The digital revolution in Czech banking has reached a new milestone, with 4.65 million people now using bank identity services – representing 70 percent of the adult population. Over the past year alone, the number of users has grown by 650,000.
According to Marek Růžička, CEO of Bank Identity, users access government portals an average of seven times annually. Eleven major banks currently offer this authentication service, allowing customers to use their banking credentials for various non-banking applications.
The system has proven particularly valuable in education, with parents of 106,000 ninth-graders using it for high school applications last year. Citizens also regularly use it to access the Citizen’s Portal for services like driver’s license applications and digital mailbox access.
Social benefit applications have seen significant digital adoption, with over 539,000 electronic applications submitted last year for housing allowances, child benefits, and parental allowances. The latter has achieved a remarkable milestone, with online applications now exceeding 50% of all submissions.
The service is free for bank clients and maintains strict privacy standards – government agencies can’t access bank accounts, and banks can’t see user activities. Beyond government services, bank identity can now be used for commercial purposes, including energy provider selection, healthcare services access, and electronic contract signing.