Sparkasse customers seem to be quite open to innovations. At least that’s what the financial institution is now announcing – after it took a long time to implement it yourself.
Due to its size alone, it can be difficult for the Sparkasse to implement changes quickly. This could be observed, for example, with the introduction of Apple Pay. Even if you jumped on the train late, the service is now very popular with customers, as the Sparkasse announced.
Sparkasse customers use Apple Pay
Sparkasse announces that 2.5 million customers will be using the Apple Pay service by 2021. There are currently 48,200,000 current accounts at the Sparkasse. However, the bank does not specify the exact number of its customers. It can be assumed that 2.5 million customers are in the range between 6 and 8 percent of the total number of customers.
With an average of around 25 percent iPhone users in Germany, every fourth Sparkasse customer with an iPhone could use the service. Things looked different in 2020. The Sparkasse was able to record a million fewer users there. Strong growth that is no coincidence. The introduction of the digital Girocard in July 2021 is likely to be partly responsible for this.
Also interesting: Big change at savings banks and Volksbanks! Customers have to change
Still very hesitant to introduce Apple Pay
With the recent success, the hesitant introduction of Apple Pay at the savings banks seems almost forgotten. As a reminder: In 2019, people still resisted the service. At that time, Sparkasse wanted to see improvements from Apple. However, these did not materialize, as did the solidarity of the competition. More and more banks introduced Apple and the Sparkasse fell behind.
Finally, Apple Pay was used without any corrections by the Apple Group and the service was made accessible to more and more customers – despite initial difficulties. In the meantime, the Sparkasse is even more advanced in this area than its main competitor, the Volksbanken. The Volksbanks have rejected digital Girocards and continue to require a credit card.