Changes to Turkey’s banking legislation herald a new stage that will see customers increasingly shifting towards digital banking. In anticipation, Garanti BBVA – the bank that spearheaded the development of online banking in the country – has digitized its entire customer onboarding process and allows banking transactions to be carried out easily, quickly and safely.

As part of its work around helping people better understand their financial health and make better financial decisions, BBVA USA recently launched BBVA Insights in its online banking and mobile banking app.

Users without a bank or credit card can easily receive a new password by logging on to Garanti BBVA Mobile with their new ID.

BBVA and Xiaomi have signed a strategic agreement so that the technology company’s smartphones launched in the Spanish market have the financial institution’s mobile banking application pre-installed exclusively. This is Xiaomi’s first alliance in Europe with a bank.

On December 18, 2020, Turkey will start the use of FAST instant payments systems. In this line, Garanti BBVA is committed to these solutions and will roll out its easy linking services that will enable instant transfers anytime without the need for IBAN.

BBVA has launched a service in Spain that allows customers to instantaneously and securely pay for lottery tickets and bets and collect winnings using their mobile phone. By going to the bank’s app, customers can use Bizum to generate a QR code that allows them to pay or collect money at 11,000 Loterías y Apuestas del Estado retailers. This is the first time that people have been able to pay in physical stores using Bizum and a QR code.

The most popular and innovative credit card in Turkey, Garanti BBVA’s Bonus, has launched the service ‘Bonus Check-up’. This service informs customers of their finances and offers guidance when their credit card applications are denied.

With data as of September 2020, BBVA has 35.6 million digital customers, double the number four years ago, and 32.8 million mobile customers, three times more.

Blue is a virtual assistant that uses various artificial intelligence tools to help BBVA customers use the mobile application to complete tasks as well get detailed, personalized information about their accounts. This is how it works.

BBVA is the first bank in Spain to allow zero-touch cash withdrawals from its ATMs, called ‘contactless ATMs’. This new way of accessing cash not only streamlines the process, it also provides additional protection to customers during times of pandemic.

BBVA has again been honored by Javelin Strategy & Research, with the independent research firm naming the bank’s online banking service as a leader in its 2020 Online Banking Scorecard.

BBVA USA today announced the launch of two digital updates designed to strengthen financial freedom. The bank launched its new mobile banking app, Mobile 9.0, and expanded transaction detail screen in mobile and online banking, both aimed at leveraging the bank’s technology expertise to provide a better experience and more control for customers.

BBVA in Uruguay has launched its banking application for Apple Watch, another innovation that makes life easier for customers.

BBVA in Spain’s mobile banking app adds an average of 60 new features every year. Users especially appreciated the ability to manage their finances on the app during the lockdown. They also value the channel’s speed – the app opens in just two seconds – and how easy it is to use.  Bank customers gave the app a score of 4.7 on Google – the highest in the industry and close to the maximum score of 5. The app reached this score after the outbreak of the pandemic, when it became and essential tool.

Compulsory quarantine due to COVID-19 has led to increased use of digital channels, especially mobile banking services, as can be seen in the BBVA franchises in South America.

BBVA’s Turkish franchise has improved the landing page of its Garanti BBVA Mobile app with an improved design and new digital banking features.

BBVA considers protecting the health of its customers and employees a priority, following the state of emergency declared in Spain due to coronavirus. For this reason, the bank recommends that customers do their banking on digital channels (the bbva.es website, the mobile app and BBVA Line) as well as with the more than 2,000 remote advisers. Specifically, the bank’s app makes it possible to bank remotely easily and with total security, and offers an array of tools to help customers control their expenses and personal finances effectively. It is no surprise that for the third year in a row, Forrester Research named it the world’s best mobile banking app in 2019.

For more than 20 years, Garanti BBVA has been leading and actively contributing to the development of Internet and mobile banking in Turkey. Last year was full of advances, prompting research firm Forrester to name Garanti BBVA’s mobile application as the second best in the world, only after BBVA Spain’s application.

For the third year in a row, Garanti BBVA won the awards for the “Best Mobile App” in Turkey and the “Best Consumer Digital Bank” in Turkey at the 2019 World Finance Digital Banking Awards. This recognition demonstrates once again that Garanti BBVA is a leader in the banking sector, with innovative digital banking products and services.

BBVA has partnered with the authentication solutions company Nok Nok Labs — one of the driving forces behind the new FIDO (Fast Identity Online) standard aimed at strengthening the security of biometric systems on mobile devices. The agreement is part of BBVA’s strategy to improve the security and user experience of its mobile banking services through state-of-the-art biometric capabilities.

Garanti BBVA Mobile took home the award for the Best Mobile Banking App at the seventh Boğaziçi IT Awards, organized by Boğaziçi University IT Club (Compec).

Garanti BBVA customers carry out more than 88 percent of their non-cash transactions without ever setting foot in a branch — using either the mobile banking app, the website, or ATMs.

Garanti BBVA continues to raise the bar by delivering state-of-the art functionality that helps big businesses and SMEs alike with their business needs.

The Garanti BBVA mobile application uses biometric authentication technology to provide customers a better user experience and increased security. The bank’s customers’ warm response — registering more than 800,000 activations using iris recognition per month— validates the bank’s investment in the technology.

Garanti BBVA is partnering with BELBİM Elektronik Para ve Ödeme Hizmetleri A.Ş., to go the extra mile when it comes to innovation. Garanti BBVA’s  mobile app can now be used to refill Istanbul travel cards, allowing customers to move around the city without worrying about the balance on their card.

Business Insider today named BBVA USA as a leader in its Business Insider Intelligence 2019 Mobile Banking Competitive Edge study, the third year the financial and business news company has conducted the proprietary research and the second year BBVA has been evaluated.

BBVA USA, in its mission to bring the age of opportunity to everyone, is celebrating Veterans Day by donating up to $20,000 to help end veteran homelessness.

Garanti BBVA won three bronze awards at the 2019 Smarties Turkey, the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) program recognizing innovation, creativity and achievement in the mobile marketing world.

BBVA remains the global mobile banking leader in 2019, according to ‘The Forrester Banking Wave™: Global MobileApps Summary, 2019’. BBVA’s mobile app combines “exceptional functionality with the best user experience.” Garanti BBVA, the Group’s Turkish franchise, is also in the report, which states that it is “one of the first banks to launch an in-app, voice-activated virtual agent.”