For Filipinos saving toward a goal or entrepreneurs launching a venture, opening a bank account should help them move forward. Union Bank of the Philippines is making that first step easier through digital tools that bring account applications, identity verification, and activation into one connected experience.
That approach earned UnionBank the Digital Onboarding Excellence Champion 2026 for Southeast Asia recognition from Capital Finance International (CFI.co), which highlighted the bank’s efforts to make financial services more accessible while maintaining responsible security checks.
The benefits begin with practical conveniences. Customers can apply through self-service channels, save unfinished forms and resume later, verify their identity electronically, complete selfie liveness checks, and activate accounts through the app. Together, these features help customers progress from application to their first transaction with fewer interruptions.
CFI.co also recognized the bank’s balance of customer convenience, verification measures, and human expertise—key elements in making digital banking both easier to use and trustworthy.
“We are honored and humbled by CFI.co’s recognition. It affirms our belief that innovation should create meaningful value for our customers,” said UnionBank Digital Channels Head AJ Atienza.
“Every innovation we build starts with a simple question: how can we make banking easier, more accessible, and more relevant to our customers’ daily lives? Our goal has always been to bring banking closer to them, remove barriers, and help them unlock financial possibilities so they can live life on their own terms.”
UnionBank has extended its digital onboarding capabilities across personal and business banking products, including accounts, credit cards, payroll, investments, and business banking solutions.
For individuals, its digital platforms connect account access with everyday needs such as transferring funds, paying bills, and managing savings. Customers can also apply for credit cards through the website, track application status through the mobile app, and monitor spending to help keep their finances on course.
For small business owners, simpler account opening can ease one of the first administrative hurdles of starting a venture. Through the UB Negosyante App, entrepreneurs can open a BizStarter Account fully online, without branch visits or paperwork, with an initial deposit of P5,000.
The service gives aspiring entrepreneurs and small businesses a more convenient way to establish their banking relationship and access tools that support their operations.
As businesses grow, their financial needs become more complex. UnionBank’s The Portal, an online corporate and business banking platform, enables clients to manage payments, payroll, and checks digitally. By reducing paperwork and streamlining routine transactions, the platform helps businesses spend less time on administrative processes and more time running their operations.
“From our retail to our corporate clients, UnionBank aims to make the banking journey as simple as possible. We will keep investing in technology and talent to elevate the banking experience,” Atienza said.
For customers, the value of digital onboarding extends beyond opening an account. It creates an easier entry point to the financial services they need to save, transact, start a business, and pursue their next goal.
Union Bank of the Philippines is regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Deposits are insured by PDIC up to P1 million per depositor. For more information, visit www.unionbankph.com or call (+632) 8841-8600.
