United Bank Limited has introduced Digital Buddy, an AI-powered assistant available on WhatsApp that allows customers to carry out everyday banking tasks through a chat interface. The service is designed to let users check account balances, transfer funds, locate nearby UBL branches and ATMs, pay bills, and top up mobile accounts, all without needing to open a separate banking app or visit a branch. Customers can access the assistant by saving the number 021-111-825-888 and sending a message to begin the conversation through WhatsApp.
Digital Buddy is built to handle a range of routine banking requests directly within the chat, including real-time balance checks and simple fund transfers between accounts. The assistant also allows users to locate the nearest UBL branch or ATM, process bill payments and mobile top-ups, and view the bank’s schedule of charges without navigating through separate documents or web pages. Customers can also use it to check for available discounts tied to their accounts or cards, giving the assistant a broader role than a standard balance-inquiry bot.
The launch reflects a wider shift among Pakistani banks toward conversational interfaces that operate through messaging platforms already in daily use, rather than requiring customers to download and manage a dedicated app for every task. By building the service on WhatsApp, UBL is aiming to reduce the friction involved in routine banking actions, letting users complete transactions and queries from within a messaging app they are already using for other purposes. The bank positioned the assistant as a step toward making banking interactions faster and more accessible for its customer base, particularly for simple, high-frequency tasks like balance checks and bill payments.
Customers can begin using the service by messaging UBL’s Digital Buddy directly through this WhatsApp link. Separately, UBL has directed customers with banking complaints to lodge them through the State Bank of Pakistan’s dedicated complaint portal here, keeping the WhatsApp assistant focused on transactional and informational banking tasks rather than complaint resolution. No details were shared on the number of users who have adopted the service so far, or on plans to expand Digital Buddy’s functionality beyond its current set of features, though the rollout points to continued investment by UBL in AI-driven customer service tools as digital banking adoption grows across Pakistan.
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