Standard Chartered Bank Kenya has announced that it has introduced the ability to open bank via its mobile apps on the Google play store and the Apple store. The company claims that customers will be able to open accounts via the apps in less than 15 minutes.
Through the apps, customers will be able to open bank accounts remotely and then upload all required supporting documents on the app. They will be able to open a current account, a savings account and a fixed deposit account. through the app, customers will be able to access over 68 services including; updating account information, activate or stop your Card, bill payments; stop or block a cheque, fixed deposit creation and termination, funds transfer locally and internationally among others.
To open an account on the Standard Chartered Bank mobile app, you will need the following;
- Selfie of yourself
- Picture of national ID or passport
- Mobile number
- Email address
- Next of kin
- Source of funds
- Reasons for opening an account
- Residential address
- Mailing address
- Employment status (company name, nature of business if self employed and gross monthly income)
- Purpose of account
- Picture of your Signature on white background
After submitting all the documents and filling all the necessary information, your account will be opened and an account number assigned. The bank will be in touch within 2 working days and deliver your debit card for the account. After that you can be able to use the account by funding it via mobile money, money transfer or by cash deposit. When your account has money, you can activate your debit card on the app. The app is quite slow. You have to finish filling everything quickly and don’t leave the app because when it times out it will make you start the process afresh.
The app is quite easy to use and is a good development especially because you don’t have to go to a physical location to even pick the card.
This new initiative was first launched in Côte d’Ivoire in 2018 followed by a launch in Uganda in January 2019. They have recently been simultaneously launched in Tanzania and Ghana.
Standard Chartered Kenya is a subsidiary of the British multinational financial company Standard Chartered which is headquartered in London. Standard Chartered Kenya is one of the Kenya’s biggest banks and it was founded in 1910. The bank joins Kenyan banks such as Equity Bank (Eazzy Banking), Barclays Bank Kenya (Timiza), Co-operative Bank of Kenya (MCo-oop Cash) and CBA Group (Loop) who have launched their own digital banking initiatives.