobile-only banking startup, Varo Money.
  • Bloomberg Technology talks with Misys CEO Nadeem Syed on IPO plans, AI, and P2P lending. See Misys at FinovateEurope in London next week.
  • OutsideIQ’s Founder and CEO featured in InfoWorld.
  • Xero partners with Sasfin Bank to offer next generation financial management to small businesses.
  • Prosper Appoints Usama Ashraf Chief Financial Officer.

This post will be updated throughout the day as news and developments emerge. You can also follow all the alumni news headlines on the Finovate Twitter account.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • Check out the week’s “FinDEVr APIntelligence”
  • “Finovate Debuts: Uniken Introduces Relationship-Based Authentication”
  • BlueVine’s $49 Million to Fuel Product Expansion”
  • Empyr Powering Yelp’s New Cash Back Program”

Around the web

  • Expensify exclusively endorsed by the world’s leading accounting body.
  • Scalable Capital hits €100m in assets 10 months after launch in Germany and 4 months after U.K. launch
  • vaamo receives license for portfolio management by German supervisory authority BaFin.
  • Morningstar’s HelloWallet launches free student-loan calculator.
  • Signifyd and ThreatMetrix team up to combine machine learning and digital IDs to reduce ecommerce fraud.
  • Cartera Commerce launches Offerlink, a free Google Chrome web-browser extension to help online shoppers save money.
  • Envestnet | Yodlee integrates with Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Financials.
  • Kalypton wins the Dassault Systemes 3DS fintech challenge.
  • FinDEVr alum Braintree introduces commerce infrastructure tools.
  • ACI Worldwide named “frontrunner service provider” for EBA instant credit-transfer scheme.
  • Overbond integrates DBRS credit ratings into its platform.
  • DarcMatter earns first-place honors at Next Money Shanghai Semifinal Pitch competition.

This post will be updated throughout the day as news and developments emerge. You can also follow alumni news headlines on the Finovate Twitter account.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • “BlueVine Receives Boost from Citigroup”
  • “Infosys Launches EdgeVerve Blockchain Framework”

Around the web

  • “Cartera Commerce-powered Splender Doubles Membership Since End of 2015 and Drives $15 Million in Sales”
  • Linqto to pilot LEVERAGE App Store with nine credit unions.
  • Fiserv integrates commercial lending capabilities of AFSVision into its core account processing platform.
  • BBVA announces having 15.5 million digital clients, including more than 9 million mobile clients.
  • U.K. e-commerce provider EKM to team up with Klarna.
  • ACI Worldwide to run the card processing operations for The Co-operative Group.
  • Insuritas chosen by First Atlantic FCU to install insurance agency solution.
  • Employee Benefits News recognizes Blooom CPO Randy AufDerHeide as a Top 50 Benefit Technology Innovator.
  • Xero for Payroll goes live in Pennsylvania, making the technology available in a total of 22 states.

This post will be updated throughout the day as news and developments emerge. You can also follow all the alumni news headlines on the Finovate Twitter account.

Finovate Alumni News

On Finovate.com

  • Social Money Teams Up with Sallie Mae to Provide Goal-based Savings Accounts
  • Finovate Debuts: Shoeboxed’s Features Help Banks Dig Into Level 3 Data
  • Personal Capital Launches Retirement Planner to Give You a Reality Check

