Launching a digital bank involves navigating regulatory complexities, making critical technology decisions, and prioritizing customer-centric innovation. Partners Banka, established in the Czech Republic in December 2020, provides practical insights into this challenging yet rewarding journey.
Back in 2020, a small team came together with no name, no legacy systems, and no app — just a bold vision: to build a bank from the ground up. One that doesn’t just follow the industry playbook, but writes its own.
What drove them? Passion. The desire to shake up the traditional banking model and offer something the Czech market was missing — a seamless connection between daily banking and real financial advice. Not the kind that’s buried in fine print or locked behind a paywall, but the kind that’s built into the banking experience from day one. Helpful, human, and actually useful.
From the first whiteboard sketches to choosing the right payment rails, from regulation-ready architecture to debating which feature deserves the home screen — every step of the journey was guided by one goal: to make banking smarter, simpler, and truly customer-first.
Getting a banking license: No shortcuts, no outsourcing the hard stuff
Acquiring a banking license is demanding and often underestimated. Partners Banka managed the majority (98%) of this process internally, supported by Deloitte Legal and Greats Advokáti.
Over the course of 889 days, they prepared and submitted over 4,000 documents (yes, that’s 3.6 GB of paperwork across three full submissions). Every page, every detail, meticulously reviewed. And the Czech National Bank officially granted the banking license on August 25, 2023.
Just to give you a taste of the regulatory deep dive — the team recorded around 38,000 financial advisory calls as part of the compliance process. Because when you’re building something big, the only way out is through.
Core Product Priorities When Launching a Digital Bank
Before going live, Partners Banka did what smart product teams do — they launched a pilot app in June 2023 to gather real feedback from real people. That input helped shape their first big bets, all centered around one thing: a banking experience that feels intuitive, instant, and effortless.
1. Mobile-Only Onboarding: Quick and Seamless
From day one, onboarding was treated as a make-or-break moment. Using Czech BankID, Partners Banka lets users open a full bank account entirely on mobile in under 4 minutes. No paperwork. No waiting. Just a few taps. And once you're in, logging back in is just as smooth — averaging 3.58 seconds with Face ID on iOS and about 5 seconds via fingerprint on Android. That’s frictionless by design.
2. Instant Payments: Reliable and Fast
Nobody likes waiting for their money to move. So instant payments were a launch priority — not an afterthought. Thanks to smart integration with the Czech national clearing system, most payments land within 10 seconds, with the whole journey (including login and confirmation) clocking in at just 13 seconds on average. Fast, predictable, and confidence-boosting — exactly what users expect in 2025.
3. Secure and Convenient Virtual Cards
When you’re building a digital-first bank, virtual cards aren’t a feature. They’re the standard. Partners Banka rolled out single-use virtual cards that automatically refresh after each transaction. No manual steps, no stress. Customers loved the convenience, but even more so the peace of mind they got when shopping online. No more typing in the same card number everywhere. Just tap, pay, done.
4. Transaction Data Enrichment: Central to Customer Experience
Let’s be honest — raw transaction data can be a mess. That’s why data enrichment was baked into Partners Banka’s tech stack from day one. Merchant names that actually make sense, logos where they belong — the app tells you exactly where your money went. And customers noticed. Confusion dropped, support tickets fell, and suddenly, “What is this charge?” became a question of the past.
“From the start, we saw enriched transaction data as a core part of our UX strategy. If users can’t tell where they paid, it undermines the basics of what a banking app is supposed to deliver. Showing merchant names, logos, and adding context to a transaction might seem like small things—but for us, they were among the first things we decided to build. Working with Tapix helped us implement this quickly and at a high standard, which was essential during such a fast-moving launch phase.”
— Lukáš Klíma, Product Owner, Partners Banka
Partners Banka plans to further enhance transaction data utilization through its "Chytrá bilance" initiative. This will leverage advanced categorization alongside Partners Banka’s financial advisory capabilities, offering deeper insights into spending habits and financial health rather than simple transaction tracking.
5. Smart Money, Smart Features: What’s Next for Partners Banka
The team at Partners Banka isn’t stopping at clean transaction feeds. Their next big move is Chytrá bilance – a feature set that goes beyond simple tracking and dives into real financial insights. Think advanced categorization meets actionable financial advice. It’s where transaction data and financial coaching come together to help users understand not just where their money went — but offering deeper insights into spending habits and financial health rather than simple transaction tracking.
One Codebase to Rule Them All
On the tech side, they’ve taken a bold yet pragmatic route: one unified team using React Native to manage both Android and iOS apps.
CIO Jiří Charousek highlights, "One team managing both Android and iOS apps ensures consistent user experience, accelerated updates, and efficient use of resources. It allows us to rapidly implement customer feedback, keeping our app highly responsive and user-friendly."
Beyond core banking functionalities, Partners Banka introduced several user-focused innovations:
- Sweep Accounts: Automatically maintain a preset minimum balance, providing effortless financial management.
- Custom Account Numbers: Customers can choose their account number based on their phone number, date of birth, or select from three suggested numbers—including the option to create a custom one.
- Customizable Dashboards: Enable users to personalize product arrangement, creating a tailored banking experience.
- Drag & drop: Clearly illustrated drag & drop to move money with a swipe of your finger and quickly confirm the amount to move.
- Youth Financial Education Pilot: Financial literacy programs targeting children aged 9–15, encouraging early financial awareness.
- Digital Mortgage Process: Piloted comprehensive digital mortgage origination and refinancing processes to streamline traditionally complex procedures.
Making Noise – the Right Kind
And when it came time to introduce themselves to the world, Partners Banka did it in style — teaming up with award-winning Czech musician Pokáč to create campaigns that were catchy, clever, and totally on brand. Simplicity, transparency, and personalized advice were front and center — not just in the product, but in the message.
Partners Banka at a Glance
- Clients: 116 000 (7-8k new joiners each month)
- Monthly Card Payments: ~1.25 million (+25% MoM growth)
- Deposits: CZK 45 billion (~EUR 1.78 billion)
- Loans Issued: CZK 0.5 billion (~EUR 19.84 million)
- Monthly Standing Orders: CZK 200 million (~EUR 7.98 million)
Source: Partners Banka data, April 2025
Partners Banka’s journey offers a masterclass in how to launch a digital bank that gets it right — balancing bold innovation with regulatory precision, all while building a tech stack that puts the customer first. Superior user experience doesn’t happen by accident. It starts with enriched transaction data from day one.
