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Bank on a mobile app with ING Philippines

Do everything on your phone!

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Banking is one of those chores that few people really want to think about. ING Philippines aims to reduce the hassle you experience by making sure you can do most of what you need all on your smartphone.

You’re probably thinking, “Another bank? It’s gonna take a while to set it up, and it will just get more money from me.”

This isn’t the case. ING promises a swift and frictionless experience to get you started.

Minimal requirements

To set up an account, you’ll only need the following: a smartphone, a valid government I.D. and/or any proof of billing, and — this is the kicker — zero maintaining balance.

You’ll also do the entire set up process all on the mobile app, which you can download on the App Store and Google Play. It was designed to be as easy to use as the apps we use daily like Facebook, Instagram, etc.

Set up your account in no time

Once you have all these setting up is pretty straight forward. You just need to follow the steps which include adding a five-digit passcode, putting in your information and taking a photo of your I.D. and signature.

As an additional security measure, you will also be asked to do some gestures using the front-facing camera. It’s almost like what you would do when setting up face-security features.

The gestures can be anything from nodding to opening your mouth. It sounds silly but it contributes to security. If you ever forget your passcode, you can use face verification once again to regain access. This also means simply putting a picture in front of the camera won’t work.

ING then validates your information and in just a few minutes, you’ll have an ING bank account.

Full disclosure, this writer did hit a snag while setting up his account. You just need to start the process from the top which is infinitely easier than having to line up at a bank, file a bunch of forms, only to wait for a few days before confirming that your account has been set up.

Easy transactions

Once you have your account you may proceed to put money in it. Depositing a check only requires that you take a photo of its front and back. There’s zero human intervention and no waiting-in-line involved which is great if you’re a lazy introvert like yours truly.

Another key feature is bank transfer that has absolutely no fees. This is possible through PesoNet and InstaPay. If you do have more questions, you also have access to their 24/7 chat support team within the app. Pretty convenient.

What else do you get out of it?

ING Philippines isn’t asking you to put all your eggs in their basket. As it is now, the functions are still limited so they are positioning themselves as a secondary bank.

What ING encourages you to do is to manage your savings with them. With a 2.5% interest rate per year, even one of the financial advisers they invited at the event says it’s a smart decision to keep your savings with ING.

More to come

The Philippines is the first country to have this all-digital banking service from ING. With a high smartphone penetration, the company hopes this will encourage more Filipinos to save money with them.

It doesn’t end here though. Other functions like bills payment are in the pipeline. So if you’re a digital native trying to look for a place where you can stash your hard-earned cash, ING appears to be a good place to start.

This feature was produced in collaboration between GadgetMatch and ING Philippines.

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