Around the web

  • Trustly creates double-digit increase in conversion rate after launching with Logitravel, now constitutes 40%+ of all transactions.
  • PYMNTS interviews Vishal Patel, senior marketing leader at Tradeshift on how the company makes the supply chain run smoothly.
  • Personal Capital launches retirement-planning tool.
  • Finance Magnates features Tradier in today’s Fintech Spotlight.
  • NICE Actimize, a division of NICE Systems, launches its Customer Due Diligence suite.
  • Mobile Syrup features FinanceIt, “the money lender for the smartphone age.”
  • InvestorIntel for Investors highlights Lending Club, Prosper, and FundAmerica in its look at startups in the crowdfunding industry.
  • Upstart Business Journal talks about how Malauzai Software is enabling “wearable banking.”
  • Let’s Talk Payments interviews Jingit CEO Kate Bolster.
  • BuzFeed lists TradeHero among its “13 apps that’ll teach you something new every day.”
  • Business Insider examines how LoopPay could help Samsung take the “early lead” in mobile payments.
  • PaymentsSource quotes Prairie Cloudware CRO Doug Parr in a column on Apple Pay adoption (sub req).
  • Payments Source features BehavioSec’s biometric security solution (paywall).
  • Emitac Enterprise Solutions partners with Kony to speed the delivery of enterprise mobile apps.
  • Cartera Commerce launches Splender, a new eCommerce and cash-back shopping website.

This post will be updated throughout the day as news and developments emerge. You can also follow all the alumni news headlines on the Finovate Twitter account.

Alumni News– December 11, 2014

  • Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgMalauzai Software announces launch of its SmartMarketing program to promote mobile banking.
  • Azimo extends £1 money transfer service to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.
  • Information Week takes a look at mobile payment apps including Flint.
  • Mortgage Harmony rebrands as Rate Reset.
  • Contact Solutions, IDology, and Pindrop Security team up to Cut IVR Fraud.
  • Examiner.com: Dynamics‘ next-generation credit card features buttons to log-in PIN security code.
  • Lendio CEO explains how his company is fueling the American dream.
  • Prosper comments on Lending Club IPO, expects to top $9 billion in loans this year.
  • PayNearMe partners with Department of Health and Human Services to spread the word about healthcare.
  • Bluefin Payment Systems to provide its PCI-validated Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE) Solution to Priority Payment clients.
  • Career Bliss lists PayPal, Intuit, and Google in the top 50 happiest companies in the U.S.
  • Lending Club launches IPO, shares rally 70% in early trading.
This post will be updated throughout the day as news and developments emerge. You can also follow all the alumni news headlines on the Finovate Twitter account.

Alumni News– August 20, 2014

  • Finovate-F-Logo.jpgCUneXus improves loan acceptance by 68% over 2013 for Educational Employees CU.
  • With Simple’s 2.0 mobile app update, users can send paper check payments via mobile.
  • ID Analytics names Daniel Rawlings as Chief Revenue Officer.
  • Essent Guaranty offering lenders access to rate quotes through an interface with D+H’s MortgagebotLOS.
  • ThreatMetrix selected as one of CIOReview100s Most Promising Technology Companies.
  • EyeVerify and Zumigo selected for Wells Fargo’s accelerator.
  • Expensify integrates with Uber’s API to launch SmartRides feature.
  • PayNearMe and SIMI partner to offer cash collection services to US government agencies.
  • Kony launches MobileFabric to Accelerate Speed of Delivering Great Enterprise Mobile Apps.
  • PayPal announces access to its One Touch mobile payment solution. Join PayPal in San Francisco for FinDEVr this fall.
  • Cartera Commerce unveils new website.
  • Wallaby Financial launches CardBase and The Card Guide, opening its credit card database to the public.
  • National Real Estate Investor features Realty Mogul CEO and co-founder, Jilliene Helman.
  • Forex Brokerz talks about the beta release of Darwinex’s social trading platform.
  • peerTransfer tops $1 billion in international education payments, announces 500th client.
  • Bloomberg.com features Venmo, Fiserv’s Popmoney, and Dwolla in column on Millennials and mobile payments.
This post will be updated throughout the day as news and developments emerge. You can also follow all the alumni news headlines on the Finovate Twitter account.

