Bradesco Invests in Mobility Through Its Digital Channels

As the first company to launch mobile banking in Brazil, the Bank strengthens its strategy of expanding mobility services.

Today, Brazil has the fourth largest number of mobile phone users in the world. But back in 1999, when Brazil did not yet have 240 million mobile phones in use, Bradesco had already launched the first national mobile banking service. In 2008, when smartphones started to become more popular, the number of customers using mobile banking services grew rapidly, contributing to the sustainability of the business and ensuring convenience and safety for users.

The most recent investment was to offer free mobile phone access to bank accounts. Due to partnerships with telecommunication companies, clients using banking applications and the mobile website have not had to pay for data traffic since March 2014. This significantly increased the number of people who were willing to use the service, with the freedom to choose and execute their financial transactions through accessible technology and transparent information.

It goes even further: The free access, combined with innovation, has fostered the development of local economies, as customers and entrepreneurs can now benefit from digital channels to meet different demands that support business growth.

The digital channels available are Internet Banking, Bradesco Celular, Selfservice, and Fone Fácil. The operations carried out independently by clients total 88 percent of all monthly transactions.

By offering people greater mobility to access their accounts and make transactions, the Bank combines customer satisfaction and sustainability with the practicality of operations and support for the development of local economies.

Bradesco offers 22 iPhone apps, 16 apps for iPad, 13 for Android, and other apps for Windows Phone and BlackBerry. Other types of equipment are also capable of accessing the services via browsers, increasing the number of clients served by Bradesco Celular.

Bradesco Celular allows customers to easily perform 80 percent of the operations offered by the Bank. Network access numbers also do not stop growing, as well as the volume of transactions. In 2013, the service totaled 868 million transactions – 128 percent more than in the previous year – and financial volume was R$ 5.5 billion, equivalent to an increase of 250 percent over 2012. Good for the customer, good for the Bank.

In addition to regular banking operations, applications were designed to offer services of interest that focus on the needs of each client. For example, those who invest in shares can monitor prices, indexes, and currencies via Bradesco Trading. College students, on the other hand, can check and use their accounts in addition to viewing college grades and managing absences online.

Applications, including game-related apps, cultural information, and access to the Bank’s reports, reached the milestone of 8 million downloads. This whole scenario shows the huge success of digital channels, which have gone from an alternative to a preferred means of communication and are being used more frequently by Bradesco’s clients, not only to carry out transactions but also to enhance their knowledge.

Fundamental to the mobility promoted by the Bank, SMS services and the network with more than 70,000 service points in Brazil have improved in terms of variety and quality. As a crucial part of the service, the security of transactions is guaranteed by the integration of a user security key and the usability offered by the barcode reader when dealing with invoices.

In addition to the online option, there is also an offline mode option using only SMS. Clients only need to register free-ofcharge to gain access to various services, of which the most important are:

• paying payment slips through ADD (authorized direct debit)
• paying utility bills (water, electricity, telephone, and others)
• checking balances and latest transactions in bank account
• recharging mobile phones (Claro, Oi, TIM, and Vivo)
• receiving messages related to debit card purchases and other transactions (InfoCelular)
• monitoring transfers (between Bradesco and other banks)

Self-service terminals continue to be the easiest and most-efficient way to withdraw money, while bank branches are the place for customers and managers to keep in touch and discuss their issues. Contact Center services are indispensable for queries, guidelines, and more complex banking operations that cannot be carried out in other channels. With this variety, Bradesco intends to continue to evolve and offer – in addition to comfort and safety – better products and services that are inclusive and ensure fast access.

In 2013, in partnership with the telecommunications company Claro, Bradesco launched an “m-payment” product that enables customers to carry out purchases, transfers, and withdrawals directly through their phones: Meu Dinheiro Claro. Joining the service is free and there are no charges for data usage – a great deal for both consumers and sellers.

In the Conta Bônus Celular program, on the other hand, clients have access to various financial services and receive the entire amount paid for the service as a bonus on their prepaid cell phone or control plan with the companies Claro, Oi, and Vivo, and on Claro’s postpaid plans.

We expect the number of clients accessing Bradesco via mobile phone to reach 6 million in 2014. The objective is linked to Bradesco’s philosophy of promoting banking inclusion and contributing toward people’s ability to gain access to the financial and credit systems.