One crucial aspect of operating a business is the way you choose to manage your finances. These days, when the internet is easily accessible from multiple devices, opting for digital banking services is a must for all industries, especially SMEs.
While some banks still operate in physical branches in the UAE, most elements of consumer banking have become accessible online. With a reliable internet connection and a smart device, you can transfer money between accounts, deposit cheques, and check your balance and transaction history, eliminating time-consuming and bothersome trips to the bank.
And with the increasing number of bank branches closing down globally, you need to keep up with the latest updates and developments of online banking. Otherwise, your business will be at risk of wasting business capital and time.
Here are nine reasons to talk to a reputable bank about investing in their digital banking services to manage your corporate finances better.
Table of Contents
1. Convenience
Convenience is probably the main reason for taking your business banking online. Unlike traditional banking that has rigid business hours, internet banking allows you to process transactions anytime. As a business, you don’t want to waste time getting stuck in road traffic or waiting in line to do important bank transactions.
If your business requires you to travel often, you can also do online banking wherever you are, provided that your smartphone, tablet, or other smart device has a steady internet connection. Because they are available 24/7, you can even access digital banking services on holidays. All you need to do is log in to your account to perform your business banking transactions on your preferred schedule.
2. Online bills payment services
With digital banking, you can pay your bills online. The bank can even store the payee’s information, which you can easily edit if you are to pay a different individual or amount later.
Similarly, payment for recurring bills can be scheduled in advance to avoid late-payment penalties. Most banks allow their customers to set an end date on cyclical payments if the bills have a specific payment period to prevent overpayment.
3. Lower banking costs
Bank transactions are not just time-consuming – they can be costly, too. But with the automated tools online banking offers, bank-related costs can be reduced or eliminated.
For instance, electronic fund transfers can help you do monthly payroll and pay routine expenses online, helping you save both time and money. You can also save on labour costs by making deposits, monitoring slow pays, and conducting other payment collection activities online.
4. Easy monitoring
Because of the multiple bank transactions you may need to complete in a month, you can easily miss unusual activities in your business account. But with easy access to your corporate finances, you can review your day-to-day transactions. Instead of heading to the bank or waiting for your bank statements, you can just sign in to your account and scrutinise your transaction history.
5. Fraud alerts
Businesses are highly susceptible to hackers, so make sure to customise your corporate banking system to notify you of any business activity. Set up your account to send notifications or alerts every time an account activity is performed.
Besides keeping you updated on your bank account activities, online banking can also help you identify potential fraud before it happens or make disputes for any fraudulent transactions.
6. Easier and faster bank transfers
Making bank transfers is easier and faster with online banking. It allows you to perform money transfers overnight or make wire transfers and direct deposits, which are among the quickest ways to transfer funds.
7. Easily secured product payments
With online banking, payments for your products are moved instantly from your customer’s bank account to your corporate account at the time products are ordered or delivered. As a result, the rate of cash moving in your business increases.
If you choose to use remote deposit capture, you can design a system that can accept payments in multiple formats, such as debit cards, paper cheques, and credit union. Securing payments can be made a lot easier, and customers highly appreciate its convenience.
8. Enhanced security
Reputable banks adopt multiple protection layers and partner with IT risk consultants to ensure that your company information remains safe and secure.
With the implementation of heavily encrypted transmission, the latest virus detection software, and numerous firewalls, financial institutions can provide the best tech solutions and security features to deter data theft and other digital threats, meaning your corporate information can benefit from optimal protection.
9. Eco-friendliness
Finally, both your business and the banks use less to no paper with online banking. Go green and do your part in saving the planet by partnering with a bank that offers paper-free transfers, e-statements, online client support, and other eco-friendly business banking services.
Tech innovations are changing how businesses manage their finances and deal with banks. Financial institutions today are embracing more value-added services to organisations, transforming their operating models to meet the increasing demands for digital solutions and convenience.
So if you are running a business, don’t hesitate to opt for digital banking services. When choosing online banking features, consider the allowable daily transactions you can make. Online banking can only be effective if you can perform all banking transactions when necessary. If your business maintains several accounts, choose features that automate account transfers on scheduled dates to keep your corporate money in interest-bearing accounts for as long as you can.