# Swift Saver - New Irish savings app looking for beta testers



## jungleandrew (21 Aug 2014)

Hi everyone, my name is Andy, and I'm from a new Irish start up called Swift Saver - the site is at www.swiftsaver.co (yep, .co, not .com, as the site itself is still in beta). We're developing a new iPhone app which helps people save medium sized amounts on their phone.

We see it as the Nike+ for savings; you tell it you goal, and when you want to achieve it by, and we get you there.

We're really eager to get a few beta testers on board. Doing some research, we came across this forum, and felt you would be a great, savvy, vocal group who would give us really honest feedback, and we'd love to hear from you if you're interested. 

You can sign up on our site, where you can also read a little more about us.

We're still weeks away from beta testing starting, but we'd love to keep this thread going throughout so that we could chat to you guys as we go. Your feedback would be invaluable in helping us produce something which we think could really help people save, and avoid some unnecessary debt.

We have also contacted the forum administrator in advance of this post, and they were kind enough to allow us post this. Thanks so much guys.

Andy

Swift Saver


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## Brendan Burgess (21 Aug 2014)

I have no idea what Nike+ is, but I assume it's a trade mark. I doubt if you are entitled to use it for promoting your business. 



> which helps people save medium sized amounts on their phone.



This is ambiguous. Are you saving people money on their phone charges? Or are you saving people money on their everyday spending, using their phone?


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## Slim (21 Aug 2014)

Had a look at the site. It's not clear how this would work so 'I'm out'!...for now anyway.


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## Buddyboy (21 Aug 2014)

I just had a look at their website and I'm none the wiser.
It says "one click spending for saving" and " we don't retain your credit card number"
But nowhere does it give any explaination as to what it is.
e.g. What are you saving?
where are you saving it?
If you mention credit cards - that ain't saving, thats spending.
Are you a quasi-bank - do you take the money?
Is it like a Christmas club?

Based on the (lack of) information given so far, I would be a long way from clicking the beta-tester button  (beta-tester for what?)

"saving medium sized amounts" is the least ambigous bit so far IMHO.

Don't get me wrong, it may be legit, but at least give us a bit of information.


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## jungleandrew (21 Aug 2014)

Brendan, Slim, Buddyboy, thanks for the feedback. Already, this is excellent stuff for us to get.
as i mentioned, we are really only starting on this journey, the only people who have really seen the content of the site so far are ourselves, so getting an outside perspective is excellent.

It's clear straight away that some of the content on our site is ambiguous, and seems obvious in reading your initial feedback. we're going to make some changes over the coming days based on this, so thanks.

In the mean time, let me try and answer a couple of the questions.
Swift Saver is perhaps better described as a savings coach rather than a savings app (hence the nike plus analogy). Its aim is to get people into the habit of better saving their own money for things they want to buy, like a holiday, new furniture, or large electrical appliances etc.

Our target would be people who may not be regular savers already, or may not have an established savings history. Our mobile app acts as an alternative to a standing order, in that it gives more flexibility than fixed monthly savings. Users will set a savings goal (amount and date), and the app will 'coach' them to their goal by prompting them to save at intervals along the way. These intervals will change according to user behaviour.

Your point about credit cards is good - we don't intend users to use their credit card - it would be their debit card.


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## PaddyBloggit (21 Aug 2014)

Website isn't working Andrew.


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## Slim (22 Aug 2014)

jungleandrew said:


> ...Users will set a savings goal (amount and date), and the app will 'coach' them to their goal by prompting them to save at intervals along the way. These intervals will change according to user behaviour.


 
How is the 'saving' achieved? Does it go to a savings account or is it cordoned off in some other way? Website works but the link didn't.


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## serotoninsid (22 Aug 2014)

"one click spending for saving"  ??  Is that not a contradiction in terms?

Is it possible you can outline the mechanics of how the app works in a couple of sentences without any 'spin' on it?  I think it can only help in terms of any feedback you get on the proposition in principal to start with.


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## elcato (22 Aug 2014)

I have not looked at the site but I think I get what they're trying to do. the saving bit would go like this

I am in the pub. 
I may want another pint. 
I decide not to because I'm tired. 
I press a 'saved €5' button on my app and a fiver goes into a savings account.

and next day
I am getting lunch
I would lova a dinner for €10
I buy a sandwich for €4 instead.
I press 'saved €6' button and that goes into account

and at the end of a week you get a read out. yada yada yada

Note: If this is not what you're offering I want the patent


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## mathepac (22 Aug 2014)

Website still only shows Apache default page.


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## runner (22 Aug 2014)

I have an app that does exactly that already.
She is called Mrs Runner!


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## jungleandrew (26 Aug 2014)

Thanks again guys for the feedback.

Elcato, you have nailed it, that is exactly it.
And indeed this is why we have used the term "one click spending, for saving" because we are deliberately trying to match the simplicity with which we can buy things online, but making it relevant to saving instead of spending.

How the saving is achieved is something we are still working on. We have a number of routes, but the key element will be that it must cost the user nothing in charges. We're still exploring these and working on solutions.

We are also exploring another route though, and we'd love to hear your thoughts on this. We are considering launching the service without the function of the physical save, and simply using it as a coach, or a reminder for you to go and make the save yourself through your own banking services (this obviously cuts down massively on our development time for now, and on the security implications in the first stages). 

This is a much more simple approach, and would be an interim one while we develop the physical transaction element -  does that sounds like an app you would use? Or is the functionality of the physical transaction critical?

Lastly, a few people are having trouble logging on to the site. We do take it down for short periods every now and then as we work on elements of it, but also the url is swiftsaver.co not .com. there is no M at the end.

Thanks again everybody for your invaluable feedback so far - we are very appreciative.


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