A thread to discuss the prevalence of advertising within our banking apps. From lending promotions and rewards to scam warnings and introducing new features.
What constitutes an advert for you?
How do you feel about it?
Which banking apps do it well and which ones take it too far?
Whilst thatās clearly a disappointment for some, I genuinely couldnāt care less. Iāve held accounts with Nationwide for over 15 years and I canāt say Iāll miss their previous branding. Times change, everything moves on, people sadly sometimes canāt or they make such a fuss over literally nothing, they forget about genuine real world issues.
I guess this is why forums now essentially exist, so that folks can moan in public about how crap they think their bank is but bizarrely continue their relationship with said bank instead of doing what I said earlier 
Iāve just this week dumped a provider because when I opened the App, a full screen advert appeared for something I as a customer donāt want to see, ever, period. I canāt ever change what that particular providers current stance is either by complaining directly to them or by whingeing on a forum about it, so I cut them loose. It was one of the shortest money institution relationships Iāve ever had. For me, it was affirmative action.
As for Nationwide not being a ābankā, I am absolutely aware they are not technically a bank but in my head, they still are a ābankā. To me they look like and feel like a bank because in my everyday world they act no differently to any other bank account I hold.
All that aside, I like their refreshed look. I accept it isnāt everyoneās cup of tea but I just personally canāt upset over particular colours or spacing or what the house with the rising sun looks like 
I know you qualified this with something inferring it to be personal, but affirmative action is not what this is.
Perhaps try to empathise a little. For many people the fact Nationwide isnāt a bank is what drew them to it in the first place. Perhaps ethical concerns etc. (I am not that guy, btw, but I totally get where people like that are coming from particularly WRT savings/investments.) Forget about the crappy logo and NatWest-clone colours, can you understand why those people might legitimately be upset to see the branding changed to downplay the element of the organisation which attracted them in the first place?
Who was it?
So what? It can be useful for prospective new sign ups. If folks were being louder about exactly how shit Co-Op were Iād never have signed up. Instead forums are full shills touting their credentials and downplaying the woes in the hope of getting a referral out of you. Those with experiences like mine didnāt crop up to share those until after Iād signed up and experienced it myself.
I think people should moan more, and louder, when they have a really bad experience. But that goes both ways. Praise when itās due and deserved too.
With the greatest of respect to you personally, if Iād wanted to have named the provider, I would have. The organisation concerned force fed me an advert via App which I did not want, need or agree with. It could be that somehow Iāve auto agreed to being hit with adverts. It matters not, I took action and I cancelled them. Iād do the same with any provider under the same circumstances. Enough said from me on the subject 
Well weāre all different aināt we? When I get fed up with an organisation, where possible, I dump the buggers and move on. Same with people, once they annoy me enough, I will no longer interact with them. I havenāt muted you yet by the way
For the most part (except for a spat with British Gas a couple of years back which to their credit, they resolved) I genuinely canāt be bothered phoning organisations like banks or worse still walking into one of their truly awful branches and whining about why they have such an awful logo or why their app is garbage. Iāve got better things to be doing. But each to their own, whinge away if it makes your day I say.
Pity, because it might have taken the thread down a whole new path. 
I only ask because I hate this stuff too, and naming them could save me the right old headache of signing up with that same app in the future. But if you wonāt share, Iāll never know who Iām supposed to avoid.
Thatās incredibly frustrating as a fellow participant on this community. If youāre not going to say who, why say anything at all? Youāre doing the same thing youāre berating others on other forums for, only without the part thatās actually helpful.
But my opinion would ultimately be worthless. Why would you choose to avoid an organisation just because some random like me on a forum says theyāre crap because of X,Y or Z? This the reason why I wouldnāt ever trust a TP review because quite frankly, some reviews are utterly absurd.
At the end of the day the decision I made was personal to me. I stand by my decision not to name them because thatās my choice.
Because this experience
Is an objective experience. Either the app does that, or it doesnāt. Or it A/B tests. Itās not an opinion.
The subjective part is how we feel about that practice. You donāt like it. I donāt like it. You closed your account over it, I would be very disgruntled over it too. Thatās not an experience I want to experience, and if you have knowledge that would help me to avoid it, Iād very much like to hear it.
For the avoidance of doubt, Iām not enquiring or judging your thoughts and opinions. I donāt care about that and have no interest in discussing or debating your opinion.
I just want to know who is plastering full screen adverts on an app launch so that if Iām not already signed up for that app, I at least know to avoid. But if youāre steadfast in your refusal to name them then that isnāt helpful, and this isnāt going anywhere.
Iād very much appreciate it if you change your mind and show me that courtesy, I donāt feel like Iām asking much of you, but if not, Iām out.
I respect your view but I standfast, so weāre both out on this one
What were they advertising?
PS: this thread probably needs a clean upā¦
Sounds like LBG apps. I usually get those prompts to check if I am eligible for a credit card, check out new card features (at app launch), more in the āblueā than the āgreenā app
@gt94sss2 suggested it might be them too. Thank you both! I ditched my Lloyds account for a switch bribe last December. Wonāt be returning to them in hurry.
Go to Santander.
I think we need to define terms a little. Advertisement is a very broad category, and includes advertising paid for (or effectively paid for) by third parties, as well businesses signposting existing customers to products or services they might be interested in.
I think signposting to in-app features, which is what LBG do, is completely reasonable. I would not be happy to see a straight forward advert for a third party, but itās totally fine if they want to remind me I can see my PIN in the app, or check my eligibility for a credit card. To be honest, Iād verge on saying that isnāt even advertising, itās just signposting functionality.
Letās take a look at what @Topsy2 wrote again
Unfortunately itās a very clumsy/cryptic contribution, and their unwillingness to clarify doesnāt help. But if this was an LBG app, then this is the kind of āfull screen advertā which annoyed @Topsy2 so much:
Maybe I should make that in-app advertising thread, so @Graham has somewhere to move all these posts to later? 
I have a real gripe with obtrusive advertising, whether itās first party (upselling) or third party (especially third party). Adverts get on my nerves like nothing else. To me, they exist for the sole purpose of wasting my time, and delaying me from achieving my purpose.
If I got a third party advert that filled my screen in my banking app I would nope right out of that relationship too and CASS immediately.
Iām a bit more lenient with first party advertising, so long as itās not obtrusive. A full screen ad trying to sell me a credit card would definitely be in that category for me. Iād definitely complain about it, but a single instance on its own wouldnāt push me towards closing my account. It would have to cascade with other problems, or occur repeatedly.
Signposting features Iām less bothered by personally, but they ought to be handled respectfully. I donāt think they warrant a full screen pop up on app login. A dismissible banner is usually sufficient. The only time something more obtrusive is really necessary IMO is during an onboarding process. Whether thatās triggering a feature for the first time or signing up, but that should only ever be a one time thing.
Iām not overly keen on filling empty space with them either. Itās practical, sure, but empty space serves an important function too. Clutter it too much and everything becomes a bit of information overload.
I think a lot of this is why I get along with the Chase app so well. Itās just a very clean interface, and free from these sort of things. They use context aware temporary banners either above your list of accounts, or at the top of your activity when there are things they need to communicate with customers. The Nutmeg upselling is presented very elegantly in the relevant part of the app, and isnāt the least obtrusive. Itās just pleasant, at least for me.
I couldnāt agree more.
Yes please, then we can tidy things up.
It is done!
Elegantly done ! 
Weāll mop it up tomorrowā¦ā¦
