How Embedded Finance Is Powering a Frictionless Financial Shopping Experience
Leaders at Citizens and MoneyLion
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In a world where one-click checkout is the norm, consumers have grown to expect the same level of speed, ease, and personalization in every transaction—financial services included. But delivering a retail-like, frictionless experience in finance comes with a unique set of challenges.
In a recent webcast hosted by Engine by MoneyLion, leaders from Citizens and MoneyLion explored how embedded finance, open banking, and data-driven personalization are helping financial institutions meet rising expectations. Here are some of the key themes from the conversation.
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Consumers now expect to engage with financial products the same way they shop for anything else—at the point of need, within trusted platforms, and with minimal friction. Embedded finance is making this a reality by integrating financial services directly into everyday digital experiences.
Jon Kaplan, Chief Revenue Officer at MoneyLion, drew a powerful parallel to the retail world: “Consumers are going from Amazon to our financial experiences, so their expectations are that it's going to be really similar to the places that have already figured out how to take all the friction out of the process,” he said. He emphasized that financial services must rise to the same standard consumers have come to expect in retail.
Kaplan also pointed to how retailers have embraced distributed commerce—selling on their own sites, Amazon, Instagram, TikTok—and urged financial services to think the same way. “Consumers want to engage wherever they are,” he said. Embedded finance enables this shift, allowing banks and fintechs to meet users in non-traditional channels with relevant, timely offers—while still upholding the security and compliance essential to financial transactions.
Taira Hall, Head of Enterprise Payments at Citizens, echoed the sentiment: “We're not changing how retail works—we're bringing more financial services to the customer at the point of need.” Whether it’s a small business managing payroll through software or a consumer applying for a loan in-app, the financial layer is becoming increasingly embedded—and often invisible.
End-to-End Experiences Are Non-Negotiable
As digital expectations continue to rise, a seamless journey—from product discovery through decisioning and checkout—is no longer a nice-to-have; it’s expected. Consumers demand this continuity, and for small business customers, the need is even more urgent.
Mark Valentino, President of Business Banking at Citizens, acknowledged the industry’s progress but pointed to digital channels as a key area for continued improvement. “Whether customers are walking into a branch or applying online, the experience needs to be excellent across the board,” he said.
Taira Hall, Head of Enterprise Payments at Citizens, expanded on the stakes for small businesses. “What we're really thinking about is: where do our customers interact, and where do they need those services to be provided at the point of need?”
For many business owners, that’s within the software they use daily—accounting, payroll, invoicing, payments, and more. “Small businesses today are probably interacting with at least 10 providers, if not more, to run and manage their business,” Hall noted. “Those are separate logins, separate data, separate systems. Our focus is on stitching those experiences together holistically.”
To meet this challenge, Citizens is partnering with best-in-class providers and building an ecosystem where key tasks—from forming an LLC to managing suppliers—feel connected, not fragmented. As Hall put it, “It’s not just about bringing a full set of solutions; it’s about embedding them in ways that reduce friction and deliver value at every stage of the business lifecycle.”
The takeaway: disconnected experiences won’t cut it. Financial institutions must deliver integrated, intuitive solutions within the tools their customers already trust.
Data Is the Engine Driving Personalization
Personalized financial experiences hinge on smart, connected data. The better institutions become at integrating their data ecosystems, the more seamless and relevant the customer journey becomes.
Jon Kaplan, Chief Revenue Officer at MoneyLion, noted that the gold standard for personalization has already been set—by retail. “Retailers use past transaction data to personalize experiences, bundle products, and simplify checkout,” he said. “Shopify’s Shop Pay, for example, pre-fills all my info and makes checkout a one-click experience. That’s the bar we’re up against.”
At MoneyLion, Kaplan explained, personalization is driven by a blend of real-time credit data, bank integrations like Plaid, alternative data sources, and proprietary network insights. “Our goal is to deliver highly targeted offers wherever the consumer wants to transact—pre-filling applications, eliminating redundant steps, and creating the financial equivalent of one-click checkout.”
Mark Valentino, President of Business Banking at Citizens, reinforced this perspective and extended it. “We’re looking at our data assets and exploring how to combine them—especially in today’s open banking environment—with the right partners at the right moments,” he said.
