How tech continues to transform mobile banking

Mobile banking has come a long way. In the 2010s the convenience of checking your balance or making a payment on your phone was seen as groundbreaking. Today this functionality has gone from revolutionary to routinely adopted, with people logging on to check their balance and make payments every second of the day.

Today’s banking experiences are the best they’ve ever been and will only get better. Now you can check your credit score, finance a new car and invest for the first time – all through your banking app. Ideas that may have been a pipe-dream even five years ago are now here and being used everyday by our customers.

We’ve been at the forefront of delivering stand-out digital experiences since the dawn of mobile banking and we continue to lead the way. Combining our expert customer knowledge and digital expertise, we’re empowering people to achieve their financial goals in a simple, convenient way – right from their own device.

Mobile banking: experience makes the difference

People don’t think about their money in isolation; money is linked with our personal goals and our everyday life. From paying for that coffee or meal out with friends, to planning for the big 4-0 holiday or investing for retirement, seamless experiences that integrate with everyday real lives is where the game is at.

Cue our leading banking apps. With over 21 million users and 7 billion logins a year, our apps are the main way our customers choose to manage their money. To put those numbers in perspective, we have over five times as many mobile users as the population of Croatia, while the number of logins to our apps each year outstrips the number of smartphones there are in the world.

Mobile banking experiences are the best they’ve ever been, and customer expectations continue to grow too. Today, 99% of packaged bank accounts are opened online or through our app. A stat that would be hard to believe 10 years ago.

But we do more than innovate for the everyday banking needs. We’re going bigger – innovating so we can unite people’s lives and finances in new ways. Take our Lloyds Travel Booking tool as an example. Our customers can now book flights and accommodation directly in the app, getting the best deals and saving money if the price drops.

Our travel booking service works alongside the app’s money features, meaning customers can also manage holiday savings, sort travel insurance or arrange currency all in one place. This is a prime example of how we’re bringing the power of our app together with people’s travel plans to create stand-out experiences.

The power of our people in your pocket

Modern life is fast-paced and there’s often multiple demands on our time. From work life to family life, from personal appointments to social engagements, the juggle is real! Life isn’t 9–5; it’s 24/7. So we are too.

By uniting our mobile and human channels like never before we’re able to give customers control of when and how they want to speak with us. Take video appointments as an example – one of the newer ways customers can engage with us, and a channel that’s becoming increasingly popular.

Everyday, people across the UK are thinking about applying for a first mortgage, taking out a car loan or starting a savings pot for a dream holiday. Some of these are the biggest financial and life decisions people will make and need more thought than a contactless tap for a lunchtime sandwich.

Our customers sometimes look for the human touch, and before mobile banking arrived on the scene these conversations would need to take place in a branch (or sometimes by phone). But today it’s different.

Video technology means our customers can choose an appointment time that suits them and connect directly with an expert at Lloyds through their mobile device. After they’ve finished a nightshift, before they settle down in front of the TV for the evening, or after the school pick up – we’re available where they are.

That convenience is extended through our in-app messaging services. Available around the clock, wherever our customers may be, customers have access to real-time, expert assistance. We now have over 300,000 mobile messaging conversations each week, and the number is only increasing.

We’re using and improving large language models in mobile messaging so customers have richer engagements with us, while still connecting them to an adviser where more specialist help is needed. That combination of AI, tech and expert human guidance is helping us drive smarter, faster, more personalised banking.

Shaping the future of financial empowerment

Undoubtedly, mobile banking has revolutionised the way customers engage with us. And at Lloyds Banking Group, we are committed to providing world-class, connected experiences that offer customers 24/7/365 control and choice like never before.

But it doesn’t stop there. By continuously innovating and delivering leading mobile banking experiences, we’re empowering our customers to manage their money and achieve their goals with ease and confidence.

From enhanced spaces within the app to some exciting new AI-powered functionality, we’re excited to bring more to our customers this year and next. This really is the power of finance in action.