First National Bank of Pennsylvania is optimizing its banking services for mobile with a new application that allows clients to receive push notifications regarding account activity and approve time-sensitive fund transfers for their organizations.

The subsidiary of F.N.B. Corporation is upping its status in the competitive banking sector with a new app for commercial clients using its Execubanc online banking platform. FNB Business app users can now complete routine functions while on the go, such as checking balances, transferring funds and keeping track of recent transactions.

“Mobile banking apps are now minimum ante for big financial institutions because consumers love them,” said Wilson Kerr, vice president of business development and sales at Unbound Commerce. “Extending teller functionality to a mobile app saves consumers time and adds awareness and security features that have quickly become the norm.

“For FNB to extend this to commercial banking applications makes a ton of sense, especially because of the fraud alert role mobile plays.”

Reaching mobile platforms
The new FNB Business app offers a flexible, convenient channel for time-strapped customers wanting to manage their companies’ accounts and complete essential functions without needing access to a desktop.

Many of the capabilities found within the Execubanc platform have been extended to the mobile app, including the ability to check balances, view the latest transactions and transfer funds between accounts.

Users will also have the ability to conduct more time-sensitive tasks, such as initiating wire transfers via Execubanc.

Clients wanting to stay up-to-date with their organization’s finances can opt to receive in-app push notifications alerting them to any new account activity.

The FNB Business app can be leveraged by any First National Bank client already using Execubanc.

Banking on fraud security
First National Bank’s new app also offers high-volume account protection in the form of mobile access to FNB’s account reconcilement service, Positive Pay. Customers can receive daily exception reports on their tablet or mobile devices, enabling them to combat fraudulent activity even while they are out and about.

Therefore, corporate decision-makers can enjoy greater flexibility in completing their daily tasks by not having to worry about visiting a bank branch within operating hours or needing a computer to conduct banking activities.

The constantly evolving banking sector has required financial institutions to become deeply entrenched within mobile innovation.

Marketers must continuously update their mobile offerings and ensure that their services are easily accessible across a multitude of digital channels.

New trends such as in-app voice commands and beacon-enabled banking are also gaining steam in the industry.

Financial services brand USAA recently rolled out a new feature within its mobile app enabling consumers to leverage voice commands to complete tasks such as depositing a check and transferring funds, a tool likely to be beneficial for visually impaired users (see story).

Meanwhile, Citibank continues to pave the way for mobile banking by deploying beacons at select Manhattan branches, allowing customers to enter ATM lobbies during off-hours without a card and to receive personalized, location-based messages (see story).

Ultimately, while many financial institutions are introducing consumer-facing mobile banking apps, corporate client-facing apps should also be a top priority.

“Account managers can be instantly alerted via text message or push notification about unauthorized account activity and kept up to date on transfers, bill payments and other commercial banking activity,” Mr. Kerr said. “For those in charge of these accounts, this feature can make a world of difference and allow them to do their jobs better and faster.”