In a country like the Netherlands, where banking is highly digitalized, it’s easy for less tech-savvy customers to get left behind—often without anyone noticing. To reach these customers more effectively and let them know about available support, ABN AMRO is experimenting with communication via supermarket receipts.

The problem is one all financial institutions face: while the shift to digital tools was welcomed by part of the population and then gradually adopted by the majority, it remains a major barrier for some—in this case, around one in six Dutch people—who lack digital skills or confidence. Banks often set up support programs, but these don’t always reach their intended audience.

It’s no surprise, given that most interactions with banks now happen online or via mobile apps. How can you inform people who don’t use these channels that help is available? To address this challenge, ABN AMRO is collaborating with a supermarket chain to get its message across on a medium that virtually everyone uses: the receipt.

Since last weekend, customers have started seeing a short message printed on their supermarket receipts in simple language, inviting them to call a dedicated helpline. This number already existed but was little known—and therefore likely underused. The helpline advisors offer support with the bank’s apps and can walk customers through tasks like making transfers.

The stakes are high as branches—and opportunities for face-to-face conversations—continue to disappear rapidly, and traditional call centers are often ill-equipped to support customers who feel excluded from the digital economy. It’s critical to develop solutions that actively promote inclusion before these customers become completely isolated.

ABN AMRO isn’t claiming to have found the perfect solution—it’s simply trying out new approaches. Printing messages on receipts is one such idea, and the bank will only scale it up if it sees real engagement from customers and progress in their digital confidence. In the meantime, this innovative effort might inspire others in the industry to think creatively about communication channels, and perhaps even explore new ways to promote financial education.

With the summer travel season in full swing, Belgian bank Belfius is offering its customers unlimited access to its mobile banking app, wherever they are in the world, with no extra fees, through a partnership with local startup Firsty. It’s a practical way for a bank to address telecom needs.

Most consumers aren’t looking for yet another mobile operator. But they do want to be able to check their accounts, make urgent payments (like a forgotten bill), activate or deactivate their payment cards, or even monitor and adjust their investments while traveling abroad—without coming home to a massive roaming bill.

Belfius’ solution meets this exact need. Customers simply download Firsty’s software and activate its e-SIM on a compatible phone. This gives them unlimited access to Belfius’ mobile services, without hitting their wallets. As I understand it, Firsty’s free option is being used here, with its usual advertising-based model likely replaced by a bank subsidy for access to its servers.

In a way, this initiative is a response—intentional or not—to Revolut’s recent move into telecom services, but with a more pragmatic approach. Unlike Revolut, which targets frequent global travelers, the vast majority of Belfius’ customers aren’t globe-trotters. They simply want to check their finances and occasionally carry out transactions while away on vacation or business trips a few weeks each year.

Partnering with Firsty is a smart and probably low-cost way to implement this concept. For Firsty, it’s a chance to build brand recognition and attract new users through the bank—an opportunity it will surely leverage. One suggested improvement: a bit of extra investment could make the user experience much smoother by integrating the e-SIM setup directly into Belfius’ banking app, eliminating unnecessary steps for customers.

BBVA’s latest initiative aims to persuade customers with savings sitting idle to take their first steps into investing, rather than leaving their money in accounts where inflation quietly eats away at it. 

Many first-time investors share the same hesitation: they have built up a comfortable cushion in their checking account or, at best, in a low-interest savings account, but they remain wary of entering what they perceive as a risky, complex world reserved for the financially savvy. Fear of losing money, a sense of exclusion, and sheer lack of knowledge keep them on the sidelines.

BBVA’s approach starts with something fairly basic. In the “Experiences” section of its mobile app, the bank offers a series of short videos designed for complete beginners. These videos cover why investing matters and explain the fundamentals of markets, products, and transactions. It’s an introductory step, and while informative, it doesn’t go far beyond general financial education.

After watching the videos, as an optional but recommended step, customers are presented with BBVA’s catalog of over 3,500 investment funds. At that point, most are left to navigate these choices on their own, which raises the question: does this initial education really prepare them to select a fund confidently among thousands of options?

However, there is a more targeted pathway for some customers. Those identified as having an emergency savings buffer equivalent to at least six months of expenses gain access to a program called “Investing is also for you.” Here, the bank narrows the choice to just 10 funds with strong historical performance, grouped under three categories: conservative, sustainable, and technology-focused.

