Banks kick off the new year with an "asset acquisition battle," while coupon hunters accelerate their "actions."

At the beginning of the new year, the retail banking sector has made "asset enhancement" its first hard battle.

Multiple institutions have launched new activities intensively, with rewards ranging from points to WeChat cash discounts, with the highest rewards exceeding 3,000 yuan. Meanwhile, posts about "cashing in" on platforms like WeChat and Xiaohongshu have noticeably increased, with some netizens claiming they earned over 20,000 yuan in "cashbacks" last year.

It is worth noting that retail AUM (Assets Under Management) is becoming a key indicator for measuring the competitiveness and future profitability of retail banking.

The Battle Begins with "Asset Enhancement Activities"

Since the beginning of the year, several banks have launched new rounds of "asset enhancement activities."

The overall gameplay is not complicated: users can earn points, WeChat cash discounts, and other benefits by increasing their average daily financial assets to the corresponding tier during the activity period.

Participating institutions include state-owned banks as well as several city commercial banks, extending the competition across a wide front.

State-Owned Banks Take the Lead

Among state-owned banks, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of China, Bank of China, and China Construction Bank have all announced their "asset enhancement activities."

The Agricultural Bank of China's activity runs from now until January 31. The rules state that customers can earn up to 2.4 million "small beans" rewards if their average daily financial assets increase to the corresponding tier. The Agricultural Bank also provides a redemption standard, where 633 small beans can be exchanged for 1 yuan in JD E-cards. Based on this calculation, the maximum reward is worth over 3,790 yuan in JD E-cards.

It is important to note that the average daily financial assets covered by the Agricultural Bank's standard are quite broad, including deposits, wealth management, funds, insurance, government bonds, and gold savings. In other words, the bank hopes to see an increase not just in deposit size.

Bank of China's "Two-Line" Reward Structure

In contrast, the design of the Bank of China resembles a "two-line parallel" approach. The activity runs from January 5 to January 31.

On one hand, if a customer's average daily financial assets increase by 10,000 yuan or more compared to the previous month, they can draw up to 6 million premium points.

On the other hand, if a customer's average daily financial assets upgrade to wealth management, private banking, or entrepreneur private banking levels, they can receive up to 550 yuan in WeChat cash discount benefits.

From the incentive structure, this is not just a simple "incremental reward," but also adds a "customer tier transition" orientation, aiming to tightly bind asset changes with tiered management.

City Commercial Banks Are Also Involved

In addition to state-owned banks, several city commercial banks are also advancing simultaneously. Nanjing Bank, Bank of Jiangsu, and Ouhai Rural Commercial Bank have all recently launched activities.

Nanjing Bank's activity period is from January 1 to March 31. The rules state that customers will earn 1,000 comprehensive points for every 10,000 yuan increase in their average daily financial assets, with a maximum of 80,000 comprehensive points available each month.

Ouhai Rural Commercial Bank has compressed its window to January, with a more straightforward rule: if the average daily financial assets increase to 10,000 yuan or more, customers can receive up to 88.88 yuan in WeChat cash discounts From Bank of Nanjing to Ouhai Rural Commercial Bank, two typical paths can be seen: one uses points accumulation to extend the interaction cycle, while the other uses small cash discounts to quickly reach a more penetrated customer base.

Internet Banks Join the "Speed Race"

Not only traditional banks, but internet banks are also joining the competition. WeBank has launched a new round of "Wealth Festival" activities, where customers who open an account and participate within 45 days can receive points worth up to 3,000 yuan.

Such activities often emphasize the efficiency of the "new customer window period," with the core goal of quickly converting the short-term enthusiasm after account opening into measurable asset accumulation.

AUM Brought to the Forefront

Putting these cases together reveals a common point: banks are using more intuitive rewards to bring retail AUM back to the center of their business.

However, another phenomenon cannot be ignored. The increase in "hunting for bargains" content on social platforms shows that users are more likely to switch from one bank to another after "hunting," with some even showcasing "bargains" worth over 20,000 yuan obtained last year. This reflects that while short-term incentives can attract funds, they may not necessarily foster lasting relationships