PTSB, Redefining the digital banking experience for one of Ireland's leading financial institutions

The brief

As customer expectations shifted toward mobile-first banking, Permanent TSB (PTSB) recognised the need to transform their digital offering. Their existing platform required a modern, user-centric overhaul to compete with digital-only “challenger” banks while maintaining the security and trust of a traditional pillar bank. They needed a partner who could not only engineer a high-performance app but also deeply understand the complex regulatory and security landscape of the financial services industry.

The goal

The objective was to design and build a world-class mobile banking experience for iOS and Android that would drive customer engagement and digital adoption. Specifically, the project aimed to:

• Increase user penetration. Transition the majority of the bank’s active customer base to the mobile platform.
• Simplify complex journeys. Make everyday banking tasks (payments, transfers, card management) intuitive and frictionless.
• Ensure industrial-grade security. Implement robust authentication and data protection measures without compromising the user experience.
• Future-proof the technology. Build a scalable architecture that allows for continuous innovation and the rapid deployment of new banking features.

The solution

Marino partnered with PTSB to deliver a comprehensive digital transformation, integrating directly with the bank’s internal teams:

• User-centric design. Extensive usability testing and research mapped out customer pain points, leading to a streamlined interface that prioritises the most-used banking features.
• Full-stack engineering. Our team managed the end-to-end development of the native iOS and Android applications, ensuring high performance and deep integration with the bank’s core systems.
• Secure authentication. Biometric login (FaceID/TouchID) and strong customer authentication (SCA) meet PSD2 regulations while keeping the login process fast.
• Continuous evolution. Rather than a “one and done” launch, we established a product roadmap and a continuous delivery pipeline, allowing for frequent updates based on real-time user feedback.

The outcome

The PTSB app has become a benchmark for digital banking in Ireland, achieving industry-leading engagement metrics:

• 90% user penetration, the app has achieved an incredibly high adoption rate, becoming the primary touchpoint for the vast majority of PTSB customers.
• Top-rated experience. The app consistently maintains high ratings on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, reflecting a significant improvement in customer satisfaction.
• Operational efficiency. By enabling customers to self-serve for tasks like card freezing and PIN recovery, the app has significantly reduced the volume of routine queries to branches and call centres.
• Scalable innovation. The robust foundation built by Marino allows PTSB to regularly roll out new features, such as digital personal loan applications and advanced budgeting tools.