Investec Private Client vs MCB SmartApprove
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Investec Private Client
Manage your daily banking and investments with ease. Make payments, track your finances, and access market data on the go. Secure login and card management features are included for convenience.
- Transactional banking
- Secure biometric login
- Investec Visa card management
- In-app authentication
- Document downloads
- Equity trading
- Market data and insights
Read full descriptionHide full description
Effortless banking and investing at your fingertips Daily transactional banking made easy Make payments, add beneficiaries, transfer funds, check and redeem Investec Rewards point, buy airtime and electricity, send cash to yourself or someone else – it’s easy and convenient. Secure Log into your account with biometrics as a safe alternative to your password. Investec Visa card Temporarily block card, view card details or PIN. You can change or resend your card PIN, or let us know when you will use your card abroad. In App authentication If you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network, you can use In App authentication when you log into Investec Online - useful if you’re travelling abroad. Find and download documents Download statements, email statements, proof of payments, reference letters, tax certificates and visa letters. Trading Seamlessly buy and sell JSE-listed equities. Markets Daily data on major local and international markets, commodities and currencies - plus insights into South African equity market. Keep up to date with investment instruments through Markets Watchlist. And much more on the Investec Private Client App … When you’re on the go, the Investec App goes further. For assistance, please contact the 24/7 Global Client Support Centre on: SA: 0860 110 161 or +27 11 286 9663 UK: 0845 366 6333 or +44 207 597 4131
MCB SmartApprove
Read full descriptionHide full description
MCB's SmartApprove application allows corporate signatory users to authorise their transactions using transaction signing. You will be able to login and authorise your payments in a simple and secure way. The application has the below main features: · Device registration using the bank user’s internet banking credentials backed by a two-factor security via one time password. · Authorise transactions In-band and Out of band. · Biometric features. · A dashboard providing the user with details on transactions already executed. · Receive notifications when making a payment to a new beneficiary, or an existing one with new account details or a beneficiary to whom payments have not been made during the last 18 months
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Investec Private Client at weekly against MCB SmartApprove's every 4 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Investec Private Client ships an update weekly, MCB SmartApprove every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Investec Private Client | MCB SmartApprove |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.5 (41 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 41.9% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 41 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 4 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 285 MB | 124 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Investec Ltd | MCB GROUP LIMITED |
Bugs and requests
Investec Private Client
Reported bugs
36 issues- App closes down when hitting time periods in transaction history
- List jumps/moves down when selecting first beneficiary
- Error message when trying to login
- Transaction engine errors
- South African app does not allow confirmation text to non-SA numbers
Show 31 moreShow fewer
- Stuck at login screen for months
- View fixed in Portrait mode on iPad with Magic Keyboard
- Unable to request PoP on App
- App hasn’t worked for the last three days
- App does not work / open at all on iPhone
- Red notification on app that won’t clear
- App crashes on FaceID and terminates
- UK number diverts to South Africa
- App hanging every time attempting to pay someone
- Watch app has become inaccessible
- Phone app doesn’t recognise fingerprints
- Payments can no longer be made on iPad
- App fails at point of entering OTP for payments on iPad
- Glitches in transaction amounts (e.g., £1,000 vs £1,015.67)
- Cannot search beneficiaries
- Cannot download payments retrospectively
- Cannot add once-off payment beneficiary as permanent
- App is ALWAYS down for maintenance
- Watch app never works
- iPhone X support issues
- App crashes
- TouchID has disappeared
- App hangs when switching between apps
- App hangs sometimes when creating new beneficiaries
- Touch ID authentication disables for no reason
- TouchID login option disappears
- Keypad not displaying correctly
- App dialogue box for different field opens when tapping on one field
- Payment notifications sent to wrong beneficiary due to glitch
- App keeps asking to accept Ts & Cs and then log in
- Registration does not work after uninstall/reinstall
Requested features
24 requests- Allow confirmation text to non-SA numbers
- Enable landscape mode on iPad
- Add FaceID support for iPadOS
- Ability to edit budgets on mobile app
- Ability to edit transaction categories on mobile app
Show 19 moreShow fewer
- Ability to refresh accounts on mobile app
- Ability to add new accounts on mobile app
- Save electricity details
- Implement fingerprint authentication on iPad
- Allow search for beneficiaries
- Allow downloading payments retrospectively
- Allow sending confirmation of payment from app
- Allow adding once-off payment beneficiary as permanent
- Improve iPhone X support
- Modernize banking app like Monzo
- Make Touch ID optional
- Add ability to see all investment balances
- Allow changing beneficiary reference when making a payment
- Show pending transactions
- Incorporate Asset Management account (unit trusts)
- Cater for convenient inter-account transfers for all Investec accounts
- Fix OTP input for each transaction
- Improve gesture usage
- Increase character limit for recipient email
MCB SmartApprove
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Investec Private Client
No in-app purchases
MCB SmartApprove
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Investec Private Client free?
Is MCB SmartApprove free?
Do Investec Private Client or MCB SmartApprove have ads?
Which is updated more often, Investec Private Client or MCB SmartApprove?
Other comparisons