Citizens is focused on syncing customer data, fintech integrations, and emerging technologies to create cohesive, personalized journeys across platforms. “It’s not just about single sign-on or prettier interfaces,” Valentino added. “We want to eliminate that disjointed feeling customers get when bouncing between systems. We’re painting a more holistic picture.”
That means surfacing the right product at the right moment—and ensuring data flows across payments, lending, accounting, and engagement tools in real time. Achieving this vision relies on trusted partnerships, secure data-sharing, and consent-driven frameworks.
“There’s meaningful work to be done around customer permissions, risk, and compliance,” Valentino acknowledged. “But when those pieces come together, personalization stops being just a marketing tool—it becomes infrastructure.”
Kaplan echoed the importance of this foundation, citing MoneyLion’s Engine platform as an example. It enables financial institutions to merge partner data with proprietary insights, delivering qualified offers in real time across distributed channels. The result: fewer dead ends, more approvals, and a shopping-like experience—powered by secure, intelligent systems.
Content and Commerce Are Converging
Content and consumer finance are rapidly merging, reshaping how younger generations learn about and engage with money. Where financial literacy once came primarily from advisors or formal materials, it's now emerging organically on platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram—alongside memes, dance trends, and everyday content. Financial influencers have become trusted sources, and the numbers back it up: TikTok reports that a third of its users seek financial information on the platform, and over 20% have discovered a new banking or finance product there.
This shift is changing the way financial services connect with consumers. Education is being embedded in entertainment, and product discovery is happening through content. A standout part of the discussion focused on how MoneyLion is tapping into this trend—bringing content, data, and distribution together to create a TikTok-like experience inside its app. By blending plain-language financial education with influencer-led content and timely, relevant product offers, MoneyLion is making finance more approachable and actionable.
A recent campaign with YouTube megastar MrBeast showcased this strategy in action. The partnership blended entertainment and financial education in a way that resonated with younger users—and delivered results. As Chief Revenue Officer Jon Kaplan shared, the campaign brought in millions of new users and drove a triple-digit increase in daily app engagement. “We’ve built a TikTok-like experience into the app,” Kaplan said. “We’re combining content, data, and distribution to meet users where they are—and move them forward financially.”
Banks Still Hold a Trust Advantage—But Innovation Is Key
Fintechs may have set the pace for sleek digital experiences, but banks continue to lead in trust, compliance, and long-standing customer relationships. The real opportunity lies in combining those strengths with agile technology and smart ecosystem partnerships.
Taira Hall, Head of Enterprise Payments at Citizens, highlighted the importance of customer centricity. “One of our key advantages is meeting customers across multiple channels—whether that’s in-branch with personalized service or through digital and mobile platforms. Our strength lies in blending human expertise to meet evolving customer expectations.”
Mark Valentino, President of Business Banking at Citizens, put it plainly: “If you fall behind on customer experience, someone else will come along and take that share. Banks need to keep pushing forward.”
He added that innovation doesn’t mean starting from scratch—it means working smarter through collaboration. “What’s exciting is the wave of fintech solutions emerging right now. Many of these partners are already helping banks streamline onboarding and reduce friction in ways we haven’t seen before.”
The bottom line: trust remains a competitive edge—but staying relevant means pairing that trust with forward-looking technology and the right partners.
The Future of Financial Services Is Blended
The panel agreed: the future of embedded finance isn’t just about distribution—it’s about anticipating customer needs and delivering seamless, context-aware experiences across channels.
Whether it’s a consumer receiving a personalized credit card offer during checkout or a business owner getting capital recommendations powered by real-time data, expectations are rising—and financial services must keep pace.
Taira Hall, Head of Enterprise Payments at Citizens, captured the shift: “In the future, it might be hard to distinguish where the brand ends and the bank begins. That’s the direction we’re heading.”
Mark Valentino, President of Business Banking at Citizens, pointed to how quickly the landscape is evolving. “What used to be done on paper just five years ago is now handled digitally—and far more efficiently. With APIs and modern tech, banks can run background checks and credit assessments almost instantly. I think onboarding will accelerate significantly in the next one to three years, especially with AI in the mix. There’s a lot to be excited about.”
The takeaway: financial services are moving toward a blended model—where intelligence, integration, and invisibility define the customer experience.