At Starling, they’ve garnered pride in themselves for delivering a banking app that is tailored to the actual needs of customers.
Their philosophy: When a customer suggests a new feature for our app, they listen closely and often work to build and release it.
Below, we’ll highlight some features that have been added to their app because of customer feedback.
‘Spaces’ for Simple Budgeting
One of the most popular features of their app is Spaces, which allows customers to keep money for specific purposes separate from their main balance. Customers who wanted an easier way to budget their money suggested this feature.
With Spaces, you can create different “pots” of money for things like bills, groceries, and entertainment. You can then use virtual cards to make purchases from these spaces, so you can be sure you’re only spending money you’ve set aside for that purpose.
Another great budgeting feature is Bills Manager, which allows you to pay Direct Debits and standing orders from a specific Space. And with their virtual cards, you can make online, over-the-phone, or mobile wallet card payments from Space.
These cards are similar to traditional debit cards, but you don’t have to wait for a physical card to arrive in the mail.
Track your spending habits
To help you get a better understanding of where your money is going, they’ve added a feature called Spending Insights. This section of the app automatically breaks down your spending into different categories, like “coffee,” “subscriptions,” and “celebrations.”
Last year, 36 new spending categories were added to this section, most of which were suggested by customers. And, following customer feedback, Starling also added the ability to see bills paid from Spaces. This update gives you an even more accurate picture of where your money is going.
Autopilot Savings
Saving money can be hard, but the Round Ups feature makes it a little easier. With Round Ups, you can automatically add “spare change” to a Space of your choice. For example, if you spend £2.80 on a sandwich, 20p could be automatically added to your “Rainy Day” Space.
Another way to automate saving with Starling is to set up daily, weekly, or monthly transfers to a Space.
Family Finances
Managing money as a family can be a challenge. That’s why they created Kite, a debit card for children aged 6-16. With Kite, parents can set up automatic pocket money transfers and even send a secure KiteLink to family members or friends, who can then send over birthday money or extra pocket money in a few taps.
Tools for Your Business
Starling also offers a variety of tools for our business customers, including Toolkit and Bulk Payments.
These features allow business customers to tailor their accounts to suit their needs, like creating and sending invoices, or paying staff and suppliers quickly and easily. The feedback shaped both Toolkit and Bulk Payments received from business customers, who helped them test the features prior to being launched.
Starling believes in making constant improvements to their app, little by little. Their key to success seems simple: by listening to their customers, they’re able to create a banking experience that truly meets their needs.
