Russia's VTB is exploring new technologies with a pair of pilots, one that lets customers view notifications in augmented reality and the other letting them pay for metro rides with their faces.
The AR feature lets iOS VTB online app users navigate to their notification feed an select the item they want from the menu.
They then scan their VTB card: If the card is placed horizontally, information on available funds and the number of accumulated bonuses will be displayed, if the card is place vertically, then the notification feed will be displayed.
Customers can then scroll through the notification feed and switch between filters by tilting the map or touching the screen.
An Android version will launch soon, with VTB running the test until the end of the year before deciding whether to make it a permanent feature.
Meanwhile, the bank is joining forces with the Moscow Metro to pilot the use of facial recognition technology.
Customers that submit their biometric data and link a bank card will be able to walk through turnstiles at all Moscow Metro stations, with funds automatically debited.
The test builds on a Moscow Metro experiment from earlier in the year that initially operated on just a small part of the transit network.