BBVA tops half a million new customers in Spain registered via digital channels
BBVA now has more than 500,000 customers registered exclusively through digital channels in Spain: more than 50% did so via cellphone. In 2016, BBVA launched the option of becoming a customer using a 'selfie', boosting acquisition of new customers via digital channels. This service and the other alternatives that BBVA offers to users to become customers has become more important than ever after the outbreak of the pandemic and the state of emergency, which advises against travelling.
Currently, one out of every three new customers chooses digital channels to begin their relationship with BBVA. In April, digital customers exceeded 77 million monthly logins on the app, making this the fastest-growing channel.
"Digital registration is the gateway for customers to a range of 800 features to perform virtually any remote transaction. BBVA's digital capabilities are enabling customers to operate normally in a crisis situation such as the current one," said Leyre Baltza, director of BBVA's Open Market in Spain.
One of the key milestones to reach this figure was the launch of the mobile process that supports immediate registration of a person who is not a customer of the bank using just a selfie.. The service, launched in 2016, allows anyone to register as a customer and open an account in just a few minutes, with total security, without having to go to a branch, and with immediate access to all tools and functions that the bank offers. This new way of opening an account, which was a pioneering move in the Spanish market, saves time and makes what used to be a complex procedure simple.
No fees or conditions
Another element that is influencing the increase of new digital customers is the online account with no fees or conditions, with debit card without issuing and maintenance fees, available for two holders, which offers all the advantages of the bank: nearly 6,000 ATMs, the best banking app in the world -according to the international consulting firm Forrester-, and advice from personal managers, among others.
Likewise, to make it easier for new customers to link their bill payments to this new account or to others, BBVA offers customers reassignment of all income and expenses from another bank, making it easier for a person to switch banks.
This new service is possible thanks to the aggregation system, which allows customers to pay their bills by direct debit at BBVA more easily, as it is the bank itself that connects to the bills module of the other bank and manages the switch. This feature, the first of its kind in Spain and 100% digital, supports the process by leaving the entire management of the procedure in the hands of the bank.
"Growth of customer acquisition through the web and mobile is another stage in our digital transformation process. Undoubtedly, the combination of technological innovations such as account registration with a selfie, the exclusive service to help you with the transfer of your bills and income or the online account without fees have been fundamental elements to achieve this goal," said Leyre Baltza.