BBVA launches in Mexico the world’s first globally-developed mobile banking platform
- BBVA’s mobile platform marks the start of a new transformation stage for the Group, with a solution that unifies design, functionality and user experience
- BBVA Bancomer becomes the first BBVA franchise to adopt this new development in its mobile banking solution, which will be rolled out progressively across the Group’s footprint
- BBVA already has over 24 million digital customers, of whom 19.3 million use mobile devices.
- BBVA Bancomer’s digital sales have grown from 7 percent at the end of 2015, to 31 percent in the first quarter of 2018, and are expected to hit 41 percent by the end of the year
The BBVA Group has launched in Mexico the first mobile banking platform developed globally by means of a coordinated effort involving multidisciplinary teams from Spain, United States and Mexico. The initiative will help the Group accelerate its transformation strategy and bring the benefits of digital financial services to all its customers. BBVA’s new app is the first built on this global development platform, unifying user experience in all countries with a single design and navigation logic, adapted to meet the financial needs of customers in each geographical area.
During the presentation, BBVA CEO Carlos Torres Vila said that “the new BBVA app is an example of how a global approach blends in with our digitization process and the creation of the best solutions for our customers.” The executive explained that the development of the app is the joint effort of multidisciplinary teams from Spain, United States and Mexico, tasked with integrating the best practices identified in the Group to create a unique customer experience.
Carlos Torres Vila also went over some of the key benefits of developing apps with a global perspective. In first place, it enhances efficiency by reutilizing different components, which in turn helps shorten time-to-market across all geographical areas. These developments also foster modularity, allowing the global product to include local particularities, such as payments by check in the U.S. and utility bills in Latin America. The heads of all BBVA franchises also took part in the launch of the global development platform.
BBVA CEO Carlos Torres Vila during the presentation in Mexico
BBVA’s CEO also stressed that, as of the first quarter of 2018, BBVA had 24 million digital customers, of whom 19.3 million operate using mobile devices. He added that 37 percent of total sales are generated through digital channels, with 92 percent of the Group’s product portfolio now available in DIY (self-service format).
Leader in Mexico
According to Eduardo Osuna, Vice President and CEO of BBVA Bancomer, for the past four years the bank's entire focus has been placed on leading digital banking in Mexico’s financial system. As a result, its current 5.7 million digital customers in Mexico account for 30 percent of the Group’s total digital customer base, he said.
Osuna said that “over the next five years, BBVA Bancomer will continue to drive digital transformation, investing some $300 million to strengthen its platforms, redesign its apps, enhance security and develop new and innovative products and services.” He described mobile banking as a key channel in terms of both impact and growth potential, and was confident that BBVA’s app in Mexico will contribute to the strategy of turning the Group into the global technological bank of the future.
Hugo Nájera, Head of Business Development at BBVA Bancomer, stressed the fact that a clear example of the Group’s focus on Mexico was the choice of the country for the global launch of the first version of this mobile platform. “This multidisciplinary exercise with the app will allow us to share different developments taking place in other countries under the same platform, selecting the best practices, developing them and enhancing team capacity to deliver mobile banking products and services in the least amount of time possible.”
“This new collaborative model will continue to drive digital sales in Mexico in a faster and more positive manner. Sales have grown from 7 percent at the end of 2015, to 31 percent in the first quarter of 2018, and are expected to hit 41 percent as of end-2018,” Nájera added. The executive also noted that through actions such as the new app’s launch, BBVA Bancomer will continue to grow its digital customer base and remain as the leading institution in terms of digital users.
BBVA’s ultimate purpose is to expedite the development of value-added mobile products and services for all customer segments, delivering a best-in-class experience when it comes to managing personal finances. The expansion of this project starts at BBVA Bancomer over the next few months and will be extended to Uruguay and Peru, prior to rolling out across the remaining countries in BBVA’s footprint.