In olden days or even a decade back Banking as a service [BaaS] was only taken by trusted entities – BANKS. However, with the technology innovation Banks, Fintech and GAFA [Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon] are tapping onto the opportunity open up by the PSD2 directive to offer BaaS. While customers are still skeptical about data sharing and data security, the new segment of market players vouches on How Open Banking would change the face of Banking forever?
If you are new to Open Banking – Please read our post Everything You Need To Know About – Openbanking, Openapi, Opendata to help you get started
But are the firms and customer-ready? Well, some of the interesting surveys will help us in analyzing that. While Accenture survey highlights
Nearly 20% Of Banks Have Already Invested In Open Banking-related Initiatives—77% Will Do So By 2019
– Accenture
Ipsos survey talks about the consumer’s readiness –
63% of UK respondents [read it as Bank account Holders] see the forthcoming developments [read it as PSD2 directive] as ‘unique’
– Ipsos
So what kind of potential does Open Banking/PSD2 talks about? What kind of services evolves with Open Banking? Would customer benefit from Open Banking? Would data sharing be at the cost of data security? Let’s explore to find out –
Possible Examples of Open Banking OR
Use Cases of Open Banking
Our ABC of Open Banking infographic covers all the terminologies of Open Banking.
Make sure to explore it here.
How many bank accounts does a person have? An individual may start with a savings account during his school/college life, that then gets turned into a salary account. Pursuing higher education with education loan means a new bank account with the concerned bank, that could also extend to home loan account, car loan account and even personal loan account.
But how do you keep track of the credit/debit of all of these accounts?
If all of the bank accounts build an open API that let a third party read the transactions, all of this data could be exported into a mobile app. Taking a step further if the individual grants permission to the third party, they could also transfer funds to other accounts.
Would you like to turn any of your screens into a bank? Be it when you visit a branch that has an LED display or from your tablet/laptop? Coupling Open API and interactive screen with the help of voice and gestures could formulate a digital environment that is similar to visiting a bank branch.
A possibility of scanning the cheque via an app or reader and converting them instantaneously into Digital Cheque. Sending it to the concerned person, where the person deposits it in a virtual drop box and processing is done.
Every time bank provides us with debit or credit card, they charge it. Then there is an issue always to carry it and most importantly stand in long queues at ATM to get cash. Could our mobile phone or watch be turned into a debit or credit card? An app or software when accessed ask for your pin and loads the card of your choice, you either directly use it at any of the shops or get cash dispersed from ATM by merely tapping it.
With voice assisted payments adopted in real life, it would be fascinating to see Siri or Alexa making payments to DTH, electricity bills or at the weekly grocery store. While cables, routers, kitchen appliances and many other devices are getting smarter each day, Open API could let them communicate with each other, thereby offering better connectivity and choices to the consumer. I would be thrilled if my printer senses its cartridges is finished, browse the internet and orders the best deal available.
Open API could help you balance your financial portfolio and even could be your financial advisor. Software powered by natural language processing offers you to communicate with your advisor via a mobile app. It would not only help in analyzing your spending’s and investments but also answer all your queries. Who says – hiring a personal advisor is just for wealthy!
The physical boundaries of countries are shrinking, individuals now communicate, explore, shop and work globally. How could then we restrict ourselves to one currency? We need quick money USD and in EUR and may be in INR and SGD, and all this needs to be done now. Open API could be a savior in such situation. While a free, simple, and lightweight API could help in providing current and historical foreign exchange rates, based on users permission, it could even get the best conversion rates.
With Open API the possibilities are limitless, I might not be surprised if my umbrella has a built-in the weather app and warns me of probable rains in the coming week? Or even if it has been damaged, suggest me the best possible deal before the rainy season starts. Open API lets the network to expand and communicate with each other, each device like to share, it is helping us to create a Social network of machines.
If you are keen to know whether OpenBanking is comforting to customer or not – read our post Open Banking – Is It Comforting To Customers Or Not?
Open Banking Opportunities
Banks have been trusted entity by customers for years because of regulation and that helped them earn a good and loyal customer base. On the other hand fintech the new entity that has captured eyeballs but is yet to earn the trust, and government and fintech start-ups are working closely to make it happen.
PSD2 brings firms that want to offer account information or payment initiation services under the regulatory umbrella. While Banks can use this opportunity to offer new services to its customer, fintech start-ups could collaborate and help banks and financial institution in achieving it. Banks need to realize that investing in technology and new recruits and building each and every tiny service in-house may not help them in the longer run. What instead they need to learn that technology is changing every day, so a collaboration could help them in tapping the potential open banking offers and also help fintech start-ups to grow and earn revenue.
By allowing the APIs to communicate to third parties, banks could alter speed and convenience with which authorized parties could add value to the platform and ecosystem. Would a bank build a fintech app store with all third parties in one place or look for partners in local market? It would be the hardest part of strategy for banks to distinguishes which tool to be open and which are to be not.
However, the major opportunity of Open Banking is enabling a sharing economy, that would not only serve beneficial to financial services but other sectors like supply chain, education, healthcare, trade finance, ecommerce etc.
References:
- Financial management: 6 examples of how Open Banking will help us manage our finances better
- Analysis
- Open Banking Applications
- 6 opportunities for growth using Open Banking
- How do you prepare for Open Banking? Here are 6 steps to get you started
- Open Banking – are consumers ready?
- Applications that use the Open Bank Project API.