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Gartner describes super apps as “Swiss Army knives” offering a “range of component tools (miniapps).
Will Super Apps finally take flight?
Super Apps are the next step of digital banking and open finance. It streamlines a range of diverse services into a single platform, offering customers a one-stop shop through which they can engage with everything from digital banking to retail or travel.
Gartner describes super apps as “Swiss Army knives” offering a “range of component tools (miniapps) that the user can use and remove as needed”. They are popular because “users, especially the younger generation born in the age of smartphones, demand mobile-first experiences that are powerful and easy to use”.
Super Apps are well established in Asia, Africa and even Latin America but despite their global success, the US, Europe and other western nations have not seen the arrival of a super app - yet.
Superapps are trending because users, especially the younger generation born in the age of smartphones, demand mobile-first experiences that are powerful and easy to use.
Gartner, What Is a Superapp?
Could this be the year this situation changes?
How to build a Super App
1. Develop a scalable architecture
Employ microservices and cloud-native infrastructure to enable modularity, scalability, and real-time responsiveness. A flexible API-first approach is critical for integrating third-party services and rapidly evolving features.
2. Prioritize customer-centric design
Use data-driven insights and advanced analytics to design user experiences tailored to individual needs, combining intuitive navigation, personalized recommendations, and frictionless onboarding.
3. Leverage AI for hyper-personalization:
Deploy AI and machine learning models to analyze customer behavior, delivering proactive financial advice, targeted product offerings, and real-time decision-making support.
4. Enhance interoperability
Ensure robust integration with existing financial systems and third-party providers. Interoperability with fintechs, e-commerce platforms, and other ecosystems will expand the app’s utility and value.
5. Adopt advanced security measures
Build trust through stringent security protocols, including biometric authentication, multi-factor verification, and real-time fraud detection powered by AI to protect sensitive user data.
6. Incorporate embedded finance capabilities
Offer services such as on-the-go credit, insurance, and wealth management within the app, seamlessly embedded into non-financial transactions.
7. Invest in open banking integration
Utilize open banking frameworks to enable secure data sharing, enrich app capabilities, and offer users access to consolidated financial information.
8. Build strategic alliances
Partner with lifestyle service providers, fintech innovators, and payment networks to deliver a comprehensive suite of functionalities that go beyond traditional banking.
9. Maintain regulatory agility
Monitor and adapt to changing financial and data privacy regulations, ensuring compliance while facilitating service innovation.
10. Iterate through customer feedback
Continuously refine the app using advanced user feedback analytics and A/B testing to align with evolving consumer expectations and market trends.
[Super apps] allow users to complete the transactions and the final steps to complete the purchase in a single workflow, eliminating any potential friction and drop-off risks in the process.
How hard will it be to convince consumers that a Super App is more convenient
The era of the super app will look different in the US, Canada, Australia, and Europe than it did in the APAC region.
One of the reasons super apps have not gained traction in the West is mainly due to the strict regulatory landscape, strong competition among specialized apps, and established consumer preferences for single-purpose solutions.
But we expect to see movement and energy in this space throughout 2025 as growing numbers of banks and financial institutions take the super app experiments to a new level. The results can still be transformative.
Want more insights?
If you wish to dive deeper into the topic of Super Apps and their benefits, read the full report that outlines both the struggles as well as the successful use cases of Super Apps in China, India or even in Latin America.
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