Citibank targets more clients using digital banking services

MANILA, Philippines - Citibank Philippines is looking at doubling the number of customers availing of its digital banking services over the next three years amid the shift of more consumers to digital lifestyle.

 Bea Tan, managing director and consumer banking head at Citi, said the bank intends to double the penetration rate of its customers using its digital banking platform over the next three years.

“Today we have 40 percent of our customers that are already registered users of our digital banking. We consistently see growth in this number for both Citibank online and Citi mobile banking platforms and our vision is to be able to double the penetration of our customers using digital platform in the next three years,” she said.

Through its digital banking services, Tan said clients could tap the app for bills payment, fund transfer, credit card payments, among others through the mobile phones or personal computers.

 “We will do a lot of educational campaign to our customers. We are analyzing all the transactions to see how we can simplify some of these transactions,” she added.

According to her, Citibank NA through Citi Direct was the first to establish digital presence in the Philippines in 2000. It started the Citi alerts wherein clients received SMS and email alerts on banking and credit card transactions in 2009.

In 2011, the bank started sending mirror copy of paper statements to their clients via email and launched the real-time global fund transfer as well as the global view of accounts.

She added the bank also launched the Citibank Ph mobile app compatible with Apple and Android mobile phones as well as the eAdvice in 2012. During the year, the bank also launched the Citi Philippines Facebook account.

Citi also introduced the one-time PIN in 2013 as an additional security feature by sending a six-digit PIN to the customer’s mobile phone when logging in to Citibank Online.

The Citibank Online was redesigned in 2013 to make it more responsive across all devices and the Citibank PH app for iPad was also launched.

In 2014, the bank introduced the Mobile app registration allowing clients to register for a Citibank online account via their mobile devices.

 Citi also introduced the Click for Cash through Installment Online allowing cardholders to draw cash from their credit card last year.

 Citi chief client experience, digital, and marketing officer for global consumer banking Heather Cox said the world is shifting so fast.

“The shift has happened,” Cox said.

She pointed out about two billion smartphones are sold all over the world every year compared to only 200 million to 300 million computers.