Digital Bank Winners Reap Win-Win Rewards

The first round—country and subcategory winners—of Global Finance’s Best Digital Bank awards 2018 reveals that digital transformations are driving efforts by global, regional and national banks to build their corporate and consumer clientele—and cut costs while they’re at it.


Corporate banking needs are changing rapidly, as companies shift more and more functions to an online environment. Global Finance’s World’s Best Digital Bank awards honor the banks that best understand these needs and anticipate clients’ changing requirements for digital banking platforms.

Global Banks Dominate Corporate/Institutional Awards

A global platform that integrates different channels and offers online features and connectivity solutions, automating transaction and treasury processes, ensured that Citigroup received the highest number of corporate/institutional digital-banking awards in all corners of the globe. A client-experience and client-collaboration center in the bank’s innovation lab helps Citi provide its corporate customers with tools to operate both locally and globally in a seamless and efficient manner. Looking forward, Citi is counting on its investment in a Big Data platform, blockchain and application programming interfaces (APIs) to safeguard its position as a digital leader by enhancing its digital capabilities and generating cost savings.

Citi’s commitment to its corporate customers in Africa resulted in 14 country awards and a sweep of the subcategory awards for the region. Citi also performed well in Central and Eastern Europe—but the region saw a good mix of national and regional bank wins. While Tinkoff Bank was singled out as Russia’s best investment manager, its compatriot Sberbank secured three of the subcategory wins and the overall country award. Sberbank has developed a highly customized website and machine-learning algorithms; its digital customer-relationship-management capability helps the bank enhance customer experience and stay ahead of competitors.

While Citi also dominated the awards in Latin America, Bancolombia drew attention for the success of its online strategy in creating memorable client experiences. Between 70% and 90% of the bank’s products are available online and Bancolombia’s corporate online banking app allows corporate clients to check products, prepare and approve transactions, and request documents and up-to-date information on Colombia’s financial markets.

Methodology

The winners of the Global Finance Best Digital Bank Awards are chosen based on entries provided by financial institutions. Entrants are judged on breadth of product offerings, success in migrating customers to digital platforms, acquiring and retaining new customers, and the use of digital technologies to improve business processes, cut costs and deliver other benefits. Each entry is analyzed by a team of digital and banking experts at Infosys. All final selections are the responsibility of Global Finance.

In Western Europe, Citi took all the country awards—bar Cyprus, which went to Hellenic Bank, and Turkey, which went to Yapi Kredi. Turkey’s Yapi Kredi Bank also picked up three subcategory awards thanks to its interactive website, which supports a consolidated dashboard and customization for private-banking customers. Yapi Kredi launched a mobile-banking app last year that includes biometric features; the launch of Self Service World enables Yapi Kredi’s merchant members to create campaigns on their own for Yapı Kredi’s individual customers.

In North America, Citi took both US and Canada country awards, but Wells Fargo won the lion’s share of subcategory citations. Wells Fargo provides corporate clients with capabilities on different platforms, including web-based mobile, direct transmissions, and integration with customer systems; corporate clients can also enjoy a customized presentation to enhance the user experience.

Citi won all the Asia-Pacific country awards except for Singapore, which went to DBS Bank; DBS was singled out for a very clear website-design strategy. With over 90% of its products available online, automation, chatbots and biometric authentication all help improve customer service by reducing manual processes. The editors gave Taiwan’s CTBC Bank special commendation for its social media marketing, which includes separate social media pages for big individual projects and products and has helped the bank lift transaction volumes and value.

In the Middle East too, Citi won multiple country awards; but local banks also fared well. Jordan’s Arab Bank launched a new cash-management and trade-finance corporate platform, ArabiConnect, which powered 25%-to-50% year-on-year growth in the percentage of customers using online cash-management and trade-finance services. Egypt’s Commercial International Bank (CIB) uses data analytics to drive a customercentric approach, aiming to maximize profits from existing products, customers and channels.

Big Data, AI Drive Consumer Awards Winners

Technology was also a major driver of Global Finance’s Best Digital Bank Awards on the consumer side, where the awards were dominated by banks that made the best use of data and artificial intelligence (AI) to provide a targeted and seamless user experience.


In Latin America, no one bank dominated, but Bancolombia and Banco Popular de Puerto Rico attracted special mentions. Bancolombia uses cookies to provide customizable content based on the client’s residency and behavior patterns. Services include cloud-based internet banking, Big Data for cross-selling, and robo-advisory that uses AI for investment advice, all contained on a website based on responsive design such that web pages work well over a variety of devices.

