How USAA Builds Digital Experiences Around Its Members

Kristina Tanner from USAA explains that the organisation looks at technology first and foremost through the lens of member experience. New tools and platforms aren’t adopted just because they’re trendy or cutting-edge and Tanner stresses that the key questions are always: what does this actually do for the member, does it make their life easier, does it delight them, does it exceed their expectations, and does it strengthen their financial security or protect it in some way?

USAA has been operating digitally for a long time, largely because its member base has always been geographically dispersed, often around the world due to its strong ties to the military community with that distribution pushed USAA early toward remote, digital service models. From her perspective, technology has always been a means to better serve members at a distance, not an end in itself or a cost-cutting exercise dressed up as innovation.

Tanner highlights the importance of looking beyond the financial sector when thinking about digital experiences. Members and customers live on their phones, and their expectations are shaped just as much by e-commerce, travel, social and entertainment apps as by their bank. If a ride-hailing or retail app offers a frictionless, intuitive journey, people start to expect that same simplicity in their financial lives. That means banks need to keep an eye on the broader digital ecosystem, not just on what other financial institutions are doing.

Tanner also underlines USAA’s digital maturity with some concrete numbers: over 94% of members interact with the organisation through digital channels, and more than three quarters of sales are completed digitally; with USAA expecting those figures to keep rising as digital becomes the default way members engage. The overarching message is clear: technology only matters when it meaningfully improves outcomes for customers.

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