Quick Banking is an app that helps people carry out banking transactions without having to log in to the apps of the banks themselves. It uses USSD codes and is usable across a large number of banks and fintechs in Nigeria.
It is developed and maintained by Codegreenie Systems.
Background
Despite the many fintech products available, the number of traditional bank accounts keeps increasing. NIBSS data for the year 2019 gave the total number of bank accounts in the country to be 124.85 million, although 45.57 million were dormant.
This leaves a significant number of people that carry out transactions with their accounts regularly.
USSD codes have become an essential part of carrying out banking transactions that almost every bank now has codes for customers to use. However, there are different codes for different services, and most people have more than 1 bank accounts.
This makes it cumbersome to use something so beneficial. Here is where the USSD banking app – Quick Banking comes in.
Only the Android version of the app is available currently, it is free to use but allows in-app purchases. Advertisements take up the whole screen every time you go back a step, as long as you are connected to the internet.
I used the version 1.7.2 of the app and will be reviewing it based on 3 major factors: Functionality, design thinking, simplicity.
Functionality
I installed the app from the Android and noticed first that it is not compatible with all phones. It was not compatible with an Infinix Hot Note but installed and functioned well on a Samsung Galaxy A70.
The banks whose services can be accessed from Quick Banking through USSD codes are listed on the HOME page when the app is launched. There are currently 20 financial service providers including fintechs. OPay, Paga, Access Bank, UBA and First Bank are some of the providers whose services can be accessed from the app.
By clicking on any of the banks, another page opens up with options to purchase airtime and data for yourself or others, transfer to other accounts, pay bills, check your bank balance, open accounts and others.
I purchased airtime worth N2,500 by clicking one of the banks and selecting the option to buy airtime for myself.
Quick Banking does not need you to personalize it by having an account, as a result, there is no password to secure the app from being used by anyone other than you.
However, since you will need to input your pin before buying data or airtime for anyone other than you, the risk is reduced.
User-centered design
In terms of functionality, Quick Banking delivers on its target. But the functionalities of the app show that it was not fully designed with a focus on what the first-time user will want to know when using the app.
The app will be used to move money from a user’s bank account, so a brief pop up that says the app will successfully make purchases from the account for the user without any pin or data required would be welcome. This is necessary when as a first-time user, you want to try out the app features without intending to buy airtime or data for yourself.
The menu list has an option called ‘How It Works’, but it is of very little help because it gives no information on what to expect or how the app actually works. It only tells you to tap on one of the banks listed, which is what anyone would have done in the first place.
Simplicity
The app has a simple interface that is straight to the point. Besides the list of financial service providers on the home page, the only other feature is the menu icon (3 vertical dots) which contains other information about the app.
The design is minimal but not ugly and the simple layout makes it easy to find things when you need to.
Quick Banking vs Banking Apps
Using Quick Banking provides access to the same services that banking apps provide, at least most of it. Services like getting transaction history or a statement of account are available only on bank apps.
However, if you have multiple bank accounts and only want the basic services, it makes sense to use Quick Banking to access all of them instead of downloading separate apps for each bank you have an account with or searching for USSD codes for separate features for each bank.
In summary
True to its name, this app does, in fact, make banking quick. However, as earlier mentioned, it does not work on all phone types and does not anticipate the needs of a first-timer user.
It delivers on its target service but as more features and upgrades get added, putting empathy into the design thinking process and making it accessible to a wider audience will make it better.
Overall, it gets an average rating.
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