Super Apps: The Next Frontier in Digital Banking

The Rise of Super Apps in Financial Services

The digital banking landscape is undergoing a seismic shift. At the heart of this transformation is the emergence of super apps—multi-functional, all-in-one platforms that seamlessly integrate a wide array of services, from payments and banking to shopping, mobility, and beyond. Originating in Asia with trailblazers like WeChat and Alipay, super apps have redefined what consumers expect from digital experiences. Now, as demand for convenience, personalization, and financial inclusion accelerates globally, super apps are poised to become the next frontier in digital banking.

What Makes a Super App?

A super app is more than just a banking app with extra features. It is a digital ecosystem—a single platform where users can manage their finances, pay bills, shop, book rides, invest, and even access lifestyle services. For banks, this model offers a unique opportunity to embed financial services into the daily lives of customers, driving engagement and unlocking new revenue streams.

Key Benefits for Banks and Consumers

Convenience and Simplification: Super apps eliminate the need to juggle multiple apps, offering a unified experience for a range of financial and non-financial needs.
Enhanced Engagement: By providing a broader set of services, super apps keep users engaged longer, increasing opportunities for cross-selling and deeper customer relationships.
Monetization: The data and engagement generated by super apps enable banks to offer targeted products, personalized recommendations, and new fee-based services.
Financial Inclusion: In emerging markets, super apps can bridge the gap for underbanked populations, providing access to essential financial services through mobile devices.

The Strategic Dilemma: Embed or Develop?

As the super app model gains traction, banks face a pivotal strategic choice:

Embed: Partner with or provide services within third-party super apps, leveraging Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) or Payments-as-a-Service (PaaS) models. This approach allows banks to reach new customer segments quickly and cost-effectively, especially in markets where tech giants or fintechs dominate the digital ecosystem.
Develop: Build their own super app, creating a proprietary ecosystem that integrates banking with lifestyle, commerce, and other services. This path offers greater control over the customer experience and data, but requires significant investment, digital maturity, and the ability to compete on engagement and innovation.

When to Embed

Banks seeking rapid market entry, especially in regions where super apps already have scale.
Institutions aiming to become infrastructure providers, focusing on core banking and payments capabilities.
Organizations looking to access untapped or underserved segments through established platforms.

When to Develop

Banks with strong digital capabilities and a clear vision for customer-centric, lifestyle-driven experiences.
Institutions able to leverage open data and advanced analytics to personalize offerings across sub-apps.
Organizations with the regulatory expertise and trust to manage a complex, multi-service platform.

Market Data: The Super App Opportunity

Global super apps market size is projected to reach $426 billion by 2030.
In the U.S., 55% of consumers use a full-service banking app, 40% use peer-to-peer payments, and 46% have used a digital wallet. Among Gen Z, 85% have used a digital wallet in the past year.
The demand for integrated, mobile-first experiences is accelerating, with more than half of consumers expressing frustration at managing finances across multiple platforms.

Challenges on the Road to Super Apps

While the potential is vast, the journey to super app status is not without obstacles:

Integration Complexity: Bringing together diverse services and partners requires modern, API-driven architectures and robust data strategies.
Regulatory and Compliance Risks: Navigating data privacy, security, and cross-sector regulations is critical, especially as financial and non-financial services converge.
Competition: Tech giants and fintechs are moving quickly, raising the bar for user experience and innovation.
Legacy Technology: Many banks must modernize core systems to enable real-time data access, interoperability, and scalability.

Case Examples: Super App Innovation in Action

Deutsche Bank: By investing in cloud and AI-driven platforms, Deutsche Bank has built the foundation for integrating advanced digital services, including generative AI-powered compliance and productivity tools, within its ecosystem.
Société Générale: Leveraged AI to modernize legacy systems, transforming decades-old code into API-accessible services, enabling faster integration with new digital platforms.
BNP Paribas: Automated KYC and onboarding processes with AI, reducing onboarding times from weeks to hours and redeploying staff to higher-value client interactions.

How Publicis Sapient Supports Super App Transformation

Publicis Sapient partners with financial institutions at every stage of the super app journey:

Strategy & Roadmap: We help banks assess whether to embed or develop, define their target market, and build a business case for super app participation.
Technology Modernization: Our SPEED methodology (Strategy, Product, Experience, Engineering, Data & AI) enables banks to modernize legacy systems, implement cloud-native architectures, and build secure, scalable platforms ready for ecosystem integration.
AI & Personalization: We deploy generative and agentic AI to power hyper-personalized experiences, automate compliance, and drive operational efficiency—critical for super app success.
Ecosystem Orchestration: We design and implement API-driven ecosystems, enabling seamless integration with third-party services and partners.
Compliance & Risk Management: Our solutions embed regulatory controls and data privacy by design, ensuring trust and resilience as banks expand their digital footprint.

The Path Forward

Super apps are redefining the future of digital banking, offering unprecedented opportunities for growth, engagement, and innovation. Whether embedding within existing platforms or building their own, banks must act decisively—modernizing technology, embracing AI, and reimagining the customer experience. With the right strategy and partners, financial institutions can lead the next wave of digital disruption and deliver on the promise of the super app era.

Ready to explore your super app strategy? Publicis Sapient is your partner for digital business transformation—helping you navigate complexity, accelerate innovation, and unlock new value in the evolving world of financial services.