Understanding the pros and cons of digital banking for older people

Combine an ageing population with the digital revolution and drop in the fact that older people often represent an affluent customer base – and solutions are needed to ensure older customers are not being left behind by technology.

This was the challenge set by the innovation team at Santander UK, who used our social insight process to delve into older people’s banking preferences, with a particular focus on digital banking. Working closely with Open Age, a charity that runs activities for hundreds of older people in London, we set up a fun and lively programme, with a debate, a drama session and an IT skills workshop.

This gave the Santander team deep insight on levels of trust in online banking amongst older people, the value of human contact at a branch, the views of carers and the situations of house-bound older people.

We helped them turn that insight into ideas, and those ideas into three well developed prototypes for new ways of working with older customers – as well as new mindsets about this all-important customer group.

“This was a truly insightful session and one that not only resulted in new ideas but that has also made us think about the older people’s market in new ways.”

Sigga Sigurdardottir, Chief Customer & Innovation Officer, Santander UK