To ease the risk concern further, BBVA offers a small safety net: if a customer invests more than €600 in any of these funds, the bank guarantees up to €300 against potential losses after one year.

While this guarantee may seem modest, it can make a psychological difference. Beyond learning the theory of investing, customers can test the waters with real money, knowing their downside is partially limited. This experience allows them to observe their portfolio’s movements and start building practical investment confidence under real conditions.

Personalized financial advice remains one of the biggest gaps in digital banking today. That’s why Bank of Montreal (BMO)’s launch of a new tool to help customers plan their financial future, taking into account their full range of projects and aspirations, is a notable step forward.

Consumer surveys repeatedly highlight the same frustration: people want guidance, but their banks rarely provide it. As a result, they turn to friends or social media for financial advice. Unfortunately, those seeking more than generic investment tips or basic savings calculators often have nowhere to turn if they don’t have access to a professional financial advisor.

BMO’s “My Financial Progress” aims to fill that void. It starts by asking users to list major life goals—such as a big vacation, buying a car, paying for a child’s education, or retiring—assigning each an estimated date and cost. Customers then input their full financial picture, combining account data automatically imported by the app with details of other assets and debts held elsewhere.

Once this information is complete, along with family details and risk preferences, the tool generates an individual analysis. It provides an overview of the customer’s financial health—which directly influences their ability to reach their goals—and a set of visual indicators showing real-time progress towards each target.

More usefully, the platform offers practical recommendations. These range from standard advice like setting up a monthly transfer to a savings plan (adjusted to the user’s means) to more thoughtful suggestions, such as redirecting funds towards savings as soon as a mortgage is paid off. While the examples don’t reveal how deep or personalized the tool’s analysis truly is, they suggest a relatively sophisticated approach.

For each recommendation, users can virtually apply it to their plan and see the projected impact immediately. Multiple suggestions can be stacked to simulate combined outcomes. However, there are two limitations. First, the graphical representations of assumptions may be too complex for some users to fully grasp. Second, executing these actions isn’t seamless: the tool redirects customers to the relevant part of their banking app to complete transactions manually.

Ultimately, the success of this solution will depend on how well its recommendations fit each user’s real situation, especially the precision of its personalization. Regardless, BMO’s move is significant. In an industry where banks have gradually ceded financial guidance to third parties, offering this level of integrated planning marks an important attempt to reclaim their advisory role.

Banks have long known that their customers’ transaction data is a goldmine—yet few truly tap into its potential, and when they do, it’s usually within their own silo, even for non-commercial purposes. Now, however, a handful of European banks are teaming up to go further.

For over a decade, some financial institutions—BBVA’s tourism analyses in Spain being a prime example—have explored using their payments data, both from consumers and from merchants who bank with them, to produce economic insights useful to public agencies, businesses, and sometimes the general public.

Meanwhile, the need for real-time data insights is growing urgent. Government programs, for instance, still rely predominantly on public opinion surveys to build their forecasts. But such surveys tend to be cumbersome and infrequent, making it impossible to detect or measure trends in optimal timeframes—especially in today’s volatile economic climate.

To move beyond fragmented local efforts, three banks—ABN AMRO, BBVA, and BNP Paribas Fortis (the Belgian subsidiary of BNP Paribas)—have joined forces to create a non-profit entity: the Financial Transactions Global Research Network. They’ve since been joined by CaixaBank and Danske Bank. The network’s mission is to collaborate in producing high-quality research based on their collective data, serving industries, international institutions, and academic researchers.

A committee of respected economists will set research priorities. Dedicated working groups, including all stakeholders, will define each study’s scope. Based on these requirements, each participating bank will independently analyze its own anonymized data. Methods and results, including consolidated insights, will then be shared across the network in an open, collaborative spirit.

The initiative is promising, potentially filling gaps in today’s economic data landscape. However, it also raises questions—chief among them being its operational model. Why are banks determined to maintain full control over data processing—effectively limiting the range and scale of potential applications due to the finite resources they allocate—rather than granting researchers direct access to these datasets (with all necessary safeguards in place)? Though somewhat rhetorical, this question is worth considering.

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