The market lacks quality expertise and B2B tools to keep entrepreneurs inside the banking ecosystem. By creating value beyond transactions, a bank transforms from a cash register into a growth partner. A study of SME banking digital maturity in Uzbekistan shows that little has been done here so far.
Download the full research (PDF). Data on 20 Uzbekistan banks across 110 parameters, maturity rating, and methodology.
The short answer
Non-financial services include education, market analytics, guides, and B2B tools that make a bank useful beyond payments. Few banks currently develop them, content is published irregularly, and partner marketplaces and access to state support are limited. Value beyond transactions turns the bank into a daily business ecosystem and increases customer loyalty.
Why banks benefit from being more than a bank
Transactions are easy to copy; relationships are not. When a business opens an app not just to pay, but to figure out taxes, find a partner, or take a course, it stays in the ecosystem and visits more often. Non-financial services increase contact frequency and loyalty, raising the customer’s value to the bank.
This matters especially in a segment where basic products look alike: the layer built around the account distinguishes one bank from another in the entrepreneur’s eyes.
What the research showed
Category leaders according to Rocket Tech research (“Education and Info Support”): 1. Aloqabank, 2. NBU, 3. Ipak Yuli Bank.
There are almost no useful services around the account. Here are the three most noticeable gaps.
Little educational content
Only a handful of players develop useful training programs and practical content for entrepreneurs.
Irregular analytics
Market reviews, tax guides, and recommendations are published sporadically, failing to build a habit of returning.
Limited B2B tools
Partner matching tools and access to state support programs are poorly developed, despite direct demand from small businesses.
How it looks in practice
A novice entrepreneur opens an account and faces typical questions: how to calculate taxes, where to find a reliable supplier, whether they qualify for state support. In some places, they get only an account and leave to search for answers online or from friends—the bank remains just a cash register. Elsewhere, right in the app, there is a clear tax guide, regular market analytics, webinars, and a B2B marketplace to find a partner. The entrepreneur solves their problems without leaving the bank’s ecosystem and begins to view it as an advisor—visiting more often and leaving less.
How to solve this
- Regular educational series — webinars with experts and practical courses for SMEs.
- News and analytical platforms with current recommendations inside the banking app.
- Internal marketplaces for B2B interaction and integration with accounting consultations.
Rocket Tech helps banks find and launch these services—education, analytics, B2B tools—that businesses actually use, rather than scrolling past like a storefront.
Why this matters for the bank
Non-financial services provide differentiation and retention in a segment where basic products look alike. They increase app visit frequency, strengthen the image of a partner bank, and open new sources of commission and partner revenue. Essentially, the bank starts earning on relationships, not just transactions.
FAQ
What are a bank’s non-financial services?
Everything a bank offers a business besides accounts and payments: education, analytics, guides, partner matching, and access to support programs.
Why does a bank need educational content for business?
It increases loyalty and contact frequency. The client opens the app not just to pay, but to solve growth tasks, building a habit of returning.
What is an in-bank B2B marketplace?
A platform where the bank’s corporate clients find partners and each other’s services while staying within its ecosystem.
How do non-financial services affect bank revenue?
Indirectly and directly: they retain the client and increase transaction frequency, while also opening partner and commission revenue models.
Which non-financial services are easiest to start with?
Usually content and analytics. Tax guides and market reviews are cheap to launch and immediately increase visit frequency, building a habit of returning.
These are insights from Rocket Tech’s research on the digital maturity of SME banking in Uzbekistan.
