NetBanker 2.0

Citi Mobile appears ready to go live in February

I opened my Citibank checking account statement today and out fell one of those text-only "terms and conditions" notices that are rarely read. However, the title of this one caught my attention (emphasis added):

Important Information: Introducing Citi Mobile

It's an update to the bank's terms and conditions incorporating access via Web-enabled cellphone or other mobile device. The statement was mailed January 23rd, and the notice carried a 2006 copyright with an "01/07" date by the item number.

There's no mention of any fees for the service, which begins in February 2007, according to the statement insert. Readers are referred to the Citibank website for a list of compatible phones, but we couldn't find anything on Citi Mobile today.

In a Google search, we ran across an older Citi Wireless Services website <wireless.citi.com/wireless/homepage> with a 2001 copyright date (see screenshot below), but it discusses the previously available services such as alerts sent to mobile phones. There is no mention of the new mFoundry-powered services (see previous coverage here).

Singapore's OCBC Bank uses "mobile" in its URL to help users find mobile offerings

Both Yahoo and Google have created landing pages for their mobile offerings at http://mobile.google.com and http://mobile.yahoo.com.

As interest in mobile banking picks up, financial institutions should create a mobile service page under the URL http://mobile.yourbank.com.

For example, Singapore's OCBC Bank has a WAP site at http://mobile.ocbc.com. that has links to basic info and the downloadable application used for True Mobile Banking (see mobile phone image right).

The bank also has a mobile information page on its regular website (here) that provides information about its mobile services. Currently, there is nothing like it in the U.S., but Citibank/mFoundry appear to be on the verge of a launch in early 2007 (see OCBC banner above and screenshot of complete webpage below, click to enlarge).

Even if you don't have a WAP site or other mobile services, you should at least provide information on text-based alerts which work well for most mobile devices.

In a test of the 20 largest U.S. retail banks, only Fifth Third has a URL with the word "mobile" <http://mobile.53.com>. However, unlike OCBC, Fifth Third's mobile URL has not been optimized for mobile access (WAP), nor does it contain any info on mobile services. Either Fifth Third is about to launch a mobile initiative, or they just have very thorough Web programmers.

Apple's iPhone to provide even more reasons to bank on the go

Yesterday, I wrote about how new downloadable search apps were likely to spur mobile banking adoption as users grew more accustomed to using their phones for more than voice calls (see post here).

Today, a potentially bigger driver was unveiled. The much-anticipated Apple iPhone which was such big news that the company's homepage was given over to a single image of the iPhone (see screenshot right).

Given Apple's recent track record, the combo iPod/phone/camera/browser may do even more to spur adoption of mobile services than the Google/Yahoo/Microsoft offerings (see note 1). 

Why? Because its user interface appears to do an excellent job of exposing the non-phone functions. While the same can be said of Blackberrys and Treos, this phone, co-marketed by Apple and Cingular, is expected to be a mass-market hit along the lines of the iPod (see note 2). As one blogger put it, "Apple didn't unveil a phone today, they unveiled a $500 fashion accessory" (see note 3).

While the built-in Safari browser and magnification function will spur mobile browsing and banking via standard and WAP websites, there is no indication if and when the iPhone will support True Mobile Banking via downloadable third-party applications. The demo phone on the Apple website <apple.com/iphone> does include a stock tracking widget (see inset).

However, given Cingular's involvement in mobile finance, with pilots underway with MasterCard, BancorpSouth/Firethorn/ CheckFree (see our coverage here), we expect that banks will have the opportunity, likely at significant cost, to add a widget to the phone (see our Wells Fargo iPhone mockup at right; see note 4).

Bonus prediction: Within two years one of those buttons on the iPhone will activate contactless card payments via MasterCard, Visa, or American Express.

Notes:

1. Apple's iPhone will ship with integrated Google and Yahoo search.
2. Apple is forecasting 10 million unit sales in 2008, but at least one analyst has already called that low according to today's Wall Street Journal. Worldwide iPod sales are expected to be 40 million units in 2006. However, no one expect the iPhone market share to get anywhere close to the iPod's 80%. Competition is far more advanced and intense in phones than it was in MP3 players.
3. I can't recall where I read this, still looking for the attribution.
4. We added the Wells Fargo logo to the iPhone image; the bank has no known relationship with Apple or Cingular.

