American Express Alexa Skill is About More Than Paying Bills
Joining other financial service companies like Capital One, American Express launched its own Alexa skill last week. The skill allows American Express customers to check their account balance, review recent charges and make a payment all with voice commands. To enable the skill, users just simply link their American Express account with the Alexa app to get started. And for those concerned about security, the AMEX skill requires a verbal digit pin before the skill can access a user’s account details.
Alexa as a Marketing Opportunity
The fact that a well-known financial institution like American Express has launched a skill is a sure sign that voice assistants like Alexa are becoming more mainstream. But unlike early financial service skills, American Express sees the Alexa skill as more than just another way to offer account details and services to consumers. The AMEX skill also provide Amex Offers “enabling Card Members to browse certain available limited time offers and add offers to their eligible Cards,” according to the company’s press release.
Like Amazon, American Express sees Alexa as an opportunity to drive additional revenue through product offerings. A consumer might not typically take the time to browse the offers on a website on a device but on a voice-first device, this friction can be reduced. If a consumer is already using the Alexa app to access their account, it’s easy enough to take a few additional seconds to listen to the Amex Offers option. Even having it has a menu option could increase awareness of the feature. And according to the company, it is “the first financial services skill for Alexa to integrate a benefit like Amex Offers.” I suspect they won’t be the only one for long.