Banco Popular’s clients can access their accounts and other services over an Apple watch app or Touch iD for iPhone 5 and up, and Fingerprint Access for Android 6.0 or more-recent versions. The mobile app enables consumers to control their finances anytime and anywhere, with an integrated platform that does transfers, payments and other functions.

National banks were winners in every country in Western Europe that participated in the awards. Special commendation was reserved for both Garanti Bank and CaixaBank. Turkey’s Garanti Bank offers a customer-friendly and responsive web design that analyzes visitor behavior to maximize conversions. The bank also uses behavioral targeting to fine-tune campaigns on its website.

Spain’s CaixaBank boasts a plethora of digital innovations, including MyFinance, CaixaPay and one-click account opening. Integration across channels enables Caixa customers to initiate transactions or processes in one channel and complete them in another. While making digital banking easier for customers, Caixa also provides excellent security: Its CaixaBankSign is a three-factor approach authentication feature protecting customers from online fraud.

In Central and Eastern Europe, regional banks took the consumer honors, with Tinkoff, Sberbank, TBC and Slovakia’s Tatra banka sharing the subcategory awards. Being branchless, Tinkoff offers 90% of its products and services online. Advance technologies, including straight-through processing (STP), cloud computing, social media as a platform, analytics and single sign-on all help improve customer satisfaction.

Sberbank offers the majority of services online and is looking to aggressively ramp up technology infrastructure and software. Tatra has introduced inducements for prospective customers, including face biometry, a chatbot, AI and finance-planning tools. In another former Soviet republic, Georgia, TBC Bank offers more than 90% of its products online, which has helped it achieve cost savings of more than 30%.

In Africa, Standard Chartered’s customer commitment is reflected in the numerous consumer awards it picked up this year. Readily accessible features include a video-chat service, single sign-on, and online services including fund transfer, bill payment and rewards points. A global-link feature helps customers access global market information by logging in to the mobile app, while face and fingerprint ID ensure secure login.

In the US, Bank of America’s AI virtual assistant, Erica, provides 24/7 customer support. The bank also offers features such as cloud computing, single sign-on, multicountry/currency transactions and a fully automated account-opening and onboarding process. HSBC in Bermuda provides single sign-on and partial STP.

Asia-Pacific saw mostly national and regional bank wins; but Citi, Standard Chartered and DBS stood out in the region. DBS offers an impressive range of digital services and enjoys a digital-activity rate of 80%.

Our Best Islamic Bank category honors institutions that offer the most digital services and products that are Shariah approved. Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, for example, offers multichannel, Shariah-compliant digital-product offerings in deposits, lending and payments.

As the mortgage industry is also undergoing digital transformation, we honored the best mortgage banks by region for the first time this year. With over 90% of its mortgage products available online, Saudi Arabia’s Bidaya Home Finance offers an especially successful example of how banks can use digital to enhance the customer experience. Taiwan’s E.SUN Financial Holdings has been able to slash price inquiry and comparison time from three days to three minutes and cut mortgage application times from seven to three days.

             GLOBAL FINANCE WORLD’S BEST DIGITAL BANKS 2018 — ROUND 1 WINNERS                                                                  CORPORATE/INSTITUTIONAL BANKS

AFRICA  
Country Winners
Bank
Algeria Citi
Angola BAI Banco Angolano de Investimentos
Cameroon Citi
Cote d’Ivoire Citi
Democratic Republic of Congo Citi
Gabon Citi
Kenya Citi
Morocco Citi
Mozambique Millennium BIM
Nigeria Citi
Senegal Citi
South Africa Citi
Tanzania Citi
Tunisia Citi
Uganda Citi
Zambia Citi
Regional Sub-Category Winners
 
Best Online Cash Management Citi
Best in Mobile Banking Citi
Best Mobile Banking App Citi
Most Innovative Digital Bank Citi

ASIA-PACIFIC  
Country Winners
Bank
Australia Citi
Bangladesh Citi
China ICBC
Hong Kong Citi
India Citi
Indonesia Citi
Japan Citi
Malaysia Citi
New Zealand Citi
Pakistan Citi
Philippines Citi
Singapore DBS
South Korea Citi
Sri Lanka Citi
Taiwan Citi
Thailand Citi
Vietnam Citi
Regional Sub-Category Winners
 
Best Online Cash Management Citi
Best Trade Finance Services DBS
Best Online Portal Service DBS
Best Information Security and Fraud Management E.SUN Financial Holdings
Best Online Treasury Services Citi
Best in Mobile Banking Citi
Best in Social Media Marketing and Services CTBC
Best Mobile Banking App Citi
Most Innovative Digital Bank Citi

CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE  
Country Sub-Category Winners
Bank
Czech Republic Citi
Estonia SEB Banka
Georgia TBC Bank
Latvia SEB Bank
Lithuania SEB Bank
Poland mBank
Romania Citi
Russia Sberbank
Slovakia Citi
Ukraine Citi
Regional Sub-Category Winners
 
Best Investment Management Tinkoff Bank
Best Online Cash Management Tatra Banka
Best Trade Finance Services ING Bank Slaski
Best Online Portal Services Sberbank
Best Integrated Corporate Bank Site Sberbank
Best Online Treasury Services Bank of Georgia
Best in Mobile Banking Citi
Best in Social Media Marketing and Services TBC Bank
Best Mobile Banking App Citi
Most Innovative Digital Bank Sberbank

LATIN AMERICA  
Country Winners
Bank
Argentina Citi
Brazil Citi
Chile Banco de Chile
Colombia Bancolombia
Costa Rica Citi
Dominican Republic Citi
Ecuador Citi
El Salvador Citi
Guatemala Citi
Haiti Citi
Honduras Citi
Jamaica Citi
Mexico Citibanamex
Panama Citi
Paraguay Citi
Peru Citi
Puerto Rico Citi
Uruguay Citi
Regional Sub-Category Winners
 
Best Investment Management Services Citi
Best Online Cash Management Bancolombia
Best Trade Finance Services Citi
Best Online Portal Services Citi
Best Integrated Corporate Bank Site Citi
Best Information Security and Fraud Management Citi
Best Online Treasury Services Citi
Best in Mobile Banking Citi
Best in Social Media Marketing and Services Citi
Best Mobile Banking App Citi
Most Innovative Digital Bank Citi

MIDDLE EAST (With Sub-Categories by Country)  
Bahrain
Bank
Best Overall Corporate/Institutional Digital Bank Citi
Best Online Cash Management Ahli United Bank
Best in Mobile Banking Citi
Best Mobile Banking App Citi
Most Innovative Digital Bank Citi
Egypt
 
Best Overall Corporate/Institutional Digital Bank Citi
Best Online Cash Management CIB
Best Trade Finance Services CIB
Best Online Portal Services CIB
Best Information Security and Fraud Management CIB
Best in Mobile Banking Citi
Best Mobile Banking App Citi
Most Innovative Digital Bank Citi
Israel
 
Best Overall Corporate/Institutional Digital Bank Bank Leumi
Jordan
 
Best Overall Corporate/Institutional Digital Bank Citi
Best Online Cash Management Arab Bank
Best Trade Finance Services Arab Bank
Best in Mobile Banking Citi
Best Mobile Banking App Citi
Most Innovative Digital Bank Citi
Kuwait
 
Best Overall Corporate/Institutional Digital Bank Citi
Best Online Cash Management Ahli United Bank Kuwait
Best in Mobile Banking Citi
Best Mobile Banking App Citi
Most Innovative Digital Bank Citi
Lebanon
 
Best Overall Corporate/Institutional Digital Bank Citi
Best Online Cash Management Citi
Best in Mobile Banking Citi
Best Mobile Banking App Citi
Most Innovative Digital Bank Citi
Palestine
 
Best Overall Corporate/Institutional Digital Bank Bank of Palestine
Qatar
 
Best Overall Corporate/Institutional Digital Bank Citi
Best Online Cash Management Citi
Best in Mobile Banking Citi
Best Mobile Banking App Citi
Most Innovative Digital Bank Citi
Saudi Arabia
 
Best Overall Corporate/Institutional Digital Bank NCB
Best Online Cash Management Samba
Best Trade Finance Services Samba
Best Online Portal Services NCB
Best Integrated Corporate Bank Site NCB
Best in Mobile Banking NCB
Best Mobile Banking App NCB
UAE
 
Best Overall Corporate/Institutional Digital Bank Citi
Best Online Cash Management Commercial Bank of Dubai
Best Trade Finance Services Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank
Best Online Portal Services Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank
Best Integrated Corporate Bank Site Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank
Best in Mobile Banking Citi
Best Mobile Banking App Mashreq Bank
Most Innovative Digital Bank Citi

NORTH AMERICA  
Country Winners
Bank
Canada Citi
United States Wells Fargo
Regional Sub-Category Winners
 
Best Investment Management Services Wells Fargo
Best Online Cash Management Citi
Best Trade Finance Services Wells Fargo
Best Online Portal Services Wells Fargo
Best Integrated Corporate Bank Site Wells Fargo
Best Information Security and Fraud Management Wells Fargo
Best Online Treasury Services Citi
Best in Mobile Banking Wells Fargo

