UnionBank putting up more digital branches

MANILA, Philippines — Aboitiz-led Union Bank of the Philippines continues to ramp up the establishment of full digital branches, as well as self-service hubs nationwide.

Ana Aboitiz-Delgado, chief customer experience at UnionBank, said the   bank aims to continuously provide meaningful experiences to more customers amid the  pandemic.

“UnionBank has always aimed to empower customers with the freedom to bank on their own terms, and The ARK and UBNK are both part of an ecosystem of solutions that we are offering in line with that aim,’’ she said.

The bank has added nine new locations for The ARK, bringing the total number of full digital bank branches to 50 over the past three years.

The first The ARK branch was unveiled in September 2017, pioneering features that changed the way people looked at banking, leveraging technology to address the typical inconveniences associated with visiting a bank branch such as long queues, excessive waiting times, and repetitive forms.

With the goal of adapting and evolving to deliver meaningful experiences, these transformed branches allow pandemic-proof banking to reach more and more customers.

UnionBank’s branch transformation is not only in physical space, but also in digital processes. Customers also enjoy digital transaction portal (DTP) - where paperless transactions and product applications are processed straight through and way faster than traditional. It minimizes contact since transactions are queued once entered on the iPad.

The ARK’s modular design allows easy reconfiguration of the branch to comply with social distancing requirements with floor stickers, digital health checklist posters with QR code for contact tracing in all branches.

Aside from the nine additional The ARK branches, UnionBank also recently launched two new UBNK self-service hubs in UP Town Center and Robinsons Magnolia, bringing the total number to three.

The hubs, usually located near supermarkets in malls, are designed for self-service banking, wherein customers could access essential banking services while minimizing their face-to-face interactions with bank employees.

It acts as a comfortable middle ground for those who now want to move away from branch banking, but are not yet ready to fully embrace online banking.