The Fresh Hell that is AIB - 2018
I wrote this article after getting fed up with the loop I was stuck in with Bank of Ireland. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing and once again I’m tackling weird design in the finance industry in Ireland - with some suggestions!
I’ve come to the conclusion that banking in South Africa has spoilt me. Not only did I not go into a branch, like… ever, but everything could be done via the app or internet banking. EVERYTHING.
I came over to Ireland and stepped into the dark ages of banking. I’ve written about this before, about how Bank of Ireland is basically a CX nightmare. After 7 weeks, I still don’t have a BOI card, by the way.
So during my BOI nightmare, I joined Revolut. What a pleasure. They’re amazing to deal with — truly.
But, I need to also have an Irish bank account. I really, really wouldn’t bother but I need an Irish card to be able to use my subscription services (Google Play and Spotify I’m looking at you) as well as to access credit(to build up a credit rating here).
So I decided that Bank of Ireland is out and literally ANY bank would do, but they had to offer account opening online as well as contactless cards. Not a huge ask, to be fair.
I checked out some bank account comparisons, fee comparisons etc., and decided on AIB. Nice branding, good history, they offer online account opening, contactless cards as well as Google Pay — nice.
So the relationship started out great: I opened the account on the app, had to do a call with someone to verify myself (feels strange, but it’s over quickly) and then waited.
The process was as follows:
Received letter in the post with a code
Enter code into the app to verify proof of residence
Once validated, card is ordered
Receive card*
*Can I just mention that this is still a very strange process to me; that everything is done via post and that all steps rely on each other. It’s just weird — but I’ll get over it.*
So I got my card — yay! But now I want to add beneficiaries to my account. and I need to change my debit orders (standing orders) from my BOI account to this one.
I then stepped into the pits of UX hell.
On the app, I can go to “Manage Payees” but it won’t let me add one (what’s the point of using the word “manage”?) So I go to online banking. I forget whether I’ve registered or not, so I go to Register. It then takes me through 2 pages with no obvious buttons - only text links… in a desaturated green no less — to find the place where I can register.
The current flow shown with red lines. No jokes, from clicking the button to the actual form, there are TWO extra pages. Note the barely legible link colour. Also, those green things on the right are buttons apparently — I totally glossed over them (banner blindness perhaps?). It could be a whole bunch easier to just follow the blue path — click the link, go to the form. Simple.
It tells me that I’m already registered. Awesome. I go through the “forgot details” process — cool. I get inside online banking and make a beeline for “Payees” and then I see this:
To be fair, there was an extra button for “Order now”. But it still made no sense.
What the hell is a card reader?! No seriously. What is it actually?
Here’s what I thought: “Crap, I must have clicked wrong. Why am I in a business flow? I don’t need a card reader!”
So I went back, and selected “Add payee” again. And I came to this screen again. By now I’m thoroughly confused.
So I clicked on the Card Reader link to be taken to a page full of FAQs. The very first one is “What is a card reader?” — figures.
So there’s a card reader as well as a list of codes??!!
I go through some of the FAQs and here’s what I’ve found out:
You need a card reader to do “sensitive” transactions on internet banking or the app.
These transactions include adding a payee, making a once off payment, setting up a standing order, changing your address, setting up an auto-payment to your credit card.
When trying to do one of these things, it’ll ask you to put your card in your card reader then you have to follow some instructions.
You can use someone else’s card reader if yours isn’t on you.
WHAT?!
So let’s get this straight: for absolutely basic banking transactions (adding a payee?!) I need to have a physical device on me alongside my internet/app banking.
So it’s not “secure” enough that I have my phone, pin codes, fingerprint and other authentication measures? I must carry around another thing? And further, that thing isn’t actually unique to me, so I can use someone else’s?!
How does this solve security concerns? In no way can a card reader authenticate the account holder, better than a phone can.** Plus it is based on a dying technology — cards.
I am well and truly astounded that this exists. This is about the clumsiest solution I’ve ever seen from a bank, and the pickings are ripe.
There are so many issues with this:
Adding extra hardware in this context is against the grain; I don’t know of any other bank that does this. Which means that this experience is inconsistent with my expectations. It’s an extra step in an already established paradigm.
Having to carry around yet another thing — just in case I have an emergency once off payment to make — is truly, F*&@ing inconvenient. I wonder if it needs to be charged, or whether it uses batteries…
This does not add a layer of security, it only adds complexity. The same security measures could have been added to the app instead, two-factor authentication springs to mind… so this is just inefficient, and wasteful.
I cannot believe that this is a bank who have integrated with Apple and Google Pay, have “quick show” balance on the app, and other cool stuff but cannot fix the fundamental issues with their offering.
Get the basics right, guys. If you must; use dual-track approach. One track to fix the basics and do upgrades, the other track to do the “cool shit” that will attract new clients.
I’m now down 2 Irish banks. There’s only about 3 to go — maybe I’ll eventually find one that doesn’t suck :-p
Let me know what you think!
** I’m not saying, here, that phones are the supreme security measure, but that they beat having a whole new device.
https://medium.com/@thandi.guilherme/the-fresh-hell-that-is-aib-44608cce11ba
