Axis Bank app gets augmented reality like Pokemon Go

MUMBAI: Following the runaway success of Pokemon Go, Axis Bank has introduced an

augmented reality

(AR) feature in its mobile banking application. Customers can now use the mobile camera to hunt for dining offers, cashbacks, ATM locations and even apartments which are pre-approved for home loans.

Pokemon Go, a location-based AR game launched in July, became a global phenomenon in weeks. “AR is an open source technology. Nintendo found a use case for it in gaming. We figured a use case in banking,” said Amit Sethi, chief information officer, Axis Bank. “This is the first mobile banking

app

in India to use AR,” he said.

The application provides an experience similar to the game and provides a camera view, bird view and map view of the location. While GPS-based search features are there in many mobile banking apps, the AR part makes the process more playful, Sethi said.

“This is not exactly gamification, but this is the first step. It can be taken to the next level by providing points,” said Sethi. Gamification refers to the applications of the typical elements of a game — competing and scoring points — to everyday banking activity.

According to Sethi, the app is designed such that on-the-go customers can start the camera and see on the screen if there are any offers around them. “This service is available in the Axis Bank mobile banking app. As of now, we have not incorporated it in Pingpay (an app which can be used by non-account holders) since most of features are related to those who are our existing customers,” said Sethi.

To make it easy to use, Axis Bank has incorporated the search feature at the pre login stage. An interesting aspect of mobile banking is that with the introduction of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), mobile banking applications become interoperable. In other words, customers can use one mobile application to access many accounts. Sethi, however, did not comment on the interoperability. “We will be able to comment on that only after UPI is launched,” he said.