Why growth in mobile search is good for online banking

Today, The Wall Street Journal looks at Yahoo's latest efforts in mobile search where it holds a substantial lead over its online nemesis Google. According to figures from Telephia, Yahoo has a 7% penetration of U.S. mobile subscribers vs. 3% for Google. In addition, MSN has a 4% penetration and AOL 3% (see article here).

Yahoo will be encouraging users to download a search application to their phones, see  <mobile.yahoo.com/search>. Advertising revenues will be shared with wireless carriers. Mobile search results are more "managed" than website results and attempt to better display a single answer to the search so phone users can avoid surfing to other websites for answers.

Why is this important for online banking? Most consumers, especially the 35-and-older crowd, will get their first taste of a mobile phone app through search. Once users get comfortable Googling or Yahooing from their mobiles, it won't be long before other ecommerce apps become popular, and mobile banking will be at the front of the next wave.

Furthermore, early mobile banking users are likely to share one key attribute that sets them apart from online banking users, a willingness to pay fees for service. Most mobile applications such as sports scores, mapping services, or games currently carry small monthly fees. Whether or not banks choose to charge directly for mobile banking is yet to be seen, but we believe excellent potential exists for profitable fees from at least a portion of the mobile user base (see previous post here).

BancorpSouth mobile banking trial

While doing a little end-of-year cleaning, I came across these screenshots from November. They are from Google's cache of BancorpSouth's <bancorpsouth.com> website on Oct. 22, 2006. The pages are no longer available online.

They detail the bank's efforts to recruit 400 volunteers to test mobile banking from their Cingular cellphones. This is the program engineered by Firethorn Mobile (see previous post here.)

The first page below explains the trial, and the second page is the application required to participate. To be eligible, customers had to meet the following requirements:

• Be BancorpSouth online banking customers
• Be current Cingular Wireless customers
• Use a Motorola V-series or SLVR phone
• Have Internet access from this wireless phone

Participants who completed all three surveys doing the 4- to 6-week trial were to receive a $100 Visa gift card.

See the screenshots below for more details (click to enlarge).

Main BancorpSouth explanation of the mobile banking trial (click to enlarge)

Application to participate (click to enlarge)

Citibank teams with mFoundry for True Mobile Banking

I spoke with mFoundry CEO/Founder Drew Sievers last week. If you want to get energized over the possibilities of mobile commerce, this is the guy to talk to.

Although mFoundry already has more than 100,000 users of its mobile application, we were most interested in its recently announced deal with Citibank. The bank is set to launch a full mobile banking application in Q1 2007 that encompasses both SMS-based banking and what we call True Mobile Banking (TMB), a banking application running on the mobile device (see definitions here).

While mFoundry's CEO cannot confirm which functions Citibank will use, the vendor's mBanking platform includes the following: 

• account inquiry
• transaction summary
• funds transfer
• bill payment
• ATM/branch locator
• password generator

The platform also supports advertising and service functions (download spec sheet here).

How it Works
The mFoundry approach uses both text messaging for alerts and simple inquires and a complete downloaded application that mimics Web-based online banking (i.e., True Mobile Banking). With True Mobile Banking, the user's phone carries a unique identifier that is registered with the bank (factor one); and before receiving data or initiating a transaction the user must log in with a password or PIN (factor two).

When the user logs in, current balance and recent transactions are automatically downloaded and displayed, satisfying most user needs within seconds. The application times-out after a certain length of time and more importantly, no data is retained on the device itself, so security is nearly perfect. If the phone is lost or stolen a call to the bank will deactivate the service, although as long as the password or PIN has not been revealed, there is little security risk. 

Analysis
As mentioned in our post three weeks ago (here), it's taken nearly a decade for me to jump on the mobile banking bandwagon. Earlier efforts were too hard to use and had limited appeal, primarily to a small group of PDA-toting geeks.

