Bank provides new insight and transparency into its progress
25 February 2011 |
Mapa researchers recorded around 15 changes amongst the 9 providers monitored in the February Current Account Brochureware Dashboard. One change of particular interest came from RBS who have launched a new microsite entitled ‘Changing the bank’.
This site was created in response to the...keep reading
Five major mortgage providers now using videos to attract customers
04 November 2011 |
Mapa researchers recorded around 35 changes whilst completing the latest Mortgages Dashboard update.
A notable trend was the increase in video marketing amongst the mortgage providers, with many of them adding videos to their websites to help convey facts and guidance about their products and...keep reading
Mobile Innovation and changes continue unabated
19 December 2011 |
Christmas has come early for the Mobile Banking industry as Mapa releases its International Mobile and SMS Banking Dashboard. The findings will give many a festive cheer as the industry reveals itself to be in rude health. The rate of change in this area is extraordinary with most banks...keep reading
More UK banking platforms improved and enhanced
20 December 2011 |
Mapa has recently produced the Internet Banking Dashboard: an in depth look at all the major UK banks’ Internet Banking services.
Nationwide recently completely relaunched their Internet Banking platform as part of a wider IT transformation. The new platform has much of the same functionality...keep reading
Halifax and NatWest / RBS allow customers to update their contact details online
29 September 2008 |
Our September UK Internet Banking Dashboard update highlights moves by providers to enhance online security. Banks are encouraging customers to check their contact details and update when necessary. Halifax and NatWest / Royal Bank of Scotland are using their interstitial login screen to stress...keep reading
New services and promotions, as the UK banks continue to develop mobile services
28 November 2008 |
Q4 of 2008 saw some substantial activity from two of the UK high street banks; Lloyds TSB and HSBC.
Lloyds TSB launched a mobile banking pack, which includes low and high balance alerts. They also introduced the option for current account customers to sign up for an overseas debit card...keep reading
Mortgage lenders are providing more online tools and calculators for customers
09 December 2008 |
In November’s research for the Mortgage Dashboard more mortgage lenders have added pages to their websites giving advice to customers facing financial difficulty, the latest to provide this information are Cheltenham and Gloucester, and Coventry Building Society.
New tools and calculators...keep reading
Changes to online Payment Protection Insurance sales
09 December 2008 |
November’s update of the Personal Loans Dashboard has uncovered over twenty changes, a number of which are around the sale of Payment Protection Insurance (PPI).
Barclays, Natwest, RBS, Lombard Direct and Nationwide are notable amongst those who have made changes around the sales process.
...keep reading40% of sites monitored on the Dashboard have recently stopped selling LPI online
13 March 2009 |
For some time now selling loan payment insurance has been profitable business for UK banks, however not without criticism from consumer bodies and regulators. For example in October last year FSA fined Alliance & Leicester £7 million for serious failings in its telephone sales of LPI.
In...keep reading
Prize draws increasingly used to encourage online statements sign up and product applications
24 June 2009 |
Mapa’s Internet Banking Dashboard of June 2009 revealed several prize draws launched by banks. Halifax, NatWest and RBS launched prize draws to urge customers to switch off paper statements and view their statements online within Internet Banking instead.
As a reward for switching off...keep reading
Despite the appalling year for banks generally, 9 banks still make it into the Marketing Society’s top 50 Brands of British origin listing
25 June 2009 |
The multi sector brand parade covering all sectors, and featuring an A to Z spectrum of well known favourites, ascribes each individual brand a value, and it is this that determines the rankings.
Examination of the full list shows a clear divide of banks featured, between those tainted by the...keep reading
New savings tool introduced for NatWest/ RBS online bankers
09 March 2010 |
The February update of Mapa’s competitor intelligence Savings Dashboard has recorded 38 changes. The most notable of these changes coming from NatWest/ RBS.
NatWest/ RBS have added a brand new section duly titled ‘Your Savings Goals’ within the banks secure online banking environment. The...keep reading
Service removals and extensions all evident as providers scramble for market advantage
24 February 2010 |
The February update of Mapa’s Mobile Banking and SMS Competitor Intelligence dashboards recorded several notable changes in the countries monitored.
Europe is catching up with the US banks following the introductions of iPhone applications from many major banks. In the American market, BB&T’s...keep reading
A kaleidoscope of improvements from banking providers enhance the customer experience
07 January 2010 |
The December 2009 update of Mapa’s Internet Banking Dashboard recorded a significant number of impressive updates to UK online and mobile banking.
The most notable of the functionality and usability changes came from Barclays, Nationwide and NatWest/ RBS.
Barclays have now optimised the...keep reading
RBS / NatWest introduce iPhone application as well as multiple SMS services and Abbey introduce new SMS security for Online Banking
25 November 2009 |
The November Mapa competitor intelligence update of the UK Mobile & SMS Banking Dashboard has revealed a number of interesting service introductions / extensions.
As the first banks in the UK, NatWest and RBS introduced a Mobile Banking iPhone application. The service contains the same...keep reading
Barclaycard revamps its online account servicing system
26 November 2009 |
The latest online competitor intelligence update of the Mapa credit card dashboard recorded over 50 changes.
A number of card providers have become certainly more risk averse with Mint withdrawing from the credit card market by no longer accepting new card applications and RBS restricting the...keep reading
Cashback being offered as an incentive to customers to switch their current account
23 September 2009 |
The latest update of Mapa’s Internet Banking Dashboard has revealed that a number of banks are offering incentives for customers to switch their current account.
Abbey and Alliance & Leicester are offering a £100 cashback incentive to customers who switch to an Abbey Preferred Overdraft Rate...keep reading
Updated iPhone app gives customers external payments with a native experience
20 January 2012 |
Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest updated their much loved iPhone app just before Christmas, allowing customers to make payments to external payees. With Lloyds TSB and Santander recently launching mobile apps and Barclays’ apps '‘on the way’' the UK Mobile Banking market is certainly taking...keep reading
Are the UK loans providers missing an opportunity?
31 January 2012 |
This month saw the most recent update to the Personal Loans Dashboard. The Dashboard compares a list of individual personal loan services across fourteen competitors. It is updated quarterly, highlighting competitor changes that have occurred in the market during that time.
One key highlight...keep reading
