Debut is a new kind of bank being shaped by Kiwis like you. The idea behind why we have set out to build a new bank is to create a service that offers Kiwis something valuable and to roll out a level of service and utility that is much better than anything else currently available. It’s a good goal, and we’re confident we’ll get there by inviting our customers to take part throughout this journey. That’s why we recently put it to the public to let us know what they think Debut should include on our new payment cards.
Regardless of whether you call it a bank card, a payment card or a debit card, it is nearly impossible to talk about modern personal banking without bringing up cards. Our card idea competition is one of several ways we’re actively seeking feedback, thoughts, ideas and perspectives from people across Aotearoa. We love hearing from you.
One of the best places to discuss these ideas is in our open community forum, affectionately called Backstage Making Debut. If this were an episode of MTV Cribs, I’d say that Backstage is where the magic happens. Here’s a space where customers can voice their ideas, thoughts and opinions about banking, payments, budgeting, managing personal finances and, of course, how we can make Debut a better bank for everyone. It’s also where we share what we’re working on.
Backstage is home to our Living Roadmap. In many cases, we’ve taken inspiration directly from conversations and topics raised by community members. It’s neat to see how these topics graduate from someone’s “what if” post to a feature on the roadmap that continues to evolve as we work on putting Debut together.
Early on when planning Debut’s product roadmap, we knew we wanted to bring virtual cards to New Zealand that support both online and contactless payments. Debut would need a physical payment card as well. Once again, we decided to look to the community for guidance.
Your Debut bank card will be one of the rare instances where Debut is tangible and physically with you, in your wallet or purse in a form you can hold and touch. The ideas stand to influence both our virtual as well as our real-world payment cards, and that’s why we see them as a unique opportunity where we can:
- Make Banking Better for all Kiwis.
- Represent the beautiful and unique qualities of New Zealand.
I’ll tell you right now, there are some genuinely fantastic insights to be gleaned from the ideas, stories and concepts people have sent through so far. From classic and quirky Kiwiana to artisan carvings and stories from Māori whakapapa to minimalist modern art and design rich in thoughtful symbolism of our country’s beautiful, blended history, these concepts demonstrate a cross-section of New Zealanders and celebrate what makes us unique. We’ve seen some clever ideas to help make our cards easier to identify and use by people with vision impairment and those looking for ways to be a little kinder to the planet through creative materials.
Entries for our Card Idea Competition are open until the end of April.
Of course, the card competition is not the only way we’re collecting feedback from Kiwis. In a previous article, I wrote about the results of our poll where we asked what people thought was most important when trying to free up some money: Cutting Costs or Generating Passive Income? Internally, we were split on what we thought people might say, and it came as a big surprise when the public voted right down the middle, choosing both. This result inspired us to expand our offering in both of these areas.
We’re continually learning new things and finding out more about our customers’ unique situations and perspectives. It’s truly humbling to see the outpouring of support in messages, emails, comments and wonderful community topics from all of you. Please keep it coming. Every bit of it helps to shape Debut. Thanks so much.
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Please note, Debut is not a registered bank under the Banking (Prudential Supervision) Act. This is about our future intentions. Investments with us are not supervised currently by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.