However, now that even basic mobile phones can use the service (see note 1) and top brands such as Citibank, Cingular, and MasterCard are poised to pump millions into educating the market, mobile finance should take off rapidly (see note 2). 

End Notes:

1. mFoundry says its service works across more than 200 different phones at the five major carriers, AT&T, Cingular, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Sure enough, even our relatively inexpensive 2-year-old Sanyo is on their list of supported phones.
2. In order to download the mobile application, users select their carrier and phone type from sliding menus (see screenshot below, from mFoundry's My Mobile News).

2. The next issue of our Online Banking Report will contain a mobile banking forecast.

Mobile banking & payments terminology

In 2007, we'll be spending more time researching mobile banking, payments, and finance applications. So that we all understand each other, here are some of the key terms that will be used:

General terms/acronyms:

SMS >>> Short message service (also known as text messages, texts, SMSes, txts): A service available on most newer mobile devices that permits the sending and receiving of text-only messages; also can be sent to and from personal computers or even landline phones

MMS >>> Multimedia messaging service: An evolution from SMS, allowing messages to contain multimedia objects such as images, audio, video, and rich text 

CSC >>> Common short codes: Special short telephone numbers of just four to six digits used typically by businesses to make it easier to send text messages their way (the Mobile Marketing Association has a helpful primer here)

WAP >>> Wireless Application Protocol: An open, international standard for applications that use wireless communication; primarily used to enable Web access from mobile devices

Mobile IM >> Mobile instant messaging: Similar to desktop instant messaging, but slimmed down to fit on a much smaller mobile device screen

Banking & finance terms:

SMS or text alerts: Simple one-way messages from the financial institution or payments provider to the mobile user with account-specific information

Mobile payments: Payments initiated through a mobile device, could be via SMS, WAP, or a device-specific application

Mobile banking: Online banking functions performed via a handheld mobile device (PDA, cellphone, etc.); the general term that encompasses WAP Banking, SMS Banking, or True Mobile Banking (see below)

WAP banking: Accessing secure online banking functions through a mobile device's browser

SMS or text banking: Two-way messaging; for example, using text messaging to query the server for account-specific information and have it returned to the mobile device, or responding to a bank-initiated text message to initiate a transaction

True mobile banking: Our term for banking functions delivered through a downloaded application run locally on the mobile device

Sources: Online Banking Report, Mobile Marketing Association, Wikipedia

Mobile access may be new anchor for fee-based premium online banking

What's the biggest obstacle to online banking innovation in the United States? No, it's not security, ease of use, or customer education. The biggest problem is lack of fee income.

Unfortunately, online banking came of age in a golden time for U.S. financial institutions, with rate spreads at historical highs, customer loyalty at a peak, and fee income on the rise.

Banks, flush with profits in most business lines, decided not to bother with the difficult task of wringing fee income out of the new channel. So we ended up with near-universal adoption of the FREE model despite little economic justification for the subsidy. Sure, online banking customers are more profitable, but so are safe deposit customers. And you don't offer those free across the board.

The results are predictable. With online banking being cash-flow negative, many management teams have underinvested in the online channel, while subsequently overinvesting in branches (see Online Banking Report #128, The Demise of the Branch). 

Fighting free
There is no way to eliminate free online banking altogether, but you can nip away at the edges, convincing some customers to voluntarily pay fees for value-added services. 

One promising avenue is converting users into a premium, fee-based online banking option, the same way American Express convinces its members to increase their annual membership fee two-fold by trading up to a Gold Card.

