By the fall of 2022, the number of banks using Telegram bots as official channels of communication with clients has increased 2.5 times compared to last year, according to a study by Naumen. The main reason is the blocking of alternative channels, in particular Notgram and Litsokniga . Overall, the number of bank chatbots since the end of 2021 increased by 27% and voice assistants by 45%, analysts calculated.
The research took place between August 8 and September 18, 2022 and covered 102 retail banks with leading positions by assets, including Sberbank, Raiffeisenbank, Alfa Bank, VTB, Promsvyazbank, Post Bank, Home Credit Bank and others. According to Naumen data medium (with assets from 100 mlrd. to 1 bln. rub.) and large banks (with assets more than 1 bln. rub.) introduced the technology most actively, 87% of bots belong to them.
With the help of chat-bots one can check the balance, find out where the nearest ATM is, how to activate the card, repay the credit ahead of time, connect sms-notifications, etc. In most banks, an operator can be connected to the same chat-bot. It can solve more complex or urgent issues - from blocking the card to clarifying the details of transactions, for which it is usually asked a code word, the expert added.
For the deployment of technology banks most often choose their own sites: in this channel chat-bot has almost every fifth participant in the industry (18%). The second most popular channel is Telegram (13% of banks). WhatsApp and Viber - 5 and 4%, respectively. Chatbots are least common in social networks: Vkontakte and Odnoklassniki are used by only 1% of credit institutions.
Rosbank has chatbots in Telegram and WhatsApp, which can advise customers on services that do not require identification and authentication, said a representative of the organization. VTB customers can get advice from bots in mobile and online banking, as well as in Telegram, WhatsApp and Viber, the bank representative said. Chat-bot in Telegram can find the nearest ATM, collects numbers of fraudsters and advises on products and services. Promsvyazbank's chat-bot in Telegram and WhatsApp allows to find out account balances, generate an account statement, issue or pay a bill, etc., the bank's representative listed. Chatbots in WhatsApp, Telegram and Viber are available for retail clients, he specified.
In 2022, most banks moved to Telegram. In particular, there was a threefold increase in the number of banks using Telegram for marketing purposes (up to 72%), and a twofold increase as a channel for customer service (up to 19%). Today, Telegram is one of the key distribution channels and its influence has only grown with the ban on Meta social networks in the country.
And an important advantage of this method of communication for Russian banks is that users do not need to download and install special applications on their mobile devices. On the contrary, communication with the bank takes place through a familiar and convenient channel - a messenger or a social network.
VTB announced the launch of a digital bank in Telegram
The bank said that over time, the online bank in Telegram will become a full-fledged replacement for the application for iOS users. At the same time, the time for performing everyday financial transactions via messenger will be reduced for all platforms.
"The service will be available to owners of smartphones of all operating systems, and for iOS users it will be a reliable alternative to the application from the AppStore," - said the bank.
VTB has made a bot for Telegram, which has all the features of the bank app - you can transfer money, check account balances, and so on. Banks used to compete in applications, now it's about who gets closer to the customer and the media they actively use. It is developed on the basis of a chat-bot of the bank - "Assistant VTB". Initially, it will be available for transfers through SBP, viewing the balance and payment of cell phones.
In order to log in to the system, you will need to log in to the chatbot channel like you do when you log in to VTB Online and receive an SMS confirmation code, after which you can carry out banking transactions. For subsequent logins, only the code from the SMS will be sufficient for authorization.
By the end of 2023, the range will be expanded to include transactions with QR codes, transfers between own accounts in VTB and from your card in another bank to a VTB card, viewing the history of transactions, and package payments for bills.
It is also possible that banking products, such as cards, deposits and loans, will become available.
