Online banking has made life easier, but assuming you use proper cyber security practices, entering your email and password every time can be a bit of a pain. However, Amazon Echo now makes it easier to check your status. All you have to do is connect your bank — a quick and private process — and then ask Alexa to tell you your balance. The only concern at that point is who might be within earshot.
The process, by the way, does not require sharing personal banking information with Amazon. The downside is that the list of compatible banks is quite limited. While our research didn’t yield a master list, these are the financial institutions we know have Alexa skills:
- JP Morgan
- Capital one
- PayPal
- Bank of America
- TD Ameritrade
- Amex
- Ally
- First Hawaiian Bank
If you are not a client of one of these banks, then you are unfortunately out of luck. However, new Alexa skills are added regularly, so even if your bank doesn’t offer this option yet, don’t give up. If you’re not sure if your bank has a compatible skill, just open the Skills and Games section of your Alexa app and search for its name. If it doesn’t appear, it probably means no skills have been added yet.
Depending on the Alexa skill you use, there are more privacy features. For example, if you link your PayPal account to your Amazon Echo, you’ll need to create a PIN to use every time you open the skill. Even though it’s hands-free, you’ll still need to remember the PIN and enter it when prompted, or Alexa won’t be able to tell you your balance.
According to CNET, there are several main banking commands you can say to Alexa, including:
- “Alexa, ask (the bank) what my checking account balance is.”
- “Alexa, ask (the bank) how much I owe on my credit card.”
- “Alexa, ask (the bank) for my latest transactions.”
- “Alexa, ask (the bank) to make a payment.”
This is similar to how Alexa communicates with other devices. These security measures are in place to prevent fraud and as Skills do not have direct access to your personal bank details, the risk involved in using this feature should be minimal.
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Source: newstars.edu.vn