Postbank has closed numerous of its own finance centers in recent years. As a result, Postbank services and self-service devices are no longer available in all locations. Many customers therefore carry out their banking transactions on their PCs and smartphones. But can the Postbank app really replace a trip to the branch?
Dülmen is a typical case: until a few years ago, there was a post office with a Postbank ATM and statement printer in the tranquil, rural town of 50,000 inhabitants south of Münster in North Rhine-Westphalia. In the meantime, however, the people from Bonn have withdrawn from the city and closed their branch. Postbank services are only offered there in a local stationery shop. This is a partner agency with a limited range of services that is not operated by Postbank itself. Accordingly, the smartphone is becoming increasingly important for banking transactions. But how suitable for everyday use and, above all, user-friendly is the Postbank app and which functions does it master?
Postbank financial assistant
The Postbank financial assistant is available free of charge for Android and Apple’s iOS. As a security procedure, Postbank offers BestSign to legitimize orders, which can be approved by fingerprint. All basic payment transaction functions are available in the app. However, the multibanking function, with which accounts from other banks can also be added, is particularly interesting.
This makes the app an alternative to Outbank and Co. In terms of functionality, the Postbank app seems clear, although an additional app is installed with BestSign. In particular, many neobanks such as Nuri or N26 are already a step further in this regard, with orders being released directly in the banking app.
Also read: What you should know about smartphone banks like N26
voice transfers
In the Postbank app, transfers do not necessarily have to be entered manually, but can be carried out by voice transfer if desired. To do this, switch to transfer in the financial assistant, and the smartphone keyboard will now open. After pressing the microphone button, simply say the recipient of the transfer and the amount, for example “100 euros to Petra Pfiffig for concert tickets”, then the information should be assigned to the correct recipient. While voice transfers are generally very convenient, they are also error-prone. Especially if no transfer template is available, you have to enter the IBAN by hand anyway, which is also safer to avoid transposed digits.
card management
Although contactless payments via smartphone are becoming increasingly important, many bank customers still have debit and credit cards in their wallets. That’s why Postbank also offers the option of managing cards on your smartphone when you’re on the go. This includes, in particular, loading prepaid credit cards and blocking them if the card is lost or stolen while on vacation, for example. It is also possible to buy voucher codes in the app using Touch ID and redeem them immediately after purchase. This saves you the trip to the supermarket or gas station, where you can also physically purchase voucher cards for Spotify, Netflix & Co.
Also read: Postbank customers must agree to new terms and conditions, otherwise the account is gone
Conclusion: app or bank branch?
In principle, the Postbank financial assistant can handle all the important basic account functions that you are familiar with from the branch or telephone banking. The app also appears mature in terms of user-friendliness, although the additional installation of the BestSign app may appear to be a disadvantage for some bank customers. However, even if you use your smartphone or giro card to pay at the cash register, you still cannot avoid cash in every situation. The Postbank app can therefore neither replace the ATM nor the cash desk in the Postbank finance center.