Context
Banisi had been strengthening its digital experience and decided to take it a step further: listen to how its customers wanted to interact with the bank. For people with packed schedules, opening an account shouldn't mean adding a branch visit or switching between several interfaces.
So the bank opened a new acquisition channel on WhatsApp, a space its customers already use every day, and moved the entire onboarding process there.
The challenge
The challenge was to bring a regulated process into an everyday channel without losing security or traceability. Identity, biometrics, documentation and signing needed to work as a single experience — fast for the customer and robust for the bank.
The key was reducing steps while keeping KYC/AML controls intact from start to finish, without ever taking the user out of the conversation.
The solution
Banisi rolled out a WhatsApp onboarding flow that guides data capture, receives documents, validates identity through biometrics and completes the e-signature — no branch visit required.
Every step is digitally logged and connected to the systems behind account opening. The conversation works as both the acquisition interface and the operational environment for completing the process, built on Brain Studio, Jelou's platform for designing conversational agents.
Results
Between May 2025 and July 2026, Banisi opened 8,093 savings accounts via WhatsApp. The account-opening rate grew 146% versus the previous web channel, and the process can be completed in under five minutes.
Account opening runs 100% remotely: identity, biometrics, documentation, signing and activation are all completed without requiring a branch visit. This puts Banisi at the forefront of conversational banking, resolving regulated processes directly inside the chat.
Voice of the customer
"This truly reflects that we listen to our customers. We know what matters to them, and that's why we decided to bring the banking experience to where the customer already is, every day."
Juan Emilio Lasso
CEO, Banisi
