first direct, the UK bank that’s available online and via the telephone, has launched a ‘banking on the go’ application for the Apple iPhone and iPod touch. It says it’s the first UK bank to launch a true transactional banking app.
The first direct app allows customers to check their balance, view recent transactions, make payments and transfer money between accounts.
Matt Colebrook, CEO of first direct, said “To steal a phrase, this changes everything. Again. This is about our customers, we want them to be proud to say ‘I bank with first direct’. 21 years ago, first direct changed the face of banking when it became the first UK financial institution to allow customers to do their banking whenever they wanted via phone. We were amongst the leaders in taking this experience online and today we continue to innovate. This time it's about making the banking experience simpler and quicker, allowing our iPhone enabled customers to access key features of our internet banking; whenever they want and wherever they want. The iPhone App is as a huge step forward, but it's just the beginning of our ambitions for mobile banking. Our plans for 2011 are to make our 'on the go' mobile service available on other smartphone devices.”
first direct says it chose the iPhone because it’s the sixth-largest source of visitors to the bank’s website, noting that the number of first direct Android users is significantly less.