The one thing I love about the mobile banking app space is just how fluid it is. New apps, new features and new facilities are being rolled out to customers continuously, each bank wanting to out-do its competition. The result is that customers benefit from better and more streamlined banking services.
A little while ago I began to keep a list of the various features that each bank has to offer which I published. This resulted in furious discussions and defence of personal banking app preferences. This was unexpected. While I was sure that I would get comments about features that I erroneously included or left out, but I didn't expect the "my bank is better than your bank" remarks.
It looks like I hit a nerve.
A banking app is an extension of the financial institution we bank with. It is a representation of how innovative and advanced our institution of preference is or is not. If they are innovative and advanced, we want to claim the bragging rights - by association, we feel we are innovative and a cut above the rest, too.
Feature list update
Disclaimer: After the first list was published I continued to research other features that I had left off the original list. This is a developing story and will continue to change as more features are released by the banks. Again, it is NOT an indication of who has the best app, but rather a feature list.
| Banking Services | Nedbank | FNB | RMB | Std Bank | ABSA |
| View account balances and transaction history | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Once off payments | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 1 |
| Payments to your recipients | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Future-dated transactions | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| Recurring transactions | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| Add beneficiaries | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 1 |
| Update, view and delete beneficiary details | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 1 |
| Transfers | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Show account info in a graph | - | - | - | 1 | 1 |
| Net balance of all accounts | - | - | - | 1 | - |
| Stop payments | - | 1 | 1 | - | - |
| Multiple transactions | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| E-bills | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| In-app notification | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 1 |
| Multi-user access | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Add beneficiary's picture | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Add favorite transactions | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Change daily limit | - | 1 | 1 | - | - |
| Search transactions | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | - |
| Personalise account name | - | 1 | 1 | - | - |
| Section Score | 11 | 11 | 11 | 6 | 11 |
| Purchase Additional Services | Nedbank | FNB | RMB | Std Bank | ABSA |
| Buy prepaid airtime (Vodacom, MTN, Cell C, 8.ta, Virgin Mobile) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Buy prepaid data and SMS | 1 | 1 | - | - | - |
| Buy prepaid electricity | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | - |
| Buy Lotto | - | - | - | - | - |
| Section Score | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Wallets | Nedbank | FNB | RMB | Std Bank | ABSA |
| Proximity payments | - | 1 | 1 | - | - |
Money send:
Nedbank - mPesa
Standard bank - wallet
FNB - wallet | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Allows other banks' customers access | - | 1 | 1 | - | - |
| Section Score | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Lead forms | Nedbank | FNB | RMB | Std Bank | ABSA |
| Leads to open account | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - |
| Section Score | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Locator | Nedbank | FNB | RMB | Std Bank | ABSA |
| Locate your nearest branch or ATM | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Get directions to branch and ATM locations from where you are | 1 | - | - | 1 | 1 |
| Section Score | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Forex | Nedbank | FNB | RMB | Std Bank | ABSA |
| Forex rates table | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Section Score | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Calculators | Nedbank | FNB | RMB | Std Bank | ABSA |
| Home loan | 1 | - | - | 1 | 1 |
| Vehicle finance | 1 | - | - | 1 | 1 |
| Prersonal loan | 1 | - | - | 1 | - |
| Forex calc | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| Goal save | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Investment | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Section Score | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Share trading | Nedbank | FNB | RMB | Std Bank | ABSA |
| Viewing share portfolio; Placing trades; Cancelling trades; Viewing order book; Change password | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| Section Score | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Contacts | Nedbank | FNB | RMB | Std Bank | ABSA |
| Branch contact numbers | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - |
| Make FREE calls to call centres | - | 1 | 1 | - | - |
| Make FREE calls & SMS to other same bank customers | - | 1 | 1 | - | - |
| List of important contact details | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Identify and contact personalised banker | - | 1 | 1 | - | - |
| Section Score | 2 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Corporate Banking | Nedbank | FNB | RMB | Std Bank | ABSA |
| View balances / statements; Authorise payments; Authorise e-bill payments; Authorise transfers; Authorise collections; Authorise beneficiaries; Authorise users; Change password | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| Section Score | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Services | Nedbank | FNB | RMB | Std Bank | ABSA |
| Secure message to bank | - | 1 | 1 | - | - |
| View videos in app | 1 | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| Banners inside the app | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Change to different language options in the app | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Section Score | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Platforms | Nedbank | FNB | RMB | Std Bank | ABSA |
| Android | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| iOS | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| BlackBerry | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - |
| BlackBerry 10 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - |
| Nokia | - | 1 | 1 | - | - |
| Windows Phone | - | - | - | 1 | - |
| Feature Phone | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| Section Score | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| TOTAL SCORES | Nedbank | FNB | RMB | Std Bank | ABSA |
| 32 | 32 | 30 | 22 | 26 |
The apps are available here:
Nedbank - http://www.nedbank.co.za/website/content/nedbank_app/index_app.asp
FNB - https://www.fnb.co.za/fnbapp/
RMB - https://www.rmbprivatebank.com/rmbpbapp/
Standard Bank - http://www.standardbank.co.za/portal/site/standardbank
ABSA - http://absa.co.za/Absacoza/Offers/Featured-Solutions/App-from-Absa