Alumni News– July 25, 2014

  • Finovate-F-Logo.jpgFox Business News features Kabbage’s small business lending process.
  • Huffington Post describes how DemystData’s big data analytics help evaluate creditworthiness.
  • Cartera Commerce’s CFO Karen Cambray named a finalist in Boston Business Journal’s 2014 CFO of the Year Awards.
  • Bloomberg: BillGuard programmers code in bomb shelters.
  • Coinbase launches Coinbase Vault to Better Secure Your Bitcoins.
  • MoneyDesktop appoints Brandon Dewitt as its first ever CTO.
  • SecondMarket CEO Barry Silbert stepping down in order to refocus his attention solely on bitcoin.
  • InvestmentNews features roboadvisors Jemstep, FutureAdvisor, Wealthfront, and Personal Capital.
  • The Irish Times looks at Holvi’s move into Ireland.
  • CMS Wire: Actiance wants to help companies curb social media mistakes.
  • Karen Webster of Market Platform Dynamics interviews Zooz CEO Oren Levy.
  • eToro announces new version of OpenBook for iOS.
  • Mobile Entertainment talks with Adam Levene, SVP of Strategy at Monitise Create.
  • LendingTree launches personalization platform.
  • Pymnts takes a look at the partnership between Malauzai Software and Trusteer. See Malauzai at FinovateFall in September.
  • Fortune.com interviews Bill Siegel, interim CEO of SecondMarket.
This post will be updated throughout the day as news and developments emerge. You can also follow all the alumni news headlines on the Finovate Twitter account.

Finovate Alumni News– June 4, 2014

  • Finovate-F-Logo.jpgCommercial collection agency DAL is the first partner to go live with Cortera Open Receivables.
  • The Bancorp Bank implements Cachet Financial’s CheckRisk Pro, a tool for mitigating risk in remote deposit capture programs for financial institutions and credit unions.
  • CardFlight to use Apple’s Touch ID to give merchants an easy way to sign into mobile POS app.
  • Financial services provider, SHAZAM Network, collaborates with D3 Banking to provide omnichannel SaaS solution.
This post will be updated throughout the day as news and developments emerge. You can also follow all the alumni news headlines on the Finovate Twitter account.

Finovate Alumni News– December 6, 2013

  • Thumbnail image for Finovate-F-Logo.jpgMoney Under 30 reviews the Moven app.
  • Bloomberg BusinessWeek takes a look at Comarch’s report on banking in London’s “Tech City”.
  • Taavet Hinrikus, co-founder of TransferWise, weighs in on the state of the UK’s financial technology industry.
  • ThreatMetrix protected 1 in 4 U.S. e-commerce transactions on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
  • Cartera Commerce launches American Airlines’ Mobile AAdvantage shopping site.
  • The Guardian profiles “robo-advisors” Betterment, LearnVest, FutureAdvisor, Wealthfront, and Jemstep.
This post will be updated throughout the day as news and developments emerge. You can also follow all the alumni news headlines on the Finovate Twitter account.

Finovate Alumni News– July 30, 2013

  • FinovateLOGO.jpgOpenCoin is among the virtual currency innovators looking to form a self-regulatory body for the industry.
  • MasterPass from MasterCard launches in the United Kingdom.
  • Bank Innovation takes a look at FIS Global’s recent remarks on the company’s technology deal with Sainsbury.
  • Yahoo Finance looks at rewards earned using Dynamics ePlate credit card.
  • StreetFight features reasons to opt in for card-linked loyalty programs from Cartera Commerce, Cardlytics, edo Interactive and Swipely.
  • Netbanker features BillGuard, Manilla, and Credit Karma as value-added apps driving mobile adoption.
  • eToro adds price alerts to eToro Trader app.
  • Bright Ideas features Noreen Hafez, senior product marketing manager at Akamai.
  • Kasasa holds sweepstakes, films big-bank breakup video, featuring CEO Gabe Krajicek.
  • Betterment joins fellow Finovate alumni FutureAdvisor and LearnVest in this NYT column on bringing “financial planning to the masses.”
This post will be updated throughout the day as news and developments emerge. You can also follow all the alumni news headlines on the Finovate Twitter account.