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Standard Chartered unveils mortgage plan with fixed rate
The plan has a fixed rate of 1.68% p.a. for the first year.
Standard Chartered unveils mortgage plan with fixed rate
The plan has a fixed rate of 1.68% p.a. for the first year.
Bank of Baroda goes live with new supply chain finance platform
This digital move is in line with the country’s “Digital India” initiative.
HSBC widens cash access network to 800 touchpoints
Now customers can make QuickCash withdrawals in 7-Eleven stores.
Citi launches second China desk in Singapore
Ten relationship and product managers will support Chinese clients’ FDI.
VietinBank migrates all debit card transactions
This is to improve issuance for international and domestic debit and credit cards.
OCBC unveils flexible loan scheme for SMEs
The loan offers funding of up to $200,000.
CIMB adds retirement planning to insurance solutions
This is through a partnership with Sun Life Malaysia.
Hang Seng Bank's mobile branch goes to remote areas
It provides general banking services to public housing residents.
DBS expands mobile banking and payment apps services
Customers can now scan to pay 7-Eleven stores via QR codes.
Standard Chartered's premium banking to launch in 10 countries
They will roll out the service in Asia, Africa, and Middle East in 2018.
36 Thai banks to huddle about stopping financial crime
AMLO will gather the banks after a big ID theft made headlines.
Siam Commercial Bank to insure wealth segment customers
This is through a partnership with Prudential Thailand.
Hang Seng Bank unveils AI chatbots for retail banking
Chatbots ‘HARO’ and ‘DORI’ are now ready to serve. Hang Seng banks spearheads the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies for retail banking services in Hong Kong with the launch of their two chatbots, HARO and DORI. Using AI technologies including machine learning and natural language processing, the two virtual assistants are able to simulate human-like contextual conversations and interact with customers. They can communicate in Chinese and English, and can also understand Cantonese as well as the mixing of English and Chinese. Through interacting with customers, HARO and DORI will continuously improve their ability to address customer enquiries. Reflecting the service objectives of ‘Helpful; Attentive; Responsive; Omni’, HARO will be available through hangseng.com and the Hang Seng Personal Banking mobile app from 10 January 2018. Covering the Bank’s mortgage, personal loan, credit card, medical insurance and travel insurance services, HARO will handle general enquiries about the products and services, help customers identify suitable products and provide application information. HARO can also assist customers with calculating repayment amounts for designated personal and mortgage loans. DORI (‘Dining; Offers; Rewards; Interactive’) will be launched on 11 January 2018. Available through Facebook Messenger, DORI can search and suggest credit card merchant discounts, and dining and online store offers that suit the personal preferences and lifestyles of customers. DORI can also make reservations for customers at selected restaurants. Additional features will be added to the service scope of HARO and DORI in 2018.
OCBC launches advisory service on property purchase
It can compute, analyse, and provide information and consultation. OCBC Bank is the first bank in Singapore to launch an online advisory service called OCBC OneAdvisor Home that brings together everything that both first-time home buyers as well as seasoned investors would need – from property listings, policy details, rules and regulations, to comprehensive affordability advice. The OCBC OneAdvisor Home affordability tool computes the price range affordability for the buyer, including down-payment, stamp duty, minimum cash payment as well as legal and agent fees. Plans are also underway to allow for home buyers to get to know OCBC’s mortgage specialists without having to first meet them face-to-face. Akin to popular e-commerce and travel apps, this game-changing new feature allows home buyers to see the past ratings and testimonials given by their mortgage specialists’ former clients. In the coming months, OCBC OneAdvisor Home will allow home buyers to submit necessary documents through the website for a secure Credit Bureau check. In addition, home sellers will be able to get an indicative value of their properties from an accredited valuer. Services like the application for a renovation loan will also be added in the future.
