BBVA and ING Launch Integrated Mobile eSIM Services Powered by Gigs

BBVA has integrated mobile data plans directly into its banking app, allowing customers to purchase and manage eSIMs without leaving the platform. This move, mirrored by a similar rollout from ING, signals a shift where financial institutions leverage their existing customer relationships to compete in the telecommunications space through embedded connectivity services.

What was announced

BBVA is expanding its digital ecosystem by offering native mobile connectivity. Customers using the BBVA app can now select specific destinations and data allowances, activating an eSIM with a single tap. This functionality allows for seamless top-ups and management of data usage directly alongside their financial transactions. The service is currently live in the Italian market, though the infrastructure allows for potential expansion into other regions where the bank operates.

Following BBVA’s lead, ING has also introduced a travel eSIM service, deploying the feature across nine different markets. Both institutions are utilizing Gigs, a connectivity provider that enables non-telecom companies to offer mobile services as a native product line. By integrating these services, banks are attempting to capture the "travel spend" segment, providing a utility that traditionally required a separate transaction with a mobile network operator or a specialist roaming provider.

BBVA and ING join a growing cohort of fintech and banking giants, including Revolut, Santander, Klarna, and Cash App, that have adopted similar embedded connectivity strategies to deepen user engagement within their primary mobile applications. By leveraging Gigs' infrastructure, these financial institutions can bypass the technical complexities of traditional telecommunications and offer mobile services as a branded extension of their digital banking experience.

"Hermann Frank, CEO of Gigs - the infrastructure that’s enabling BBVA to offer mobile – says banks are well placed to take mobile service on as a product line, because they already own the customer relationship that standalone MVNOs have to spend to win."

Hermann Frank

The companies involved

BBVA is a global financial services group with a significant presence in Spain, Mexico, and South America, and a growing digital footprint in markets like Italy. The bank has been a consistent early adopter of digital transformation, often moving beyond traditional retail banking into adjacent digital services. Gigs, the technology provider behind this launch, operates as an "as-a-service" connectivity platform. It allows companies to offer mobile plans under their own brand without the regulatory and technical hurdles of becoming a traditional Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO).

ING, headquartered in the Netherlands, is another major player in the European banking landscape. Known for its strong digital-first approach, ING has been restructuring its physical and digital presence across the continent to better serve a mobile-centric customer base. Both BBVA and ING are positioned as market leaders in the "super-app" race, where the goal is to consolidate various lifestyle and financial services into a single interface. Gigs has rapidly become a key infrastructure partner for this trend, counting several high-profile fintechs among its client roster.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has tracked the strategic expansions of both BBVA and ING as they diversify their service offerings. We previously covered how ING Expands European Private Banking Footprint with Major Spain and Italy Launch, a move that aligns with their current focus on the Italian market. Additionally, ING’s physical growth was highlighted in our report on the ING Spain Enters New Growth Phase with Massive Madrid Flagship Store Opening. On the innovation front, BBVA’s collaborative efforts were noted when Iberdrola, BBVA, and Santander Launch World’s First End-to-End Blockchain Syndicated Loan, demonstrating the bank's willingness to integrate emerging technologies into core financial products.

What this means

This move signals the end of the "banking-only" app. By embedding connectivity, banks are attacking the traditional MVNO market, leveraging their high-trust environment to capture low-hanging fruit like travel roaming. For the telecom sector, this represents a significant threat to customer acquisition; if a user can solve their connectivity needs through their bank, the incentive to engage with a dedicated carrier app vanishes. The pressure is now on traditional mobile operators to find ways to remain visible in a world where the financial interface is becoming the primary gateway for digital utility services. It remains to be seen if this will lead to full-scale mobile service competition or remain a niche travel feature.