But in order to convince customers to voluntarily give up their free service, the fee-based version must have compelling benefits. The following three hot areas could be used to anchor a platinum online banking service. The first two we've looked at before (see previous coverage here), but mobile banking is the newcomer that offers much promise:

1. Unlimited storage: Taking a cue from Google's Gmail that offers virtually unlimited email storage, banks should allow their gold-account customers to permanently archive e-statements, transactions, and images for no additional charge. Everyone else sees their transactions disappear after a few months. And every month, right before erasing another month of data, provide customers with an opportunity to upgrade to premium banking (see Online Banking Report #118, Lifetime Statement Archives).
2. Unlimited credit report access: The second most powerful premium benefit is simple online access to credit reports directly from within the logged-in online banking area. Users could assess their previously downloaded report at any time, and order a new one several times per year. In addition, customers would be protected by daily credit bureau account monitoring (see Online Banking Report #83/84, Credit Report Monitoring & Identity Protection).
3. Full interactive mobile access: While the previous two items are relatively easy to do today, in the United States, the mobile market is just revving up with Cingular's recent announcement to add a banking application to its mobile "desktop." We've seen a live demo using a real bank account, and it's impressive. The partners on the service are Firethorn and Checkfree (see upcoming Online Banking Report #138, due out in late January 2007).

Any premium online banking program should include one or more of these three core, value-added services. Then, additional minor services, such as security alerts, can be layered on to further differentiate premium banking from plain-old banking (POB).

For more information about online banking pricing and premium service offerings, see Online Banking Report #109, Pricing. 

Has mobile banking finally arrived?

During 11 years of publishing Online Banking Report, we've written about 500 words on so-called "mobile banking."

Even though it was a much-hyped topic in the late 1990s, our answer when asked about mobile banking was, "Fix your Web-based banking, add email alerts, and mobile will take care of itself."

But it looks like times may be a-changing. Cingular is throwing its considerable muscle into a phone-centered service using Firethorn's <firethornmobile.com> new platform (see homepage right), and the U.S. market for wireless services is enormous (per MasterCard & Cingular during their Nov. 16 presentation at BAI's Retail Delivery Conference):

• 2 billion mobile phone users worldwide, including 218 million in United States (per Cingular)
• Nearly 80% of U.S households own one (per Forrester)
• $660 billion of revenue for voice, messaging, and data services
• 75 million U.S. mobile phone users sent a text message in September (per M:Metrics, 20 Nov. 2006)

Even more interesting, ClairMail shared market research showing that nearly two-thirds of U.S. consumers aged 18 to 34 have used text messaging during the past three months, demonstrating that even in the laggard U.S. market, a core group of consumers is ready, willing, and able to use the phone for more than just voice calling.

Analysis
There are three main reasons why mobile banking's time has arrived:

1. It works on common phones: Previous generations only worked on a subset of high-end PDAs; now most mobile phones can handle mobile banking.

2. It has a business case: Mobile banking can both increase fee income by being a core component of a Premium Online Banking service (see Online Banking Report #109) AND lower costs by migrating voice calls away from the IVR and into self-service.

3. The youth movement: Younger consumers interact with each other in real time via text and instant messaging. There is little doubt that they will value the same type of interaction with their bank.

We'll be looking at this subject in much more detail when we publish our first exhaustive report on the subject in January (see Online Banking Report in late January or early February).

Heritage Bank posts PDA version of homepage

Minnesota-based Heritage Bank <heritagebankna.com> has added a simple feature that can make all the difference to mobile users, a link to a PDA version in the upper-left corner of its homepage (see screenshot below).

I tested it on my Blackberry 8700g, and it worked pretty well. The regular homepage takes a long time to load, but once it does, you see the PDA link and Heritage logo. Clicking on the link loads a slim, 15k page with just the basics (see inset):

• Logo
• Online banking login
• Help drop-down
• What's new (with 3 subjects)
• Featured rates (with 2 loan products and 2 deposits including its 5.2% high-yield savings account)
• About
• Careers
• Contact Us

At right is what the PDA homepage looks like in an IE6 browser window which, as all you PDA users know, is far more attractive than the Blackberry rendition. 

Analysis
Bank-account access is a relatively robust application to use on a portable device. The most recent M:Metrics research found that an average of 23 million U.S. mobile subscribers, nearly 12% of the total, accessed news and information from their phones (monthly average in June/July/August).

So it makes considerable sense to post a PDA link. Once users bookmark the URL, it will be relatively easy to navigate within the tiny PDA real estate. However, it would also be helpful to create a shorter URL pointer to the PDA version, for example, <hbmob.com>, <hbpda.com>, or <hbmobile.com> (only the first domain name is available, however).