“Alexa, pay my rent.”
Citigroup said it is testing Amazon’s Alexa voice-command assistant as part of an upgrade to its mobile banking app.
The service will be offered initially to premium Citigold customers, who will be able to pay bills, transfer funds and make peer-to-peer payments with other Citi customers via voice commands.
Citi is not the first bank to wade into Alexa’s waters. Current Capital One account holders can check their balance and pay their credit card bill with Alexa, but Citi’s plans include a much more robust menu of capabilities.
Citi will also incorporate some biometrics into the new app, allowing account holders to log in to their accounts via a mobile device with facial-recognition technology.
The app will roll out in the fourth quarter but Citi said the Alexa features may or may not be included in the first release. The feature can be added at any time with an app update, the bank said.
Wells Fargo is also reportedly working with Amazon to offer Alexa technology to its account holders.
