iSky Research today conducted a thorough reexamination and audit of the Westpac's Apple based (iOS/OSX) digital banking channels, including the desktop web (OSX Safari), mobile web (iOS Safari), mobile app (iOS), tablet app (iOS) and SMS. As this was the first time that we had audited the bank's tablet app, there was no basis of earlier comparison - however we have noted below features that we felt were unique, different or otherwise worthy of special mention.
All other content below highlights the significant changes, new feature introductions or other alterations that have occurred in the bank's digital banking channels in the period 9 November 2015 to 1 March 2016 inclusive.
Desktop Web (OSX Safari 9.0.3)
Like a number of other banks during this period, Westpac New Zealand undertook a redesign of its public facing website. The change is both significant and readily identifiable, and can be seen throughout the entirety of the site. In this regard Westpac's approach marks an alternate method to other banks which have slowly introduced their changes, where as Westpac New Zealand have made their change quite rapidly. The screenshots below demonstrate the changes of old to new.
Homepage (old and new).
Accessibility (old and new).
How to Guides (old and new)
Domestic ATM and Branch Search (old and new).
Current Account Information (old and new)
Credit Card Application (old and new)
Personal Loan Calculator (old and new)
The bank has been running an 'It's time' promotion, heavily across its digital channels. The promotion centres on former New Zealand All Blacks Captain Richie McCaw with images of his training, the parallel being that Westpac customers should take the time, and put in some work to manage their financial future. Though despite all of the effort and obvious expense involved in the promotion the digital links it creates in the website lead to something of a dead-end for existing customers. By following the bank's call to actions, found on the website homepage and the account summary page behind the password (seen in screenshots below) they are firstly directed to a promotional information page, and ultimately a generic Contact Us page. Seems a strange ending for a heavily promoted call to action - the screenshots below depict the customer journey, both in front and behind the password.
The bank introduced only one change behind the digital banking password, in the secure customer channel - that was to allow customers to amend an existing or pending payment or transfer. The screenshots below demonstrate the change, starting with a single screenshot of the old scenario and two screenshots of the new.
Westpac Mobile Web (iOS iPhone 5s v9.2.1)
It became immediately apparent upon navigating to the Westpac NZ website via an iPhone that a purpose for the bank's recent upgrade to its website had also been to make the public facing components responsive to a device's resolution. The screenshots below demonstrate the difference between the old and the new user experience on a select number of pages.
The Homescreen (old and new)
Accessibility information (old and new)
Privacy and cookie information (old and new)
The bank had also updated its product information and application pages, as per the desktop web experience. However, when seeking to make an application in the mobile web channel the user encountered a failure to login on all application screens as demonstrated in the three product screens below. To overcome this issue iSky researchers attempted to us alternate devices but were still unsuccessful in loading the pages, which leads to the conclusion that there is a failure in the design.
With Westpac One essentially offering a digital omni-channel experience (wherein all digital channels offer an almost identical experience), iSky Research was not surprised that the only change in the mobile web channel behind the password was the introduction of the customer ability to alter a pending or future dated payment, as had been earlier sighted in the desktop web channel. The screenshots below demonstrate the old and then new experiences in the channel.
Westpac One Mobile Banking App (iOS iPhone 5s v4.8.1)
The bank has introduced a call to action on the account summary screen, which was found in multiple Westpac One channels (see Desktop Web above). In the mobile app the customer was being encouraged to keep their contact information up to date, as demonstrated in the screenshots below.
As had been identified in other channels, the bank also altered the payments functionality in the mobile app to allow customers to amend upcoming or pending payments - where previously they had only been able to view and delete those payments. The screenshots below demonstrate the old, and then the new versions of this feature.
Old version
New version
Westpac One Tablet Banking App (iOS iPad 4 v4.8.1)
Most noticeable in the tablet app was the absence of the quick balance and budgeting feature that is found in the bank's mobile app. Otherwise, all other features were identical, including the recently updated ability to alter any future or pending payments. The screenshots below demonstrate a number of features, including login and the ability to change the login background, edit an account name, the account summary screen, an Online Guardian challenge, creating a future payment, and a credit card application screen (in that order).
