Mitek Systems is offering financial institutions a mobile photo account opening feature, using a mobile device's camera to scan and capture any needed documentation. The software also lets the customer immediately fund the account using mobile check capture.
The account opening feature lets consumers hold their ID in front of their mobile device's camera, and Mitek's MiSnap technology takes a short video to capture and auto-fill information, such as the consumer's name and address. The user then chooses what kind of account to open (checking, savings, credit) and creates a username and password.
"There are considerable pain points for consumers to try and key in account details on small mobile screens," says Scott Carter, Mitek's chief marketing officer. "Banks are seeing very high abandonment rates" -- about 25% or higher, he says.
Mobile photo enrollment can be used as a consumer self-service feature or allow for assisted enrollment, bringing tellers out from behind the counter and onto the floor to speak more casually with customers.
"There's a desire among financial institutions to get staff out from behind the desk and into the lobby to improve cross-sell opportunities," Carter says. Plus "the staff can orient the consumer to the mobile banking channel through the tablet application."
After the account is created, the app lets the consumer immediately fund the account with Mitek's mobile check capture technology.
"There are some really interesting use cases [for mobile photo capture technology] across the broader payments spectrum," Carter says.
For example, Mitek is in talks with payday lenders to provide services to people in the socioeconomic demographic who use mobile more often and have a higher sense of urgency to get access to their funds.
Mitek is also trying to arrange partnerships in the credit card industry for the underwriting process and with merchants in the retail space wanting to roll out tablets so consumers can apply for credit products and loyalty programs in-store.
Mitek will demo the agent-assisted mobile photo account opening and funding application at FinovateFall in New York on Sept. 11.
