Two million AIB customers are using the bank’s new app, with about 70 million logins to date. The improved app helps customers spend, save and plan with greater clarity, confidence and security, and supports the everyday financial choices that allow people to manage more of their banking in one place.
“Research and customer feedback showed that our customers wanted more than an updated mobile banking app,” says AIB’s managing director, retail banking, Geraldine Casey. “They wanted a banking experience that was fast, personalised and available whenever they needed it and equipped to respond to evolving security risks. To deliver this, AIB invested in a modern, even more resilient platform that builds on its established security measures while providing better insights, greater self-service options and an enhanced mobile experience, 24/7.”
While customers could complete everyday banking tasks, many wanted greater visibility, control and confidence when managing their money, she adds. “The goal was to deliver a next-generation digital banking service that helps customers make the most of their money. To support our customers to better understand their spending, take control of their finances, build confidence through saving, and achieve longer-term goals such as purchasing a home or planning for retirement.”
The new app forms part of AIB’s broader everyday banking proposition, combining digital-first tools with access to expert support in branch, by phone and online whenever customers need it, Casey explains.
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Key improvements include a more personalised, easy-to-navigate experience with a clearer view of everyday banking and account activity; better insights into spending, with categorised transactions and budgeting tools; enhanced security features that build on AIB’s existing protections, including Passkey sign-in, which offers a more secure, quick and easy way to log in using your Face ID or fingerprint; faster and more seamless payments, including Zippay, Sepa Instant and standing order set-up and amendment.
Customers still have access to support where and when they need it, through branches, phone channels and in-app through the Abi digital assistant. “The new app is designed to make it easier for customers to understand and manage their money with confidence, while continuing to offer the support they value,” she adds.
“As fraud risks continue to evolve, the new app builds on AIB’s established security measures with enhanced protections designed for today’s digital banking environment,” she points out. “These include biometric authentication and greater customer control, helping customers bank with confidence while keeping access simple and convenient.”
It is also designed for accessibility. “True to our customer-centric approach to accessibility, we continued our engagement with external advocacy groups and consultancies to inform the design of the new mobile app in a way that meets customers’ needs,” says Casey.
The bank’s partnership with disability-led accessibility and inclusion consultancy Tilting the Lens spanned user experience, web and app design, and was a key focus for feedback and testing of the new app.
“A significant number of enhancements have been made based on these insights, and as part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring accessibility,” she continues. “These enhancements are aimed at meeting customer access needs and significantly improving the experience for those using assistive technologies such as screen readers.”
The new app is built on a modern, flexible platform that enables the bank to invest in and deliver further improvements more frequently. Rather than representing a one-off upgrade, it provides the foundation for the app to evolve continuously in line with customers’ changing needs, Casey explains.
“Continued investment in the platform, informed by data, customer feedback and operational learning, will allow the app to keep evolving and deliver new and improved features over time,” she adds.
Planned future features include enhanced capabilities for children and their parents to support them in managing their daily finances, with a simplified account opening experience, a card for over-12s, and mobile capabilities for children and their parents or guardians, to ensure they have ongoing oversight and control.
Also planned are savings pots and spaces, making it easier for customers to conveniently plan and save for life events, as well as functionality to allow customers to manage their mortgages.
“Our customers told us they wanted a simpler, more personalised way to manage their money. The new AIB app has been designed around those needs, giving customers greater clarity, confidence and control, with convenient access whenever they need it,” says Casey.
“Customer expectations are evolving faster than ever, and meeting those expectations requires more than continuous improvements to digital channels,” says AIB chief operating officer Graham Fagan. “We have invested in a modern digital engagement platform that transforms how AIB can serve, support and engage with customers throughout every stage of their financial lives. The new app is a significant milestone in that transformation, delivering a more personalised, intuitive and secure experience today, while providing the foundation that enables us to rapidly evolve and introduce new capabilities for customers in the years ahead.”
