Revolut Debuts In-App Messaging Service

Revolut announced the launch of a new in-app chat feature on Wednesday (Nov. 2) that allows users to send messages to one another.

Pointing to its own recent European survey data in a press release, Revolut said that two-thirds of people find it difficult to discuss money and that the new messaging service for U.K. and EEA customers is meant to make those conversations less awkward.

“We’re delighted to bring instant messaging to our customers, moving us one step closer to being a global financial super app. We listened to our customers who said they wanted to be able to discuss and clarify payment details within the app, rather than having to swap between Revolut and different messaging apps to send or receive funds,” said Nikolay Storonsky, CEO of Revolut.

Currently, Europe represents Revolut’s largest market. The firm has a banking license in the EU and an electronic money license in the U.K. In the past year, Revolut has been talking up its status as a “super app,” but as PYMNTS has reported, the lack of a full U.K. banking license is a significant barrier to achieving this vision.

Read on: Lack of UK Bank License Thwarts Revolut’s Super App Ambition

Customers using the Revolut app on iOS or Android will find the new feature under the ‘Transfer’ tab of the app. The chat window opens upon selecting a contact to message. App users will need the 8.72 update or later to access the service.

Revolut said that it designed the new feature with a focus on security. All chat messages are end-to-end encrypted, and users can either enable or disable it completely in the ‘Security & Privacy’ section. They can also block other users. The chat function is not available for Revolut users younger than 18 years old, and messages can only be sent to recipients if the sender already has their phone number saved or there is payment history between the two accounts.

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