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In the traditional world of banking, "distance" was once a sign of security. Grand marble lobbies and thick vault doors were physical manifestations of trust.&nbsp;Today, that paradigm has shifted. In the modern financial landscape, trust is built through closeness, specifically the ability of a bank to sit right alongside a customer’s family and friends in their primary messaging inbox.Our <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://b2b.viber.com/simplifying-messaging-for-smarter-customer-growth">global study in collaboration with Omdia</a> reveals that we have entered the era of Conversational Finance. For the Banking and Financial Services (BFS) sector, messaging is no longer just a way to send an <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.forbusiness.viber.com/en/blog/post/how-to-use-viber-for-one-time-passwords/">OTP (One-Time Password)</a> or a fraud alert.&nbsp;It has become a primary commercial engine, a sophisticated service interface, and the frontline of customer loyalty.Read on to learn the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.forbusiness.viber.com/en/blog/post/the-next-decade-of-business-conversations/">latest trends</a> in banking and how messaging can help you build a credible, trustworthy brand with customers, based on real data from our 2025 study.<h2>1. The strategic shift: Messaging as a mission-critical interface</h2>For years, banks pushed customers toward proprietary mobile apps. While those apps remain important for complex transactions, they often lead customers to suffer from "app fatigue." Customers don't want to log into a heavy, secure app just to ask a quick question about a mortgage rate or a branch location.Our data shows that BFS leaders are recognizing this shift. While email (97%) remains the bedrock of formal communication, decision-makers now identify <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.forbusiness.viber.com/en/blog/post/10-years-of-viber-business-messages/">messaging apps </a>(Rakuten Viber, WhatsApp, etc.) and native messaging (SMS/RCS) as the most critical interfaces for customer interactions through 2026.This shift highlights a change in strategy for banks and financial institutions. Over 80% of BFS organizations now view messaging-based commerce as either strategic or transformational. They are moving toward a model where a customer can discover a credit card offer, chat with an advisor, and complete an application within a single, continuous messaging thread.<h2>2. Proving ROI: The 75% growth milestone</h2>One of the most significant findings in the BFS sector is the maturity of the ROI. Unlike other industries that may still be "testing the waters," banks are seeing hard results. 75% of BFS enterprises report already achieving measurable revenue growth or significant engagement improvements from their messaging investments.This growth is being driven by two primary activation strategies:<ul><li>Transactional excellence (65%): Moving beyond simple alerts to interactive notifications that allow a customer to take action (e.g., "Confirm this transaction" or "Increase your limit") with a single tap.</li><li>Promotional precision (72%): Using the high open rates of messaging apps to deliver personalized loan offers, insurance products, and investment tips that feel like advice rather than advertisements.</li></ul><h2>3. Fragmentation is a main challenge</h2>Despite the success, the BFS sector faces a unique technical challenge: fragmentation.Because banks are large, siloed organizations, different departments often own different channels. The marketing team might run the Viber campaigns, while the support team handles webchat, and the security team manages SMS alerts.According to our study with Omdia, almost 38% of BFS firms cite fragmented communication as their top challenge. This leads to a disjointed customer experience where the "voice" of the bank changes depending on the channel being used. For a bank, where consistency equals reliability, this is a brand risk.In addition, 37% of leaders struggle with a lack of personalization at scale. In an industry where "personal" financial advice is the ultimate product, sending the same generic message to thousands of people is a missed opportunity.<h2>4. Scaling intelligence and trust</h2>To solve the personalization gap, BFS firms are turning to AI with more intensity than almost any other sector. But in banking, AI is less about "chatting" and more about intelligence.<ul><li>The virtual banker: 79% of BFS organizations are deploying AI-powered service assistants. Unlike the basic bots we were introduced to five years ago, these are integrated systems capable of answering complex balance queries, explaining fees, and even helping with basic financial planning.</li><li>Predictive finance: 75% of leaders are prioritizing AI-driven personalized offers. By connecting messaging to their CRM (65% integration rate), banks can use predictive analytics to send a message before a customer even knows they need it, such as a travel insurance offer the moment a flight purchase is detected.</li></ul><h2>5. Security: The non-negotiable foundation</h2>In banking, a single security lapse can end a customer relationship. This is why security and customer data protection is the #1 factor for BFS firms when choosing a messaging partner (60%).Banks are moving away from unverified channels and toward governed platforms. They need end-to-end encryption, verified business profiles (the "Blue Tick"), and secure business inboxes that protect customers from phishing.&nbsp;This drive for security is also fueling the trend toward consolidation. 41% of BFS firms plan to consolidate their various channels onto a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.forbusiness.viber.com/en/blog/post/why-brands-need-to-embrace-super-apps/">single, primary platform</a> to ensure that the same high security and compliance standards are applied to every single byte of data.<h2>What’s next: The personalized banking era</h2>The future of banking is focused on personalization through conversation.&nbsp;The banks that will succeed in the next decade are those that stop treating messaging as a series of "blasts" and start treating it as a series of "relationships."The roadmap for BFS success in the next five years:<ol><li>Unify the experience: Consolidate channels to ensure the customer gets the same secure, professional experience on Viber as they do on SMS or Email.</li><li>Integrate the data: Messaging only becomes "finance" when it’s connected to the CRM and core banking systems.</li><li>Lead with AI: Use AI to move from "reactive" support to "proactive" financial guidance.</li><li>Never compromise on security: Use verified, governed platforms to ensure that the messaging inbox remains a safe space for customers’ financial life.</li></ol>As loyalty in the banking sector becomes harder to earn, the brands that "sit in the pocket" of the customer and offer value, security, and intelligence in a simple chat, will be the ones that own the future of finance.Ready to set up your conversational banking experience? <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://orbusiness.viber.com/en/blog/#form_f2068195-d9a1-43a2-bd10-e4a6372fbec7">Talk to us!</a><h2>Unlock smarter customer messaging strategies</h2>Find out how 271 enterprise executives across retail, banking, logistics, and more, are moving beyond fragmented customer communication to a simplified business messaging journey, based on our 2025 study conducted with Omdia.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://b2b.viber.com/simplifying-messaging-for-smarter-customer-growth"><img src="https://env-stage-hosting.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Ebook_Banner_Product_email_486f6f1712.png" alt="Ebook Banner_Product email.png" srcset="https://env-stage-hosting.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Ebook_Banner_Product_email_486f6f1712.png 245w,https://env-stage-hosting.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Ebook_Banner_Product_email_486f6f1712.png 500w," sizes="100vw" width="600" height="200"></a>

Learn about the latest shifts in the financial sector based on our latest research with Omdia.

Messaging: The new gold standard for banking

Why messaging is the new gold standard for banking

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Why messaging is the new gold standard for banking

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