British bank NatWest is launching a voice banking pilot where customers can bank just by speaking.

The voice technology allows customers to bank through Google Assistant on their Google Home smart speaker or smartphone. 500 customers will be in the pilot, which will run for three months.

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NatWest customers can ask for commonly requested details such as their balance and recent transactions. They will also be given a verbal response. The information can also be shown on a smartphone screen. If unable to get an answer, a message will be sent to the user’s smartphone with contact details for NatWest’s helpline.

The initial pilot lets customers ask eight questions as well as access over 15 banking tips.

For security, customers set up the voice banking with their existing online banking password and PIN. Partial PINs are asked for to confirm identity when using the voice technology.

Voice banking allows users to multi-task and the more human interface could encourage customers to bank in a new way. In addition, there are inclusion benefits as blind customers can utilise the solution to complete tasks without the use of a screen or keyboard.

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Kristen Bennie, head of open experience at NatWest, said: “We are exploring voice banking for the first time and think it could mark the beginning of a major change to how customers manage their finances in the same way mobile banking made a huge impact. This technology will make it easier for people to bank with us and could bring particular benefits to those who have a disability as voice banking eliminates the need for customers to use a screen or keyboard. This is one of a number of services that the bank is aiming to develop this year that uses cutting edge, innovative technology to better serve our customers.”

Georgina Bulkeley, director of strategy and innovation at NatWest, added: “We’re committed to creating effortless customer experiences – and the adoption of new technologies by our customers provides fantastic opportunities for us to do that. We were the first bank in the UK to launch Touch ID for mobile, we delivered the UK’s first paperless mortgage and we’re leading the way on artificial intelligence with our digital assistant Cora. This new voice service is the next step towards making banking even easier, opening up exciting opportunities to create truly effortless and seamless banking experiences.”