Our 6 Favorite Fintech Products for Gen Z

Generation Z is coming in hot, and coming in strong. 

According to a study that came out last year that was republished by the New York Post, people who were born between 1997 and 2015 now make up 32% of the world’s population, and about 24% of them have already entered the workforce. This young generation is full of ambition and creativity, and basically grew up immersed in technology. Consequently, Gen-Z’s demand for top-performing mobile apps and software is highly justified, especially when these tools can help elevate their work and personal lives. 

Many Gen Z-ers are already active in the workforce, and they place a lot of importance on technology that helps them manage their finances. Yet it’s also important to point out that Generation Z consists of a wide pool of young people, ranging from 10-year-old children to 23-year-old young adults. This means mobile app developers and neobanks have to cater to different maturity levels, interests, and needs for their fintech products to be successful. Companies also need to consider that some Gen Z-ers don’t have a paycheck yet, however, they still need an app for pocket money, less they resort to cash or a parent’s extra debit card. So, how can fintech companies design apps that cater to such a wide and constantly-evolving audience?

Empathize with your users, and Gen Z-ers will flock to your product

The secret behind the companies that seem to effortlessly meet the wants and needs of Gen Z lies in building a brand that young people can identify with. For the younger generation to even consider using a product, they have to examine the brand first, and figure out the answers to questions like:

• What do they stand for? 
• What’s their mission and vision? 
• Are they here to genuinely help me, or try to rip me off? 
• Are they involved in charitable work?
• Are they ethical and inclusive?

These are usually the questions a Gen Z user asks before committing to a product or a brand, in our experience. Luckily, companies are becoming aware of this, and are making conscious efforts to show their potential users and audience that they genuinely care.

Smooth, fun, intuitive: these are the ingredients Gen Z-ers look for in fintech apps 

Both Gen Z-ers and Millennials want fintech apps that are fast, secure, and accurate, and a highly intuitive UX/UI also plays a key role. Someone who is used to exclusive online payments, next-day delivery services, and on-demand entertainment is undoubtedly looking for a seamless fintech experience. Gen Z-ers have their eye on decentralized cryptocurrency transactions, as well, so that’s another feature they will be looking for within a fintech app. 

The truth is that this generation is far more tech- and financially-savvy than Millennials or Baby Boomers. They are highly cause-driven, and tend to support companies that align with their personal values and goals. What’s more, they are already used to emerging technologies, and they have very high expectations from any new app that they’re trying out. So, companies have to offer more than just basic bank features: the entire process has to be a seamless and engaging experience for someone to remain a long-term user.

Trust-based UX is the secret to fintech apps

Read more here

Our List of the Top 6 Fintech Products Catering to Gen Z

With all the hype around the topic, we’ve compiled a list of 6 fintech products that stand out for Gen Z-ers. These apps have managed to appeal to a tech-savvy generation that’s always on the move and has little patience for slow-performing apps, so they’re worth knowing. Take a look at the list below and see what these tools have to offer that makes financial tasks fun for young people.

Pixpay

Giving and receiving pocket money is a straightforward experience, if we’re talking about cash. However, cashless payments have risen exponentially in the wake of the pandemic, and not a lot of kids and teens have access to debit cards. There are very few fintech apps that let minors create an account to manage their allowances and pocket money, but Pixpay is aiming to change that.

The French startup wants to enhance the experience of giving and receiving pocket money with the help of its highly intuitive and fun mobile app. It’s one of the most kid- and teen-friendly fintech apps on the market that allows young Gen Z-ers to manage their finances safely. A lot of finance apps don’t allow children under 18 or 14 to have accounts, which offers Pixpay that competitive edge.

Quirk

Quirk is a colourful startup app that helps people manage their money according to their personality. The app is a truly unique take on tailored financial services, using a personality test to determine each user’s wants, needs, and spending style. These tests are based on psychological principles that are supported by expert psychologists. Quirk uses behavioural research to deliver a personalized product experience. They also share educational content and insights to improve spending habits. To add to the challenge, the app allows users to set up spending goals, track subscriptions, and much, much more.

Cleo

Imagine a fintech app roasting you for spending way too much money. Well, the developers of Cleo have embraced this idea, and added a feature to their finance app that roasts you for being irresponsible with your money. The app has a chat feature you can turn on where the AI drags you for ludicrous purchases, not saving enough, and other uninspired financial decisions. To make matters worse, it even sends you memes. Talk about tough love… Still, it’s a really fun take for a fintech app, and apart from the fun stuff, it’s highly useful, as well. Cleo helps you with your budgeting by allowing you to save money fast with goals, hacks, or with an autosave feature.

Mitto

Mitto encourages users to spend money consciously and contribute to a more sustainable planet. With Mitto, you get to awaken the activist within you and discover the environmental impacts of your purchases. With this feature, the company aims to educate its users on the impact of their payments, encouraging a more conscious behaviour when it comes to spending money. Moreover, with Mitto, you also get discounts on sustainable brands and services, and the app helps you save money, compare spendings with friends, and is available for teens, as well.

Zelf

Gen Z-ers love to chat using messaging apps. If only there was a technology that could let you talk with an AI bot within a chat app, like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp or Telegram, that could also help you handle your finances. Imagine sending voice messages or typing your financial needs in a chat window, and getting an instant response. It sounds pretty amazing, and the good news is, this technology actually exists.

Zelf is the ultimate Gen Z fintech app, because it’s not even an app to begin with, it’s just an AI in a chat window that is super-fast, reliable, and gets things done incredibly well. You can register for a card directly within a chat app, and once you have an account, you can ask Zelf to check your balance, send money, set spending limits, create invoices, and more. Revolutionary stuff.

Paid

If you’re a freelancer, Paid should definitely be installed on your phone, immediately. Paid allows gig economy workers and freelancers to receive payment as soon as their work is completed, instead of waiting for late invoices. The app acts as an intermediary between freelancers and their clients, making sure that working together is a smooth process for both parties. Paid guarantees you will receive payment within three days of completing a project, but they also take a small cut for this service. Additionally, Paid takes care of certain administrative tasks that enable freelancers to focus on their work-client relationships.

Key Takeaways

One of the biggest things that these startups are extremely good at is being unique. Differentiating yourself in creative ways in a competitive and saturated market such as fintech is a huge achievement in itself. Managing finances is a necessary task and it can be hard to find the fun factor. 

These companies have gone above and beyond the average finance app formula to come out as true innovators. They’re constantly working to understand their audience’s behaviours and thinking patterns, their concerns and goals. It’s these kinds of insights that give them ample playground to continue improving their product.

The main focus of the fintech apps presented here is to deliver enjoyable experiences around money. It’s not just about building a bank or a budgeting tool, it’s about looking at a user’s needs holistically and trying to understand how to support them, in the moment and in the long run. Operationally, this means both exceptional user experience and top-notch community engagement outside the product. 

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