WESTERN EUROPE  
Country Winners
Bank
Austria Citi
Belgium Citi
Cyprus Hellenic Bank
Denmark Citi
Finland Citi
France Citi
Germany Citi
Greece Citi
Ireland Citi
Italy Citi
Luxembourg Citi
Netherlands Citi
Norway Citi
Portugal Citi
Spain Citi
Sweden Citi
Switzerland Citi
Turkey Yapi Kredi Bank
United Kingdom Citi
Regional Sub-Category Winners
 
Best Online Cash Management Odeabank
Best Online Portal Services Yapi Kredi Bank
Best Integrated Corporate Bank Site Yapi Kredi Bank
Best Information Security and Fraud Management Millennium bcp
Best in Mobile Banking Citi
Best Mobile Banking App Yapi Kredi Bank
Most Innovative Digital Bank Citi


             GLOBAL FINANCE WORLD’S BEST DIGITAL BANKS 2018 — ROUND 1 WINNERS                                                                  CONSUMER BANKS

AFRICA  
Country Winners
Bank
Botswana Standard Chartered
Ghana Standard Chartered
Kenya Standard Chartered
Mozambique Banco Unico
Nigeria Standard Chartered
South Africa Investec
Tanzania Standard Chartered
Zambia Standard Chartered
Regional Sub-Category Winners
 
Best Bill Payment & Presentment Standard Chartered
Best Web Site Design Standard Chartered
Best Integrated Consumer Bank Site Standard Chartered
Best Information Security and Fraud Management Standard Chartered
Best in Mobile Banking Standard Chartered
Best Mobile Banking App Standard Chartered
Most Innovative Digital Bank Investec

ASIA-PACIFIC  
Country Winners
Bank
Armenia Evoca Bank
Australia Citi
Bangladesh The City Bank Limited
Brunei Standard Chartered
China China Minsheng Bank
Fiji Anz Pacific
Hong Kong Bank of China Hong Kong
India Citi
Indonesia Citi
Japan Rakuten Bank
Kazakhstan Altyn Bank JSC
Malaysia Maybank
Mongolia Khan Bank
Nepal Standard Chartered
New Zealand Bank of New Zealand
Pakistan Standard Chartered
Philippines Citi
Singapore DBS
South Korea Standard Chartered
Sri Lanka HSBC
Taiwan Citi
Thailand Siam Commercial Bank
Vietnam Standard Chartered
Regional Sub-Category Winners
 
Best Online Deposit, Credit and Investment Product Offerings Standard Chartered
Best Bill Payment & Presentment DBS
Best Web Site Design DBS
Best Integrated Consumer Bank Site DBS
Best Information Security and Fraud Management Citi
Best in Mobile Banking Citi
Best in Social Media Marketing & Services Siam Commercial Bank
Best Mobile Banking App Standard Chartered
Best SMS/Text Banking DBS
Most Innovative Digital Bank Bank of New Zealand

CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE  
Country Winners
Bank
Bosnia & Herzegovina Raiffeisen Bank
Croatia Privredna banka Zagreb
Estonia SEB Banka
Georgia TBC Bank
Hungary OTP Bank
Latvia SEB Banka
Lithuania SEB Bank
Poland Citi Handlowy
Romania Garanti Bank
Russia Tinkoff Bank
Serbia Raiffeisen Bank
Slovakia Tatra Banka
Regional Sub-Category Winners
 
Best Online Deposit Credit & Investment Product Offerings Tatra Banka
Best Bill Payment & Presentment Tinkoff Bank
Best Web Site Design Tatra Banka
Best Integrated Consumer Bank Site TBC Bank
Best Information Security and Fraud Management Tinkoff Bank
Best in Mobile Banking Tinkoff Bank
Best in Social Media Marketing & Services Sberbank
Best Mobile Banking App Tinkoff Bank
Best SMS/Text Banking Sberbank
Most Innovative Digital Bank Sberbank

LATIN AMERICA  
Country Winners
Bank
Argentina Santander Rio
Brazil Next — Bradesco Bank
Chile Banco de Chile
Colombia Bancolombia
Costa Rica Scotiabank
Ecuador Produbanco
El Salvador Scotiabank
Honduras Ficohsa
Mexico Citibanamex
Paraguay Itau Unibanco
Puerto Rico Banco Popular de Puerto Rico
Trinidad & Tobago Republic Bank Limited
Regional Sub-Category Winners
 
