Westpac New Zealand will release the world’s first banking app for account management using augmented reality.
Customers will soon be able to use augmented reality and its 3D imagery to check their
Westpac New Zealand customers to get world first augmented reality banking app
credit and debit card balances, see their last five transactions, spend locations, categorise spending over a five week period, alerted when payments are due, make payments, check their “hotpoints” balance and find the closest Westpac NZ branch and ATM. The locator will also work internationally to find an ATM Global Alliance machine.
The app was the winning concept from the bank’s crowd sourcing initiative, The Westpac Global App Challenge – UK. It will be available to customers in September. Further development for future updates include payments and transfers between accounts and making the hotpoints catalogue available.
Chief Digital Officer Simon Pomeroy said the 3D imagery brings banking to life delivering a quick, easy, and unique experience for the customer.
“Not so long ago augmented reality was considered a futuristic prop in the movies but a growing number of people believe it has the potential to change our lives as much as the internet and mobile phone,” comments Pomeroy.
“From the moment we saw the concept for this app in our crowd sourcing competition in the United Kingdom and started to develop it the impact augmented reality can have in adding a new dimension to mobile banking became apparent.
“This is the first time it has been used for account management in banking and we see a number of possibilities for it in the future.”
Once the app is downloaded, the relevant cards are registered and the account is set up, customers merely have to slide their credit or debit card under their phone which activates the camera. Balances, transaction history, spend locations and other information is then presented in 3D.
The new Augmented Reality app will be available on any iOS smart device.
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