OneBanks, a new banking concept that gives customers and businesses everyday access to any bank or building society from one location, has partnered with convenience retailer, Co-op, to launch its first UK kiosk in Denny Co-op, Falkirk.
The fully staffed kiosk, which has created seven new roles for local people, will have a soft launch from Tuesday 15th December, with the service going fully live in the New Year. It will signal the town’s first face-to-face banking facility in over two years.
It is set to provide Denny with an independent “gateway” provider, offering access to on-site OneBanks colleagues and services of the big high street banks in one location, irrespective of where individuals and SME customers bank.
OneBanks will be open from 7am until 10pm Monday to Friday and 9 am to 6pm weekends giving people in the community access to an impressive 93 hours of banking services each week.
Billed as the future of high street banking, OneBanks offers personal, in-branch services for people and SMEs in communities where traditional bricks and mortar banks have disappeared. The Co-op collaboration is part of OneBanks’ purpose to bring back human banking to communities and to accelerate financial inclusion for everyone – including people left behind by the shift towards cashless transactions.
New technology such as facial recognition will help customers who struggle with passwords; and open banking and technology partners will bring world class security to transactions. The OneBanks kiosk will offer everyday banking from cash withdrawals, deposits, payments, transfers, to support and face to face conversation with human beings. Services to customers are free of charge.
Duncan Cockburn, OneBanks’ Founder and CEO, says: “Co-op is a remarkable retailer with the community right at its heart and by joining forces together here in Denny, we will bring human banking back to the town. It’s so important that residents and businesses have quick and easy access to essential banking services and OneBanks in the Co-op store means that we’re able to provide straightforward banking solutions to ensure financial inclusion for all.
“Recent months have seen radical change in the world and it’s no surprise people are drawn towards brands that listen to their new needs. We want to be a part of this new world and we’re using new, advanced technology to do something a little old fashioned: bringing banking back to people.”
The initiative also results from OneBanks’ partnership with the national Community to Access to Cash Pilot (CACP) project – led by the banking and finance industry working with UK communities to test scalable solutions to keep cash sustainable.
Mark Matthews, Co-op’s Director of Innovation and Format, adds: “Both Co-op and OneBanks share a common commitment to connecting communities, making a difference locally and operating at the heart of local life.
“We’re delighted to be working with OneBanks to return banking services back to the people of Denny – access to cash is just as important as access to good value food and groceries and by offering everything conveniently under one roof we believe we are adding real value to this community.”
OneBanks’ offering is an original solution designed to support people impacted by financial inclusion: individuals who choose not to bank, cash-based businesses and areas where bank branches are reduced or non-existent.
