USAA releases tool for wounded warriors, visually impaired members

Source: USAA

"Push out." "Pull in." "Move right." "Move left." "Lift device." "Lower device." "Hold steady." "Image captured."

Simple commands like these now can prompt USAA's visually impaired members to properly position their mobile devices to capture and deposit checks through the mobile app. USAA is the first bank in the U.S. to offer voice-guided deposit. The new option is now available through an update to the USAA mobile app for iOS® and Android™ devices.

"Voice-guided deposit allows our members, regardless of ability, to perform the most basic of banking transactions from their mobile device," said Prianka Advani, assistant vice president at USAA Bank. "Our members and their needs are diverse, and each member deserves the unique world-class service that sets USAA apart."

Voice-guided Deposit@Mobile eliminates a top reason for which visually impaired members may need to visit a physical USAA location or ask friends and family for assistance. It is the latest enhancement to USAA's mobile app to improve the experience for visually impaired members. The launch of USAA's biometric logon technology using fingerprints, voice or facial recognition to authenticate a member's identification better protects members' personal information. As an additional benefit, the fingerprint-recognition technology allows visually impaired members to logon quickly without having to type a username and password on a device without a keyboard.

Voice-guided deposit is an example of USAA innovations, which provide its members with world-class experiences and digital tools to manage their financial needs when, where and how they wish. USAA was a pioneer in developing remote deposit capture through a mobile device and continues to innovate to expand accessibility to a community of members who were not previously able to enjoy the benefits of mobile check deposits. The technology behind voice-guided deposit is patent-pending.

How it works: Voice-guided deposit uses the accessibility features of a mobile device and the proprietary image-capture technology in the USAA mobile app to guide the member with verbal prompts.

  • First, members wishing to use voice-guided deposit must turn on the screen reader in the accessibility settings of their mobile device. For iOS® users, it is called VoiceOver. For Android™ users, it is called TalkBack.
  • Next, members simply logon to USAA's mobile app and follow voice prompts to reach the check deposit feature.
  • From there, the member's mobile device will provide clear instructions on how to position the device to capture the check image, both front and back, and deposit it in the appropriate account.

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