Last Friday, March 17, 2017, at Discovery Primea Manila , Citi Philippines announces of their institution geared towards digital and paperless submission and approval through their website,
The country’s leading
foreign bank continues its aggressive bid to be the number one digital bank in
the country with the launch of new digital partnerships, products and services.
Citi Philippines latest digital innovation comes in the form of
online credit card application and approval program, a first in the
Philippines.
David Stoughton, Director for Credit Payment Products, briefed
members of the media this morning, and said their clients can expect to get
credit approval online, after they complete the simplified application form and
submit digitized copies of required documents.
“We were one of the first banks to launch an online presence and also one of
the pioneers in attracting customers through our website,” recalled
Stoughton. “At that time, we were only
capturing the information online when they apply, but the processing still
takes place offline including the credit review. With this latest service, we are excited to
break new ground for the industry and deliver another innovation for the Filipino
consumer.”
Apply online
and get a digitized reward too!
With the digitized application and approval process, a client will
know in minutes if he or she is qualified for a Citi credit card. “This is a game changer as we continue to
look at our products and services, and accelerate digitization to deliver
remarkable client experiences,” said Stoughton.
Citi also digitized its rewards – clients who prefer to submit
applications through promotion booths in shopping centers or travel exhibits
because of attractive turn-in gifts will be pleased to discover they won’t be
missing out just because they will do it online.
From now until April 30, complete an application online and
receive an electronic voucher you can redeem for an Auntie Anne’s pretzel and iced
tea. Upon approval, clients who are getting their first Citi credit card and
make a purchase of P20,000 or more within 60 days are also eligible to get a
Fitbit Charge 2 fitness wristband.
Groundbreaking
partnerships with leading digital retailers
Citi also recently unveiled another strategic digital partnership,
this time with Amazon. The Philippines
will come next after Thailand where credit card holders can now use their
Rewards Points to pay for purchases at Amazon.com.
On average, Citi announced a new digital innovation or partnership
fortnightly in the last 12 months across Asia.
During 2016, Citi announced strategic partnerships in leading digital
ecosystems across the region. Some of these included Alipay and WeChat in China
and Line in Thailand and Taiwan. The bank also formed digital credit card
partnerships with the likes of Airbnb and Uber in various countries. The bank’s
social media followers in Asia grew from 3million to over 10million during
2016.
In the Philippines, its regional digital partners include: Booky,
an offline restaurant finder; Zennya, the world’s first spa on-demand app;
Lazada, the leading online shopping mall in the country; and Grab, Southeast
Asia’s leading ride-hailing platform, to name a few.
In the country, Citi’s ongoing promotions with leading travel
sites including Asiatravel (grab 12% off on hotel bookings until June 30,
2017); Agoda (get 10% off on hotel accommodations year-long); Expedia (enjoy 8%
off until October 2017); and Airbnb (on first stay, get P1,800 off until
November 15, 2017).
Beyond travel, expect to also enjoy exclusive discounts when
shopping online with Citi credit cards.
·
15% off at POBox.ph (until March 31, 2017) and Shipping Cart (for
air and shipping fees until July 31)
·
12% off at Zalora year long
·
10% off at Galleon.ph until July 31
·
Island Rose extends 10% off year long
Banking on a
Digital Future
“Our Consumer Bank business in Asia draws some 20 million visits
to our online properties every month and between 90 to 95% of all transactions
already happens outside a branch,” Stoughton.
He added that regional figures show one out of every four new credit
card accounts acquired comes from digital sources and over 50% of clients are
actively using digital banking channels, up from 30% three years ago.
Over the past five years, traffic in Citi branches across Asia has
declined 50% as digital transactions grew over 100%. While digital banking is
not completely replacing the branch experience, the nature of branch
interactions is changing, and Citi’s strategy is now aimed at a combination of
bricks and clicks.
“In our drive to digital, we have also become the credit card
brand that online and mobile retailers prefer. This initiative presents a
bright outlook in a country which greatly embraces the growth of online
shopping and lifestyle,” added Stoughton.
Over the last year, Citi launched the newly-refreshed Citi Mobile
App in Asia featuring easy-to-use functionality and interfaces such as Snapshot
and Touch ID which has seen over 2m million downloads to-date. The bank also
was the first to launch Voice Biometrics across the region which has since
received more than 700,000 sign-ups from customers with over 1m clients
consenting.
“We are focused on becoming the world’s leading digital bank, and
we will continue to leverage on our global network for strategic partnerships
even as we develop and deliver digital products and services,” said Stoughton.
About
Citi
Citi, the leading global bank, has
approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160
countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments
and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services,
including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking,
securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management.
