Banco BNI Europa unveils account opening via videoconference
Portugal’s Banco BNI Europa has launched an online account opening process through the magical world of videoconferences.
This new process also introduces a system of documents signature with a qualified digital certificate and is available for Portuguese citizens who want to open an individual current account. The process is “without the usual bureaucracies associated with account opening”.
This product is offered in partnership with DigitalSign, a Portuguese certifying entity specialised in the issuance of qualified digital certificates, registered in the National Security Office as an accredited entity.
Banco BNI Europa explains that such a certificate, “with similar strength to a physical signature”, may be used by the client in the context of other contractual relations with the challenger bank.
Pedro Pinto Coelho, CEO of Banco BNI Europa, says: “We aim to challenge the traditional banking ecosystem by collaborating with fintechs to launch new technologically advanced and disruptive systems.”
This new account opening process goes through several stages. After entering the personal data and uploading documents, the client will be sent to the videoconference step where the identity certification will be performed by a remote operator, after which the certified signature of the documents will be executed.
The identity certification process can be done on desktop or smartphones (IOS and Android) and is available Monday through Saturday from 2 pm to 10 pm at its website.
Another BNI
Lisbon-based BNI Europa is a subsidiary of an Angolan bank, Banco de Negócios Internacional (BNI). The European subsidiary was set up in 2014, hence its reference as a “challenger bank”.
BNI Europa says its mission is to offer “a modern digital low-cost banking platform and innovative banking products” that are essential and tailored to customer needs.
It is looking to partner with fintech companies to launch new products and “tries to exploit niche markets untapped by traditional banks”. It offers savings and lending products to individuals and businesses.
Back in July, BNI Europa unveiled “Puzzle”, a digital and real-time credit approval process for the Portuguese market.
Don’t be confused by the name, the bank says Puzzle is “simple, and non-bureaucratic”; and it even cites the Lending Club in the US, or Zopa in the UK by way of comparison.
