From Passive to Proactive: How Banks Can Drive Real Financial Engagement with PFM + Gamification

Azmeen Ansar

Growth Marketing Manager | Jun 21, 2025

In today’s saturated digital banking landscape, most apps are functional, but few are truly engaging. Customers can check their balance, review transactions, maybe even create a savings goal. But are they coming back daily? Are they taking action on insights? Are they emotionally invested?

That’s where the combination of Strands’ Personal Finance Management (PFM) and Perx’s gamification engine delivers a breakthrough.

When insights meet motivation, banks can move from offering features… to creating behavioral change.

The Engagement Gap in Digital Banking

Today’s digital users expect more than static dashboards or one-size-fits-all advice. They want relevance, instant value, and emotional payoff. Most banking apps provide the “what” (where your money went), but not the “why” or “what’s next.”

Strands closes that gap through a powerful engine of financial insights and nudges, surfacing opportunities like:

“You’ve spent 30% more on transport this month.”
“A new recurring subscription was detected.”
“Your liquidity may be at risk by mid-month.”

But what if these insights didn’t just inform—but inspired?

That’s where Perx comes in.

Motivation Meets Intelligence

Perx transforms financial moments into engaging, gamified experiences, turning routine savings or budgeting into habit-forming actions. Whether it’s a stamp campaign, a surprise reward, or a progress bar with rewarding milestones, Perx adds an emotional dimension to the journey.

When combined with Strands’ contextual insights, banks gain the ability to:

Trigger gamified actions based on real-time financial behaviors
Deliver tailored rewards when users hit key milestones
Encourage ongoing engagement, not just one-time clickss

It’s not just smarter banking, it’s emotionally intelligent banking.

A Day in the Life: Multi-User Engagement Done Right

Consider a modern family using a banking app powered by Strands’ Family Banking module. Each family member has visibility over their own budgets, while parents oversee shared goals like holiday savings or household expenses.

One weekend, the parents receive an insight: “You’re on track to exceed your shared grocery budget by 20%.” They decide to challenge the family to stick to their plan for the rest of the month.

Strands flags this insight. Perx steps in: a gamified challenge is launched—“Spend Smart, Win Together.” If they stay within budget, they unlock a shared family reward, like a cashback check they can use in their favorite grocery store.

This micro-journey creates:

Habitual app use
Deeper emotional connection with the brand
New monetization points through reward-linked services

The Power of Partnership

At Strands, we build the foundation, surfacing personalized insights that guide smarter financial decisions. Perx takes that further, injecting fun, reward, and emotional value into every interaction.

Together, we help banks transform from passive platforms into active financial wellness partners—one insight, one challenge, and one journey at a time.

Want to learn how to turn data into action?

Explore our joint gamification playbook with Perx or get in touch to co-create the next generation of customer journeys.

Let’s build smarter, more engaging banking, together.