Making Mobile-First Matter - Part 2

In a progressively complex and busy world, simplicity is key. Consumers are navigating in the digital era more than ever. The banking and payments industry is no different.

A recent American Bankers Association survey found that 71% of consumers prefer to bank through a mobile app or computer – a stat attributed to digital channels’ ease of use, with 79% of customers reporting that digital innovations in banking are making banking services more easily accessible.

But for companies to create enjoyable customer experiences and grow market share, it’s critical they meet consumers where they are – that is, largely digital with functional and seamless capabilities.

A platform that has it all

The notion of, “There’s an app for that” was a major selling point for Apple in 2009, but today the phrase doesn’t carry the same weight. While many apps are beneficial for certain tasks, they become less so when aspects of one activity must be carried out through several, often disparate applications. For example, auto dealerships often have systems that manage sales, service, and inventory independently, usually originating from different vendors and lacking seamless integration.

The main goal of any mobile app is to provide value and make it easier for users. A great example is Target retail stores. Why do consumers love stores like Target so much? Because they’re able to buy groceries, pillows, jeans, snow scrapers, electronics, board games and everything in between, all-in-one place. It’s the same idea with a well-developed, comprehensive mobile app. It makes life simpler.

At Barclays, we see the value of an all-in-one, centralized and digital customer experience, which is why we work with our partners to create their own super app. By providing our open banking gateway, we’re enabling partners like Gap to expand the usability of their apps beyond shopping to include viewing their Gap credit card balance and recent transactions, making a credit card payment, tracking rewards, and even checking their credit score.

To provide additional value to cardmembers, we offer enhanced functionality in our partner's mobile apps, enabling customers to view the details of their credit card products, such as balances and recent transactions, as well as the ability to make payments. Also, we continue to improve our customers digital rewards experience so that they can better understand their benefits and how to earn and redeem their rewards.

As consumers continue to seek out simplified digital experiences, it’s critical for brands to incorporate as many tools as possible into the buyers’ journey through a mobile app. According to a 2022 PayPal and PYMNTS study, more than 90% of consumers primarily motivated by convenience would integrate a super app into any given area of their lives.

Apps to amplify self-service

While our friendly and knowledgeable customer care agents are always available to assist customers, we want to put the power back in the hands of our cardmembers, which is why we’ve been hard at work to integrate new and enhanced banking capabilities into our Barclays US App.

We’ve collaborated with MasterCard to enable our cardmembers to easily access transaction details, like merchant location via a pin on a map, to help them recall where they made that purchase. And to further personalize the cardmember experience, when available by the merchant, enhanced branding like company logos can appear alongside the transaction details. We’re also focused on journeys that matter. For example, rewards are one area where reimagining cardmember experiences. Consumers are increasingly open to new technologies, with convenience and user design key to advancing adoption.

At Barclays US Consumer Bank, we aim to delight customers with great products and experiences and to interact with them on their terms. In addition, we’re adding value to our partners — America’s best-loved brands.

 Click here to read part one of ‘Making Mobile-First Matter.’

This information is for educational purposes only, not intended to be financial or legal advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before taking any action based on this information. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, or opinion of Barclays Bank Delaware.

Blog Author

Sean Murray
Chief Product Officer
Barclays US Consumer Bank

Sean Murray is Chief Product Officer for Barclays US Consumer Bank where he is responsible for driving innovation to design new products, enhance digital customer experiences, and modernize the platform that powers the bank’s award-winning card and payment programs in the U.S.

Sean has more than two decades of experience across banking, credit cards, financial technology, and e-commerce. Prior to joining Barclays in 2020, Sean was the Citi Fintech Chief Product Officer at Citi. Before this, he spent 15 years at JP Morgan Chase within their consumer division, including Card Services, Retail Banking, and Mobile, E-Commerce and Payments groups.

Sean is a mentor for Unreasonable Impact and serves on the boards of The Challenge Program and The Greater Philadelphia YMCA. He holds an MBA from Rutgers University and a Bachelor of Science in finance and banking from Fordham University.