Embedded Finance: Delivering Value at the Point of Decision
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Embedded finance is positioned to become the number one distribution channel for financial services within the next 10-20 years, which means the time to start preparing for the revolution is now.
Today’s customers want seamless, digitally-enabled buying and lending experiences. Embedded finance has emerged as a convenient solution to meet these needs. With its buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) method of financing that eliminates the customer’s trip to the bank, embedded finance has quickly grown in popularity as a way for customers to finance items at the time of purchase.
“Banks must find a way to deliver an exceptional customer experience, and establish lasting, loyal relationships, without relying on their branches and face-to-face interaction.”
– Nathan Snell, Co-founder and former Director of Product Management at nCino
Reimagining the Customer Experience
To stay competitive in the financial services industry, financial institutions must find ways to differentiate themselves in the space. Reimagining the customer experience through embedded finance is one way that financial institutions can gain an edge in the ever-changing industry. By embarking on the buying journey alongside the customer, financial institutions can add a layer of protection and offer advice tailored to their unique situation. This means an instantaneous lending experience could translate to a long-term relationship—especially if it’s with a financial institution that can offer services and products beyond the moment they click “buy.”
“Embedded finance delivers the experience consumers desire and need, right at the point of sale,” says Snell.
Adopting a Digital-First Mindset
Today’s customers demand the option of a digitally-enabled banking experience with minimal face-to-face interaction. With embedded finance becoming a norm, consumers are moving away from financing through traditional routes with their own financial institution. Instead, they are opting for the BNPL option at checkout offered on many retail platforms today.
Financial institutions have an opportunity to scale this digital, frictionless experience for more complicated loans and customer journeys, while still maintaining compliance, trust and high credit quality. To create seamless experiences, financial institutions need to first implement a flexible, configurable, cloud-based platform that supports a diverse array of integration options.
For financial institutions seeking a process in which buying, and lending happen simultaneously, an open API architecture and trusted technology partners are key. This allows financial institutions to safely and securely integrate with numerous third-party providers across channels and lines of business, including commercial, small business and retail. Without this technology in place, banks are limited in what they can offer their customers and how they can work with other businesses.