NatWest launches Be My Eyes pilot for blind customers

NatWest has partnered with Be My Eyes to launch a pilot for blind and low-vision banking customers. It says it is the first UK lender to use the platform's Service Directory and Service Connect tools.

A selected group of customers will be able to contact trained NatWest colleagues through secure video calls on the Be My Eyes app. The service is designed to help users complete routine banking tasks by using a phone camera or smart glasses to share a live view with a member of staff.

The pilot will cover tasks such as reading letters and activating new cards. It will be free to use and will not require appointments.

NatWest's Open Innovation team is leading the project and will use the trial to identify other points in the customer journey where live visual support could help blind and low-vision users.

Be My Eyes operates a support platform for blind and low-vision people, connecting users to volunteers and partner organisations for visual assistance. Its service supports users in more than 180 languages, and its partners include Microsoft, Google, Procter & Gamble, Hilton and Tesco.

How it works

Under the pilot, customers open the app, select NatWest in the Service Directory and connect to a trained colleague through a video call. They do not need to visit a branch, and the colleague provides verbal guidance while viewing the scene through the customer's device.

NatWest said its existing security controls would remain in place during the service. Customers will not be asked to share PINs, passwords or other security details while using the support line.

The move reflects a wider effort by banks to improve accessibility in digital and remote services as more routine interactions shift away from branches. For blind and low-vision customers, common tasks such as reading printed correspondence or identifying details on a bank card can still require outside help, even when the underlying banking service is online.

Live visual assistance has already been adopted in other sectors, including technology, hospitality and consumer goods, through partnerships with Be My Eyes. NatWest's decision to test the model in banking brings that approach into an area where identity, privacy and fraud controls are tightly managed.

Accessibility focus

Findings from the pilot will shape the next phase of the programme and could support a broader rollout to more customers later in 2026. That suggests NatWest is treating the trial as both a customer service initiative and a test of how live visual support can fit within regulated financial services processes.

Hans Jørgen Wiberg founded Be My Eyes after identifying the need for simple, on-demand visual help with everyday tasks. The app launched in 2015 and quickly attracted a large volunteer base, which the company has since expanded into a business support service for corporate partners.

NatWest said the pilot forms part of its ambition to provide an accessible experience for all customers. It added that the work with Be My Eyes would help assess where visual guidance can remove barriers for customers who are blind or have low vision.