Best Online Deposit Credit & Investment Product Offerings Bancolombia
Best Bill Payment & Presentment Citibanamex
Best Web Site Design Bancolombia
Best Integrated Consumer Bank Site Santander Rio
Best Information Security and Fraud Management Banco Popular de Puerto Rico
Best in Mobile Banking Banco Popular de Puerto Rico
Best in Social Media Marketing & Services Banco Popular de Puerto Rico
Best Mobile Banking App Bancolombia
Best SMS/Text Banking Citibanamex
Most Innovative Digital Bank Bancolombia

MIDDLE EAST (With Sub-Categories by Country)  
Bahrain
Bank
Best Consumer Digital Bank Citi
Best Online Deposit, Credit and Investment Product Offerings Citi
Best in Mobile Banking Citi
Best Information Security and Fraud Management Citi
Most Innovative Digital Bank Citi
Egypt
 
Best Consumer Digital Bank Arab Bank
Best in Mobile Banking Credit Agricole Egypt
Most Innovative Digital Bank Credit Agricole Egypt
Best Online Portal Services[ CIB
Best Information Security and Fraud Management[ CIB
Best in Mobile Banking[ Citi
Best Mobile Banking App[ Citi
Most Innovative Digital Bank[ Citi
Israel
 
Best Consumer Digital Bank Israel Discount Bank
Jordan
 
Best Consumer Digital Bank Arab Bank
Best Web Site Design Arab Bank
Best in Social Media Marketing and Services Arab Bank
Best Mobile Banking App Arab Bank
Best Bill Payment and Presentment Investbank
Most Innovative Digital Bank Investbank
Kuwait
 
Best Consumer Digital Bank NBK
Best in Mobile Banking NBK
Best Mobile Banking App NBK
Best Mobile Banking App Citi
Most Innovative Digital Bank Boubyan Bank
Lebanon
 
Best Consumer Digital Bank Blom Bank
Best in Mobile Banking Blom Bank
Best Mobile Banking App Blom Bank
Most Innovative Digital Bank Blom Bank
Oman
 
Best Consumer Digital Bank Bank Muscat
Palestine
 
Best Consumer Digital Bank Bank of Palestine
Qatar
 
Best Consumer Digital Bank Qatar Islamic Bank
Saudi Arabia
 
Best Consumer Digital Bank NCB
Best Web Site Design Samba
Best Integrated Consumer Banking Site Samba
Best in Mobile Banking NCB
Best in Social Media Marketing and Services SABB
Best Mobile Banking App NCB
Best SMS/Text Banking Samba
Best Innovative Digital Bank NCB
UAE
 
Best Consumer Digital Bank Emirates NBD
Best Online Deposit, Credit and Investment Product Offerings Mashreq Bank
Bill Payment & Presentment Standard Chartered
Best Web Site Design Standard Chartered
Best Integrated Consumer Banking Site Emirates NBD
Best in Mobile Banking Citi
Best Information Security and Fraud Management Citi
Best Mobile Banking App Mashreq Bank
Best SMS/Text Banking Mashreq Bank
Most Innovative Digital Bank Liv by Emirates

NORTH AMERICA  
Country Sub-Category Winners
Bank
Bermuda HSBC
United States Bank of America
Regional Sub-Category Winners
 
Best in Social Media Marketing and Services HSBC
Best Mobile Banking App HSBC
Most Innovative Digital Banking PurePoint

WESTERN EUROPE  
Country Winners
Bank
Belgium Belfius Bank
Cyprus Hellnic Bank
Greece Euro Bank
Portugal Millennium bcp
Spain CaixaBank
Turkey Garanti Bank
Regional Sub-Category Winners
 
Best Online Deposit, Credit and Investment Product Offerings Millennium bcp
Best Bill Payment & Presentment Yapi Kredi Bank
Best Web Site Design Garanti Bank
Best Integrated Consumer Bank Site Garanti Bank
Best Information Security and Fraud Management Millennium bcp
Best in Mobile Banking Garanti Bank
Best Social Media Marketing & Services Garanti Bank
Best Mobile Banking App CaixaBank
Most Innovative Digital Bank CaixaBank

DIGITAL MORTGAGE BANKS

ASIA  
Singapore DBS
Taiwan E.SUN Financial Holdings
CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE  
Russia Tinkoff Bank
LATIN AMERICA  
Brazil Itaú Unibanco
WESTERN EUROPE  
United States Bank of America

ISLAMIC BANKS

ASIA-PACIFIC — COUNTRY WINNERS  
Bangladesh Standard Chartered
Malaysia Standard Chartered
Pakistan Standard Chartered
MIDDLE EAST — COUNTRY WINNERS  
Kuwait Boubyan Bank
Saudi Arabia Bidaya Home Finance
UAE Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank

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