Kantar's Profiles Blog

This article was first published by Admap Magazine in August 2019

A “selfie” can now open a bank account.

In some places, anyway. In June, Natwest, part of the Royal Bank of Scotland, became the first major UK bank
to allow customers to quickly open a new bank account – without visiting a bank branch – by uploading
documents and submitting a selfie on their mobile device. This continues a trend set by several banks in other
regions, including the Philippines and South Africa. In the United States, reports of the advent of “selfie banking”
were abundant in 2016 and 2017, but so far it is not an option.

Kantar takes a deep dive into 5% rotating category rewards programs. We explore how effective quarterly promotions are in generating transactions for the top players – and how these leading category cards may be impacting competitors. 

With more credit cards now offering up to 5X rewards on dining purchases (Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express Hilton Honors, Capital One Savor), does restaurant spending get a big boost? The answer is yes -- for several leading rewards cards.

The Lightspeed Financial Services Group (FSG) recently reported on consumer trends and reactions regarding data breaches, personal loans and credit card acquisitions, and we now turn to credit card comparison shopping. In our latest post, we explore how digital marketing is more important today in establishing awareness, but digital tools also make it easier for prospective cardholders to compare multiple cards. 

While more than 80% of US consumers are aware of the Equifax data breach announced this month, relatively few have taken actions beyond checking their credit card transactions a little more closely, a new Lightspeed survey reveals. But they want assurances of monitoring from their banks and credit card companies.

What does personal loan usage look like among your customer segments or within your footprint? In the latest Lightspeed Financial Services Group post, we look at consumer trends across secured and unsecured loans. 

Our Lightspeed Financial Services Group series continues with another look at credit cards. Consumers prefer a stable rate when it comes to rewards programs, but what do people feel about signing up for a new card all together? In our latest post, we learn what appeals to new card holders. 

62% of new cardholders say applying for their new cards didn’t impact the usage of other cards in their wallets – but 38% did cancel or stop using another card, according to Lightspeed FSG’s 2017 New Card Acquisition Study.

Our four-part series from Lightspeed Financial Services Group continues with a look at credit card reward programs. Our first post highlighted consumers' views of daily dangerous driving activities, demonstrating how mobile enables risky behavior. Today, we focus on what rewards programs appeal to consumers and how the branded competition stacks up. 

Six Months After Apple Pay Launch, How Should Banks, Retailers, and Agencies Evaluate Apple Pay, Google Wallet and Samsung

A new Lightspeed FSG study shows an uptick in frequency of Apple Pay use for in-store purchases -- but security concerns and a general lack of interest has slowed adoption of Apple Pay and other eWallet platforms.

Among current Apple Pay users, fully 17% said in the new July 2015 study they use Apple Pay more than 10 times a month for in-store purchases -- up from just 7% in November 2014.

Lightspeed FSG just released a new study on mobile banking in the U.S., based on a nationwide survey of nearly 2,500 consumers who own a smartphone or tablet. While most people realize that Millennials are the heaviest owners and users of smartphones in general, it is fascinating to discover that once the playing field is leveled to include only people who own a smartphone or tablet, Millennials are still by far the most likely group to engage with their bank or credit union using mobile banking.