BELLA, a first-of-its-kind compassionate banking service that puts people before profits, today announced that its platform and companion debit card will launch on November 30.
Backed by nbkc bank, member FDIC, BELLA offers a new approach to banking, driven by community and powered by features that are uncommon, disruptive, and unconventional for the banking industry.
For its launch, BELLA is sharing the love with its early customers by putting up to $1M of its marketing budget towards surprise real-time cash back events during its first four weeks on the market (November 30 through December 31). Embodying a socially conscious ethos, BELLA seeks to build a community that genuinely wants to create a better world.
MEET BELLA
BELLA’s conversational experience is the first of its kind. An account with BELLA will give users access to a checking account, unlimited savings accounts, and its rainbow nbkc bank Visa Debit Card. Rather than communicating with a bot, members communicate with BELLA using Socratex, a re-imagined approach to user experience pioneered by BELLA and utilizing tech from conversational commerce giant Liveperson. Socratex combines high-efficiency software and AI to interpret users’ intents and provide a faster, more intuitive way to complete day-to-day banking operations.
“Our crazy mission is to inject love, beauty and empathy into the banking industry,” Angelo D’Alessandro, founder and CEO of BELLA, said. “We believe in serving our members as we would care for our family. We are there 24/7, and we share our marketing budget with them instead of spending it all on Facebook or Google ads. We believe this will help us create a community of people who are connected with our values. We are not asking people to close their accounts at traditional banks, instead we are giving them an option - a new banking service - which is totally free, fun and full of love.”
BELLA SERVICES
Each BELLA member will receive a BELLA rainbow debit card and have the ability to open one checking account and unlimited, goal-based BELLA savings accounts. Checking accounts can be personalized with photos and custom names. Transaction lists feature hashtags and images, and savings accounts can be created for each financial goal a user might have—big or small. There are no account minimums to open or maintain a BELLA account, nor does BELLA charge service fees, account maintenance or overdraft fees. Users can also take comfort knowing that BELLA is FDIC insured up to $5 million for each member on all checking and savings account deposits1 —far greater than the standard $250,000 FDIC insurance of most major banks.
BELLA Debit Card Features:
BELLA members are able to make cash withdrawals at any ATM that accepts Visa, globally. ATM operators may charge ATM fees, but BELLA reimburses at least two times a month for members.
Visa charges BELLA members a 1% FX fee on foreign currency transactions.
Access to the Visa brand payment network, with features including contactless payments, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.
BELLA “BLINK” and Banking Platform Features:
Karma Account
Karma is a key component of the BELLA community. Each user can deposit up to $20 into a personal “Karma Account” to surprise other BELLA members by paying it forward, whether that’s covering a coffee, taking care of a quick run to the convenience store, or similar small purchases. With a Karma Account, a BELLA member in New York City might have their purchase covered at random by a BELLA member in San Francisco—making the world a bit smaller and sharing love and kindness with the community.
BELLA Surprises You
BELLA is putting its marketing budget back into the accounts of its members with an innovative, randomized cashback program. BELLA’s surprise cashback rewards members with 5-200% cashback (up to $2,000), gifted at random, on occasional everyday purchases.
Unconventional Savings Rules
BELLA users can open as many savings accounts as they like. These accounts can operate traditionally, or users can set up a variety of conventional or unconventional savings rules which are fun, incentivized ways to save money and encourage good habits. For example, a user could set a rule to move $20 into their savings account every time it’s sunny in their hometown or move $50 every time their favorite sports team wins a game.
and more!
BELLA’s beauty goes further than its dedication to customers. All of the BELLA debit cards are made with recycled ocean plastic and are compatible with contactless enabled terminals. Members will receive the brand’s signature BELLA rainbow card. For future cards, BELLA has committed to partnering with selected artists who represent and share BELLA’s values in their lives and work. It’s a simple, daily reminder to users that the world is full of beauty.
The waitlist is currently open at www.bellaloves.me, and users who sign up and are approved November 30 through December 31 will receive exclusive “Founding Member” status.