As European banks fight back against neobanks such as N26, Wise, Starling, Monzo and Revolut that are taking more of the incumbents’ market share and competing across every service area, it is the Spanish banks who look best placed to match them.
BBVA is renowned for its early digital transformation under former chairman Francisco González, who began his career as a programmer at IBM. When he stepped down, the bank promoted its head of digital banking, Carlos Torres Vila, first to chief executive and now chairman.
The past 12 months has seen BBVA regain its position as the region’s best digital bank.
BBVA says that its aim is to improve its customers’ financial health. To do that, it uses data science to calculate multiple variables related to customers’ income, expenses and debt. Based on this information and using analytical engines developed by the bank, BBVA can identify the historical and daily characteristics that define each customer: their average income from the past year, ability to save, financial cushion available, whether or not they have debt, their most common expenses and their investment products.