BBVA: Leveraging Geospatial Data for Innovative Customer Services

BBVA is a global banking and financial services group that was founded in 1857. It has more than 6,000 branches in over 25 countries and serves 82.9 million customers. BBVA has a strong market presence in Spain, Mexico, and South America. The bank has always embraced innovation and is giving its Spanish customers more ways to bank digitally. The growth of BBVA mobile payments increased exponentially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Three years ago, it was 4.4% of the bank’s customers, and now it’s 23%. BBVA's mobile banking app is used by 71% of its customers in Spain, and is accessed more than 120 million times a month.

BBVA, a global banking and financial services group, was faced with the challenge of adapting to the rapidly changing landscape of digital payments. The bank noticed a significant increase in mobile payments, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the percentage of customers using this method rising from 4.4% to 23%. As part of its digital transformation journey, BBVA aimed to offer its customers an exceptional range of services and a great banking experience. The bank was already using Google Maps Platform to help customers find their nearest branch or ATM locations, but it wanted to further leverage the potential of Google Maps Platform solutions. BBVA's mobile banking app was used by 71% of its customers in Spain, and was accessed more than 120 million times a month. The bank wanted to provide more information about each customer transaction to offer a better financial experience for digital customers.

BBVA turned to Google Maps Platform to provide advanced geospatial intelligence for its apps. This allowed customers to track their spending, increase security, and discover more about their purchase patterns. Through the BBVA app, customers could now pinpoint the exact location and address of their spending on a Google Map, alongside essential information such as the amount, time, and date of the purchase. Further details about the business, including pictures, a link to its website, contact information, opening hours, and customer reviews, could be accessed by clicking on the 'more information' option. BBVA also used geolocation information to increase security and help prevent fraud. If a customer was able to see that a transaction had been made in a place they had never visited, this would help them identify potential fraudulent activity. BBVA worked with Dinasur to leverage its deep knowledge of Google Maps Platform APIs, to ensure that they could achieve their goals.

• The integration of Google Maps Platform into BBVA's mobile banking app has significantly enhanced the banking experience for its customers. It has provided greater clarity on spending, allowing customers to understand their spending patterns better and guard against fraudulent activity on their account. The geolocated information has also increased security by helping customers and BBVA spot signs of unusual activity, which could potentially be a sign of fraud. Furthermore, the social element of the app has been boosted, as customers can share pictures and information about establishments where they made transactions. BBVA is also working on offering promotions to customers based on their geolocated habits, which could include suggesting shopping alternatives near their home or work, or hotels when a customer makes a transaction on holiday.

• BBVA's mobile banking app is used by 71% of its customers in Spain, and is accessed more than 120 million times a month.

• The growth of BBVA mobile payments increased exponentially during the COVID-19 pandemic, from 4.4% of the bank’s customers to 23%.

• BBVA serves 82.9 million customers globally.