HSBC unveils new one-stop mobile collections service in China
Chinese retailers can now collect payments from customers with e-wallets. HSBC became the first foreign bank in China to offer an omni-channel collections service that allows retailers in China to collect payments from customers who are using popular e-wallets such as Alipay, WeChat Pay, Apple Pay, and UnionPay. The new service operates across all major digital channels and can be applied at e-commerce websites, social media channels, and in-store transactions. It is also integrated with the existing China UnionPay (CUP) cards network and internet banking interface. The launch of the comprehensive collection service in China is a move to help multinational and domestic companies tap into a market where almost half a billion consumers use their mobile phones to pay for goods and services. With both urban and rural consumers increasingly relying on smartphones for shopping, playing online games, paying bills, and even managing their finances, China is the world’s leading mobile payment market. In 2016, the value of mobile payments jumped 46% from a year ago to reach RMB157.55t (US$23.8t), according to China’s central bank. Nearly 80% of Chinese smartphone users will be tapping, scanning and swiping to make payments throughout the country by 2021, research consultancy eMarketer estimates. By comparison, the US will have 31% of users doing so, whilst Germany will have 23%. Kee Joo Wong, head of global liquidity and cash management for Asia Pacific at HSBC said, “In China, mobile payments are increasingly essential to daily life, and have become a catalyst for businesses to engage in multi-channel retail activities. Given this backdrop, companies - in particular consumer-facing multinationals - recognise the payment preferences of their customers and are now giving them the flexibility to choose how, where, and when to pay.” However, the diversity of digital payment methods in China is also a challenge for retailers, in particular multinational companies new to the market who have to invest significant resources to connect with individual service providers in the absence of a one-stop solution for retail collections. With this omni-channel collections solution, HSBC not only helps retailers gather various e-wallet payments but also provides them with a consolidated view of their collections from all modes of payments, both traditional and digital. This eliminates the complexity of relying on multiple connections, thus reducing operational costs and building sustainable efficiency into retailers’ collections processes. “Our initiative in China is part of our global effort to improve our clients’ experience by adding value through digital transformation and innovation. In meeting our client’s evolving needs, our one-stop collections solution can further strengthen our receivables product suite, covering clients’ value chain needs by providing convenience, speed, and simplicity,” Kee Joo said. In China, HSBC is committed to developments in the digital space, to meet its clients’ changing business requirements. Recently, HSBC China joined the Internet Bank Payment System (IBPS), a domestic real-time payment system that will provide corporate and individual customers with an efficient and convenient channel for small-value payments.
Mobile use at Citi surges 48% in the last 12 months
Mobile is the bank’s fastest-growing digital channel. Mobile banking overtook other digital channels to become the preferred channel used by Citi’s Asia Pacific clients in the last 12 months, as digital grows rapidly as a source of new business at Citi. Digital acquisition in Citi’s Credit Cards and Loans business grew 57% year-on-year, and digital lending now accounts for 40% of total consumer loans fulfilled by Citi in the region. This growth has been underpinned by Citi’s digital investments and growth in partnerships on leading digital ecosystems. Citi has digital credit card partnerships with leading players in the region including Amazon, Grab, Lazada, Expedia, and Airbnb. Citi also recently partnered with Facebook to launch its first banking chatbot on the Facebook Messenger platform in Singapore. Giving customers real-time information on their accounts, transaction details and rewards points balances, Citi’s chatbot will be rolled out across the region over the next few months. The bank is already active in a number of leading social messaging platforms in Asia Pacific including WeChat in China and LINE in Thailand. Citi also recently reached a major milestone with three million customers having registered to use its voice biometric authentication. Across the region, Citi’s digital banking channels and servicing capabilities continue to see strong growth in customer engagement. In Singapore, the bank has seen a 48% year-on-year increase in its Citi Mobile app monthly active users and a 44% year-on-year increase in the download of its mobile app. The Asia Pacific Global Consumer Bank’s focus on transforming its business continues to yield positive results. For the third quarter of 2017, the business reported a 5% increase in revenue year-on-year to US$1.87 billion, representing its fifth consecutive quarter of revenue growth in the region and making it the fastest growing consumer business for Citi globally.
Kasikornbank's weakening non-interest income to be the key focal point in 2018
It will define how much the bank's earnings will recover.