Sea-owned digital bank MariBank is introducing new services aimed at attracting younger customers, including child accounts and expanded global stock trading options. The bank, which primarily serves users aged 20 to 30, plans to launch the child accounts in the first quarter of 2027, targeting families who want to foster financial literacy and provide convenient allowance management for children.

MariBank’s head of consumer business, Huo Haiyan, explained that the concept for child accounts emerged from internal feedback and a survey involving parents. The account will allow children to conduct transactions with parental controls in place, such as requiring explicit approval for sensitive actions like adding a debit card to a new mobile device. The initiative reflects the bank’s efforts to engage customers from an earlier age and promote responsible money management.

In addition to the child accounts, MariBank will expand its investment offerings to include US and global equities starting early next year. About 30% of the bank’s customers currently hold a Mari Invest account, with a quarter of those investors in their 20s. The bank is witnessing growing interest among younger clients in investment products, particularly its Singapore Equities offering, though it declined to disclose specific customer figures.

MariBank has also removed individual deposit limits, enabling account holders to deposit sums exceeding $100,000. This move allows the bank to better compete with traditional financial institutions by accommodating larger balances and applying its high-interest promotional rates, such as new-user offers and ShopeeVIP bonuses of up to 3.08% per annum, to the entire account balance. Previously, customers frequently encountered transaction rejections due to a balance cap, with several thousand such incidents occurring monthly.

The bank’s partnership with ShopeeVIP has been a significant driver of deposit growth, with 18% of MariBank users also participating in the ShopeeVIP program. Following the launch of this partnership in July, users who claimed the bonus interest rates increased their deposit balances substantially. MariBank’s total customer deposits grew from approximately $1.54 billion in 2024 to $2.82 billion in 2025.

While retaining strong ties to Sea’s ecosystem, which includes digital entertainment platform Garena, e-commerce site Shopee, and digital payments arm Monee, MariBank is intensifying efforts to attract users outside these channels. Over half of its customers now come from outside Shopee’s platform, reflecting successful expansion through online marketing and referral programs.

Operating in a mature market with established banking relationships poses challenges, but MariBank is focusing on underserved segments where consumer needs are not fully met. Huo highlighted the bank’s role in providing more affordable overseas money transfers for businesses and expatriates in Singapore. Establishing trust and positioning MariBank as more than a secondary bank remains a gradual process, with some customers now adopting it as their primary banking option.

Huo brings extensive experience to her leadership role, having been part of the founding team behind Shopee and later overseeing product development at Monee. Joining MariBank’s founding team in 2023, she leverages insights from her previous roles to bridge ecosystems and drive growth. Despite moments of self-doubt managing teams with varied expertise, she emphasizes the importance of recognizing individual strengths and cultivating the right organizational culture to support expansion in the competitive digital banking landscape.