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Online & Mobile Banking

Now you can manage your accounts at home or on-the-go with Alexa-enabled devices!

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The Midland States Bank skill for Alexa devices is a new and convenient way for customers to access their existing Midland accounts with voice services. With this new product offering, we provide our customers quick and easy access to the most requested banking tasks-balances and recent transactions.

To use the bank’s Alexa skill, the following applies:

  • User must be a customer of the bank with active online banking. Get signed up here! 
  • User must have an active Alexa device, an installed Alexa App, and the Alexa App must be active with an established Amazon account attached to it.
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Initial Setup and Account Linking Help Guide

How to set up the Midland States Bank Alexa skill for the first time:

  1. Start in the Alexa App and choose Skills & Games from the main menu.
  2. Search “Midland States Bank” to locate the correct skill and click to select it.
  3. From the Midland States Bank skill page, choose SETTINGS to begin the account set up process.
  4. From Skill Settings, click on the option to Link Account.
  5. User must enter their Midland online banking login credentials to verify the account.
  6. Click to view and then accept the terms and conditions.
  7. First time access requires multi-authentication via a call, text or email. Just like in online banking, follow the prompts and register your device.
  8. Establish a PIN for your Midland voice banking.
  9. Once the account is successfully linked, the user can begin asking Alexa for balance and transaction information.

View Our Step-By-Step Guide

How to use the Midland States Bank Alexa skill:

  • The user must open the skill by stating “Alexa, Open Midland States Bank.”
    • Important note: Alexa will respond with generic messages if the invocation name (Alexa, Open Midland States Bank) is not recognized to launch the skill.
  • Once the skill is opened properly, the Alexa device will welcome the user to Midland States Bank and indicate the user can now ask for balances or transactions. At that point, the user can ask questions for account information.
  • Prior to providing answers to any questions, Alexa will first ask for a verification PIN.
  • After a correct PIN is provided, the user can hear detailed information and ask Alexa additional questions on balances and transactions specific to the Midland accounts included in their online banking profile.
  • To exit the skill, the user will say “Alexa, Exit.”

Watch the Tutorial

Alexa speaker with comment bubbles asking to open Midland Bank App
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Additional Information

Account Balances

Users can retrieve the current balance of any of their accounts by engaging with Alexa through our skill. Users may request the balance for a specific account or Alexa can guide them through a narrowing down exercise to provide the user with their desired information. Alexa will respond with up to three accounts at a time before asking the user if they would like to hear more. Each account is reported with the account’s nickname*, up to the last four digits of the account number, and the balance.

 

*Nicknames within online banking may not always be recognized. Therefore, the account nickname should not be used as the primary method of account retrieval. The last four digits of the account number is the preferred search method.

 

The option is not currently available to change the order in which accounts are read.

 

Requests and Intents

Requests for balance or transactions are very similar. Users differentiate the two requests by using the correct intent (balance or transactions).

 

For example: “Alexa, open Midland States Bank and tell me my [balance/recent transactions].”

 

Users will then be prompted for their Voice PIN. After authentication, if there are multiple accounts linked to the user, Alexa may ask for further specificity (example below). Otherwise, the account balance will be read off immediately.

 

“Would you like the [balance(s)/transactions] of your Checking or Savings accounts?” Alexa will provide the desired balance information for up to five accounts or three most recent transactions, before asking the user if they would like to hear more.

 

Recent Transactions

Much like balances, users may also retrieve recent transactions for their accounts. Users must specify an account to hear this data by stating which account or Alexa will narrow down to an account with follow up questions. Alexa will announce up to three recent transactions.

 

Additional Sample Phrases-Balances

Balances

  • What is the balance for my savings account?
  • What is the balance for my checking account?
  • Tell me my balance for the account ending with XXXX.

Transactions

  • What are the transactions for my savings account?
  • What are the recent transactions for my checking account?
  • Tell me the transactions for my account ending with [insert last four of account number].

 

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Security Information

Security:

  • To provide a safe and secure voice interface for all users, the technology has two mandatory levels of user authentication.
    • 1- Account Linking: the process by which each user links their online banking to their Alexa account. This process is completed at the time of set up within the Alexa App itself.
    • 2- Passcode: a 4-digit passcode (PIN) is used to authenticate every new voice banking session on the Alexa device itself.
  • Account linking is not successful until after the passcode processes is complete, therefore both security measures must always be in place for voice banking services to function.
  • Once an account is linked, it will remain active with Alexa for 60 days. The time period for expiration is reset every time the user invokes the voice banking skill on their device. If a user is inactive for 60 days and then attempts to invoke the voice banking skill, Alexa will ask the user to re-link their account using the Alexa App.
  • To change the PIN, the user must disable the skill in the Alexa App, and then re-enable the skill.
  • Just like with all user credentials, it is the responsibility of the customer to keep their PIN safe.
  • Important security note for voice banking: similar to online banking on a computer or mobile device, users of voice banking should always be cautious and mindful of their surroundings. Specific to voice banking, anyone in the area surrounding a particular Alexa device will have access to hearing any account information that is played over the device speaker or speaker grouping.

Frequently Asked Questions

There is not a fee to use this service. 


Voice banking services through Alexa are part of consumer online banking which is included with our personal deposit accounts. 

Sign up for Online Banking here! 

Our skill name is “Midland States Bank.” To activate the skill on the Alexa device, the user must state, “Alexa, Open Midland States Bank.”

Customers should start the process of installing the Midland voice banking skill in their active Alexa App.

View our step-by-step guide to start using Alexa!

The Alexa App is available for download in the app store for your mobile device. Simply search for “Amazon Alexa.”

Yes. At Midland, security and protection of your financial information is always a priority.

In addition to the security in place to protect your information, customers should always take measures to keep their PIN safe. We also encourage users of voice banking services to be mindful of their surroundings while their account information is read over the device speaker or speaker grouping.

Please view our Alexa security information above to know more about the measures in place for Alexa's voice banking. 

Multiple layers of security are in place as part of using voice banking including account linking and passcode verification.

Please view our Alexa security information above to know more about the measures in place for Alexa's voice banking. 

Customers should unlink their Midland account within their Alexa App to fully disable any interactions with their banking information.

Overall, Alexa can only be associated to a single Amazon account. Therefore, within our Midland voice banking skill, only a single Amazon account can be linked to one online banking user at our financial institution. If two online banking users share an Alexa device, it is not currently possible for both of their account logins to be paired. However, joint accounts are supported as long as the user can see the account within their Online Banking.