Belize Bank partners with Backbase to modernise digital banking

Belize Bank Limited (BBL) has entered a six-year partnership with Backbase to implement its AI-native Banking OS, marking a major digital banking transformation aimed at modernising retail and business banking services across Belize.

Under the agreement, Belize Bank has adopted Backbase’s AI-native Banking OS to streamline customer journeys, accelerate digital onboarding and introduce instant self-service capabilities. The implementation is expected to reduce service resolution times from days to minutes while providing a unified digital experience for retail and business customers.

Jouk Pleiter, Chief Executive Officer of Backbase, said: “Belize Bank is exactly the kind of institution Backbase was built for – a market leader that takes its responsibility to customers seriously and wants technology that matches that ambition.”

Belize Bank, which has served more than 100,000 retail and business customers and holds around 43% of the country’s banking assets, said the transformation builds on its earlier migration of its core banking platform to the cloud. The new Banking OS will operate alongside the bank’s existing Finastra core banking platform through Backbase’s Connectivity Layer, enabling modern digital services without replacing the underlying core system.

The deployment has integrated solutions from Backbase marketplace partners, including Feedzai for fraud prevention, Jumio for digital identity verification and DocuSign for electronic signatures, creating a unified digital banking environment.

Filippo Alario, Executive Chairman of Belize Bank Limited, said the partnership represents a significant step towards delivering a more intelligent and personalised banking experience for customers.

Backbase said the collaboration has strengthened its presence in the Caribbean banking market, while Belize Bank said the initiative has positioned it to deliver scalable, AI-enabled digital banking services that support future growth and evolving customer expectations.