What Does ChatGPT Say When Asked: “Which Bank Should I Use?”
When customers ask AI for financial advice, is your bank being recommended—or are your competitors capturing that trust? The answer shapes customer acquisition before your marketing even begins.
User prompt:
“What's the best bank for a small business in 2025?”
AI Response:
“For small businesses in 2025, I'd recommend considering [Competitor A] for their digital banking tools, [Competitor B] for competitive lending rates, or [Competitor C] for their business advisory services...”
Is your bank mentioned? Or are you invisible?
Predicted drop in traditional search by 2026
Source: Gartner
Weekly ChatGPT users asking questions
Source: OpenAI
B2B buyer journey before contacting sales
Source: Forrester
The New Reality of Customer Discovery in Banking
A growing number of consumers now consult AI assistants before making financial decisions. This shift fundamentally changes how banks compete for customers.
The Trust Factor
When AI recommends a bank, it carries implicit endorsement. Customers trust AI to be objective—and that perception shapes their choices.
The Invisibility Risk
If AI doesn't mention your bank when asked about financial services, you've lost the customer before your marketing could reach them.
The Narrative Problem
AI models may perpetuate outdated information about your bank—old fees, past scandals, or discontinued products that no longer apply.
The Compliance Angle
What AI says about your financial products could have regulatory implications. Are AI descriptions accurate and compliant?
A Scenario Worth Considering
Imagine a business owner asking their AI assistant: “I'm looking for a bank that offers good small business loans and modern digital banking. What are my options?”
The AI responds with three recommendations. Your competitors are named. Your bank isn't mentioned. The business owner proceeds to research those three banks—visiting their websites, comparing rates, reading reviews.
Your bank never entered the conversation. No amount of advertising, SEO, or marketing spend can recover that lost opportunity— because the customer already made their shortlist based on AI's recommendation.
What Refractia Reveals for Banks
Deep insights into how AI perceives your financial institution
Brand Trait Analysis
Discover the specific attributes AI associates with your bank. Are you perceived as "innovative" or "traditional"? "Customer-focused" or "profit-driven"? See the actual traits AI uses to describe you.
Example: Your bank may be described as "reliable but slow to adopt technology" while competitors are "digital-first."
Competitive Benchmarking
See which banks AI recommends when asked about specific services: mortgages, business accounts, wealth management. Understand your share of AI recommendations versus competitors.
Example: When asked about "best bank for mortgages," discover which 3 competitors are consistently mentioned.
Content Gap Analysis
Identify topics where AI has no information about your bank. These gaps represent opportunities to shape AI perception through strategic content.
Example: AI may have detailed information about your competitor's mobile app but nothing about yours.
Drift Detection
Monitor how AI perception changes over time—especially after product launches, PR events, or crisis situations. Catch negative shifts before they become entrenched.
Example: Track if AI perception shifts negatively after a news event and take corrective action.
Banking-Specific AI Perception Risks
Outdated fee information being shared with potential customers
Customers may avoid your bank based on fees you no longer charge
Past regulatory issues or scandals still being referenced
Historical problems continue affecting current reputation
Competitors being recommended for services you also offer
Lost market share in product categories where you compete
Your digital banking capabilities being underrepresented
Tech-savvy customers assume you lack modern features
Incorrect information about branch locations or services
Customer confusion and poor experience before first contact
The Opportunity for Forward-Thinking Banks
Banks That Monitor AI Perception Can:
- Understand exactly how AI describes their services
- Identify and correct misinformation proactively
- Optimize content to improve AI recommendations
- Track competitive positioning in AI responses
- Respond to perception shifts before they become problems
Strategic Questions to Consider:
- What do customers hear about your bank before visiting your site?
- Are your key differentiators being communicated by AI?
- How do you compare to competitors in AI recommendations?
- Is outdated information still shaping AI responses about you?
- Can you measure the impact of PR and marketing on AI perception?
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does AI perception matter for banks?
When customers ask AI assistants like ChatGPT for bank recommendations, the AI's response shapes their consideration set before they ever visit your website. Banks that AI perceives positively gain a significant advantage in customer acquisition.
How do AI models form opinions about banks?
AI models analyze publicly available information including news articles, reviews, social media, regulatory filings, and web content. This data shapes how AI describes your bank's strengths, weaknesses, and differentiators.
Can banks influence what AI says about them?
Yes. By understanding your current AI perception and strategically optimizing your public content, you can improve how AI models describe and recommend your bank.
How often should banks monitor their AI perception?
AI perception can shift with news cycles, product launches, and competitor activity. Regular monitoring—at minimum monthly—ensures you catch changes before they become entrenched in AI models.
See How AI Perceives Your Bank
Get a comprehensive analysis of your bank's AI perception across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and more. Understand your competitive position and opportunities for improvement.