Plum opens up equity investment for its clients

The British FinTech Plum has until now specialised in automated savings. Its ambitions now seem to have broadened, as it has just announced that it is opening up to two activities with the deployment of an equity investment service and the launch of a debit card. This will move its application from being a PFM service to a more comprehensive financial service.

FACTS

• Plum's smart personal finance app will now allow its users to invest in the stock market without leaving their mobile app.

• Some 500 US stocks (in popular world-class companies such as Google, Meta or Amazon) are now available for investment, starting at just €1, as part of a Basic offer. The service is free of charge, with no subscription fees.

• A new Premium service format is also to provide access to 1,000 shares (3,000 even in the medium term). However, it will be subject to a subscription fee of €9.99 per month.

• In addition to this announcement, Plum also wanted to launch a new classic payment service to facilitate the day-to-day management of its customers' finances. This payment method takes the form of a debit card, made of recyclable plastic.

• Available free of charge to Plum's Pros and Premium customers, this Visa card will allow users to pay online, contactless or directly at merchants, or withdraw money at no extra cost anywhere in Europe.

• In addition to Ireland, Plum is introducing these new services to its customers in France, Spain and Belgium, having already offered them in the UK.

CHALLENGES

• From savings to investment: Originally dedicated to savings, Plum is taking advantage of the democratisation of the stock market to extend its offer, firstly, to a service related to its core business. More than impulse savings, Plum intends to position itself as a support for long-term investment.

• Compensating for inflation: Plum's opening up to stock market investment is also presented as a way for the FinTech to help its customers not only to suffer but also to benefit from inflation in the long term. Investing excess savings in the stock market offers a way, according to Plum, to benefit from rising prices for its investments.

• Strengthening its core business: In addition to diversification, Plum's debit card is also presented as a way for the FinTech to strengthen its core business. Customers can load their card directly from a bank account or from their main Plum account. This prepaid system is, according to Plum, a way to strengthen its core service of improving personal spending management and budget control.

MARKET PERSPECTIVE

• Plum's application now has 1.3 million users in Europe, including about 100,000 in France.

• Today, it is counting on the presentation of its new services as arguments that have enabled it to become a financial super-app.