This is an English translated benchmark report that I posted on Brunch a year ago. You can find the original source here.
Lotte card renewed their app in 2018. As far as I understand, their goals are seemed:
- To make it one app for both account management and app card, which is needed to use online/offline without typing card numbers in Korea.
- To embed new technology such as Big data, AI, etc.
- To make it easy to approach to their various benefits, which seems to be failed to me.
Good point 1 : Offering menus for guest visitors such as trial menus and easy start to card application.
Good Point 2! : Quick icons for functions that are frequently used. Also menu navigation is hierarchical so that it is easy to guess the location.
Good Point 3! : Inputing one thing at one screen view feels simple and easy.
Bad : Tricky! in the second stage, they ask you to fill out so many information. Usually if you take that much information, users expect that self-closing is possible online but it is not. There are other companies that issue the digital card immediately after filling up.
Good point 4! : Small convenient functions like benefit offers, checking the bank account balance before payment, calendar sync, etc.
Bad : BUT I couldn’t try because of error(hopefully this is fixed and stabilized now).
Bad : Onboarding! Asking registration your digital card again after signing up is ridiculous.
Good to have : Animated card, which is only available on digital platform.
Bad : Yet too far from stability. It crashes too often.
Navigation is confusing… why bottom navigation tabs go to the top?
Briefing is not helpful but it is displayed whenever you log in.
Bonus: Other apps from Korean credit card companies
- One big app vs. Small separated apps
- One app strategy : Hyundai card, Lotte card
- Fragmentation strategy : Shinhan card, Samsung card, Kookmin card
*Fragmentation can make the apps lighter by using less privacy protection applications in each apps.
2. Guest menu
All are calling for signing in, of course.
But everybody allows only card application menu while Shinhan card shows the entire menu navigation and website.
3. Navigation Tab
(1) Hyundaicard : Account, Benefits, App card , Card Loan
They started this categorizing first followed by others, but it seems not logical order. Also only 20% of functions can be done from the app.
(2) Samsung card : My, Benefit, Loan, Utility, Life
Overall, they consist the menu and locate functions to fit to their business goal(promoting loans, offering bigger spending). Also benefits are expanded small categories so that it looks they offer a lot more than they actually do.
(2) Shinhan card : Dashboard is displayed when you sign up. Other functions are just same as web since it is made of web view. It is cheaper to build up and easier to maintenance, but it doesn’t work smooth like native apps.
(4) Kookmin card : My KB, Benefits, Loan, Event
Basically the same as Hyundaicard except event menu.
4. Inside hamburger menu
Samsung card and Hyundai card give side bar menu that are consisted as ‘others’ except the main navigation tab. On the other hand, Shinhan card, Kookmin card and Lotte card use the whole screen that are composed of site maps.
5. App card
Samsung card shows some information such as spending details and benefits although it is duplicated from Account management app.
Kookmin card focuses only the payment scene. They show the main benefits only.
Shinhan card FAN is aggressively focusing on the payment platform, it even feels like they gave up the account management app. You can see everything you need while using their service on FAN including spending details. Also they provide extra 7% discount if you buy products on the app.
