A Neobank Definition is a digital banking service that offers checking and savings accounts, payments, and sometimes loans. It enables customers to access their money anytime, anywhere, through an app or website.
Most neobanks generate revenue from transaction fees, credit card interest, and subscription fees. Unlike traditional banks, which may charge multiple fees for transactions, most neobanks use a flat fee structure. This allows them to maintain a low cost and compete with more established online banks in the United States.
How Neobanks Are Transforming Short-Term Loans and Digital Payments
Many neobanks offer features that are useful to prebanked or underbanked consumers, such as P2P payments, no-fee international transfers, and budgeting and saving tools. Other offerings might include data analytics, financial advice, and investment opportunities. Some neobanks also have advanced security features, including encrypted application programming interfaces (APIs), two-factor authentication, and biometric verifications like fingerprint or face recognition.
In order to operate legally in the United States, neobanks must comply with various regulatory standards, such as Know Your Customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering (AML). They also need to ensure that their products and services are secure.
In addition, some neobanks partner with chartered banks to offer federal deposit insurance. As a result, they can make deposits in accounts that are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). This partnership can give Neobanks more credibility in the eyes of consumers. However, it also limits what they can do in terms of offering account features and loan products.