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Equity Bank’s chat banking platform enable customers to manage their accounts remotely and make transactions.

The platform dubbed Equity Virtual Assistant (EVA) presents banking transactions as virtual conversations on social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Telegram.

Some of the transactions that can be conducted on EVA include buying airtime, sending money, buying goods and services, paying bills, viewing account balances and getting a statement anytime.

“The launch of Equity Virtual Assistant, EVA, is in line with our journey to make our services and products available virtually and online,” said Equity Group chief executive James Mwangi.

He said the bank will continue to tap technology and products that are designed to give customers more freedom of choice, ease of access, convenience and control.

“We endeavor to deliver financial services to our customers wherever they are and at whatever time in a secure, convenient and flexible way,” he said.

EVA Chatbot is inspired by Equity’s investment in advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Robotics Process Automation and Advanced Analytics.

These technologies converge to create new and improved experience for customers who can now access banking services without leaving their favorite social messaging apps.

EVA adds to the innovations that have continued to drive Equity’s business transformation enabling it to transition from fixed cost to third party variable channels and self-service platforms.

The innovations saw the Bank’s transactions on mobile, internet, and third-party channels rise to 97.1 percent in the first quarter of 2022, compared to only 2.9 percent of transactions happening in physical branches and ATM outlets over the same period last year.