Wells Fargo quietly releases LBS-enabled iPhone mobile banking app

Wells Fargo, the 4th largest bank in the US, has released it’s Mobile Banking service as an iPhone and iPod Touch application. It did this very quietly earlier this month, which was a surprise. Most companies holler about every little iPhone app they create, but the Wells Fargo app received almost no publicity despite being a good, free service.

The app integrates pretty much any function you would want to use your account for when on the go. The UI is simple and clean, and allows you check account balances, move money around and pay bills. As a nice added touch, it also uses location-based technology to show you the closest ATM or Wells Fargo building on a map.

From the release:

Secil Watson, senior vice president of Wells Fargo Internet Services Group, said: “We have been providing the mobile banking service for nearly two years, and we know that customers want and demand convenient banking solutions that help them manage finances while on-the-go. We help them view accounts and take care of tasks anytime, anywhere, whether it is a customer in a taxi or a customer who realizes at the last minute that the utility bill needs to be paid before leaving for vacation.”

What we think?

This is exactly the kind of thing I would want from a banking app. It’s easy-to-use, basic and free. For more complicated procedures I can just call my branch or, indeed, use the map function to just walk there. With good services like this becoming more widespread, hopefully the number of people relying on mobile banking will increase.