Smarter banking: how intelligent suggestions in the Nubank app empower customers

Written by Carla Galdino, Felipe Victor, Murilo Cruz, Nathalia Ruiz and Sofia Guimarães

Are you ready to explore innovative features that simplify financial management, as well as the context, the journey, and the results of its development? In this article, we introduce the intelligent suggestions—a game-changing functionality in the Nubank app. By providing personalized messages and recommendations, this feature revolutionizes our customers financial experience.

Nubank’s mission is to facilitate lives through innovation, and this new feature is a testament to that commitment. Seamlessly integrated into the app’s interface, this feature simplifies routines, empowers informed decisions, and enhances financial well-being.

We’ll cover the key aspects of this innovation, starting with an overview and its purpose. Discover how tailored recommendations align with customers needs and goals, benefiting them in various scenarios. The user-friendly app interface ensures easy access to the suggestions, appearing contextually to minimize clutter.

Join us on this journey to unlock the full potential of financial well-being with the Nubank app.

This is a powerful functionality that offers personalized messages and recommendations to enhance the customer experience. It aims to simplify financial routines and help users make informed decisions.

In the past, discovering new products or features could be challenging for customers. Relevant information or value might be missed, and customers might not be aware of critical tasks they needed to complete. From a business perspective, the limited real estate in the app made it difficult to expose the ever-growing number of products and features. We used to rely heavily on fixed spaces rather than dynamic and contextual opportunities.

This is where our new feature steps in. It tailors messages to each user’s individual needs and financial situation, ensuring that the recommendations provided are relevant and valuable. Users receive specific guidance, such as reminders to pay bills or suggestions to take advantage of new products and services.

Whether it’s notifying users about pending bill payments, suggesting setting aside money for future goals, or recommending relevant financial products based on recent transactions, this feature addresses these common situations. By doing so, it helps users stay organized, never miss important actions, and make smarter financial decisions.

In essence, this feature is a response to the challenges our customers and business faced. It is a testament to our commitment to continually innovate and improve the way users manage their finances.

Developing this feature was an iterative and data-driven process. By analyzing vast amounts of customer data and employing advanced algorithms, we gained valuable insights into individual financial needs and behaviors. This deep understanding allowed us to tailor our recommendations and deliver personalized messages that resonate with our customers. The development team at Nubank worked tirelessly to ensure a simple and user-friendly interface, guaranteeing that our customers can easily access and benefit from this feature.

But which features were worth bringing to this space? From the perspective of our Business Analytics team, there were 3 obstacles in terms of data and business hypotheses: the primary challenge was managing many products, and the impact of these various products, in a single experiment.

As the entire homepage was displaced downwards, we had to shift content that was previously visible to the user without needing to scroll down. Because of that, we had to quantify if there was any negative impact on engagement of customers with that content that was no longer visible at the very top of the page.

The second point was the complexity to measure the business impact for a feature that covers cases from multiple different products: NuConta, credit card and investments, for example. We needed to cover a high variety of metrics, and that required a lot of alignment with other teams, besides going deep on dozens of datasets.

The third layer of the challenge was the way we found to deal with it: when we have metrics that come from various products, which was our case, it is very difficult to organize and prioritize. If the gain in one metric results in losses for another, how are we going to measure them to make a decision? Our best shot was creating a single indicator that facilitated our decision-making process. To do this, we talked to all the Business Units (BUs) that were developing use cases for this feature. During development, we asked the BUs to point out a success metric for us. That is, what they expected to achieve in improvements with their use case and then we created a metric that is very similar to an NPS (Net Promoter Score). From there, the decision to roll out or not was quick and easy.

Incorporating the intelligent suggestions into the Nubank app raised another important consideration: the temptation to utilize this feature solely as a means to promote new products to users who haven’t yet adopted them.

However, at Nubank, we prioritize resolving existing and potential customer problems over promotional messages. In the hierarchy of the suggestions, messages aimed at problem-solving take precedence over those promoting new products. This approach stands in contrast to traditional financial institutions, where profitability often supersedes customer interests.

At Nubank, we firmly reject this notion, prioritizing the well-being and satisfaction of our customers above all else.

Location of the suggestions within the app

The suggestions can be found in a dedicated area within the app. As users open the Nubank app’s home screen, they will see a section below their profile image that provides suggestions and recommendations relevant to their current financial situation. 

Types of actions and recommendations provided 

The feature covers a wide range of actions and recommendations to assist users in their financial management. These may include reminders to pay bills, confirm suspicious purchases, or take advantage of new products and services. The feature adapts to individual needs, offering personalized recommendations based on user behavior and preferences.

Focus on customization and tailored recommendations based on individual needs

One of the core strengths of the suggestions is its customization. The feature takes into account each user’s unique circumstances and financial goals, providing tailored recommendations that align with their individual needs. 

Customers have the option to dismiss the suggestions that did not come at the right time or that were not relevant to them. This feedback is used by Nubank to improve our recommendations and ensure that the content displayed at the area will be always relevant.

This personalized approach ensures that users receive actionable suggestions that are relevant and valuable to their financial well-being.

In some cases, the feature’s area may be empty. This indicates that the user has no pending actions or recommendations at that particular moment. However, the feature remains vigilant and ready to provide guidance as needed, ensuring users are always informed and supported.

To fully benefit from the suggestions, it is essential to keep the Nubank app updated with the latest version. Regular updates ensure access to new features, improvements, and enhancements, including the latest recommendations and personalized messages.

Each customer is unique, with distinct financial goals and challenges. Our feature takes this into account, providing recommendations that align with individual needs. The implementation of the intelligent suggestions has yielded remarkable results. Customers have reported increased financial awareness and improved money management, thanks to the timely and relevant suggestions provided.

By focusing on problem-solving rather than merely pushing new products, Nubank has fostered a trusted relationship with its customers, built on transparency and genuine care. Customer feedback has played a crucial role in the evolution of Nubank’s suggestions feature.

Through user feedback, we have gained a deeper understanding of their preferences, pain points, and specific needs. This feedback has guided us in refining and improving the suggestions feature to ensure it truly meets the expectations of our diverse customer base.

By actively listening to our customers and implementing their suggestions, we have been able to create a more personalized and relevant experience, resulting in increased customer satisfaction and engagement.

This new feature empowers Nubank app users with personalized recommendations and guidance, making financial management more accessible and effective. By leveraging cutting-edge technology and tailored suggestions, the feature streamlines routines and helps users achieve their financial goals with ease.

At Nubank, we are dedicated to constantly improving our customers’ financial experience. The feature is a testament to our commitment to innovation and user-centric solutions.

We strive to provide tools that simplify financial management and empower users to make informed decisions.

We encourage all Nubank app users to utilize the feature. By embracing personalized recommendations, users can take control of their finances, stay organized, and make confident choices that lead to better financial well-being.