Retargeting for Fintech Apps with Deep Links

Fintech apps have high acquisition costs and long user lifecycles. A user who downloads your banking app, browses savings rates, but never opens an account represents a significant cost. Retargeting with deep links brings these users back to the exact point where they left off, rather than to a generic home screen.

This guide covers retargeting strategies for fintech apps using deep links. For re-engagement campaigns broadly, see re-engagement campaigns: winning back lapsed users. For e-commerce retargeting, see retargeting deep links for e-commerce.

Fintech Retargeting Scenarios

Rate Browsers

Users who viewed savings rates, loan rates, or card APRs but did not apply:

{
  "title": "Savings rates just increased",
  "body": "High-yield savings now earning 4.75% APY",
  "deep_link": "https://links.finapp.com/products/savings/HY-SAVINGS",
  "category": "retarget_rates"
}

Application Abandoners

Users who started an application but did not complete it (covered in depth in the loan application deep links guide):

{
  "title": "Your application is waiting",
  "body": "You're 75% done with your personal loan application",
  "deep_link": "https://links.finapp.com/apply/APP-123/step/income",
  "category": "retarget_application"
}

Dormant Account Holders

Users who opened an account but have not used it in 30+ days:

{
  "title": "Your account is ready",
  "body": "Set up direct deposit to get paid 2 days early",
  "deep_link": "https://links.finapp.com/direct-deposit",
  "category": "retarget_dormant"
}

Lapsed Active Users

Users who were active but stopped using the app:

{
  "title": "Your weekly spending summary",
  "body": "See how your spending compares to last month",
  "deep_link": "https://links.finapp.com/transactions/categories",
  "category": "retarget_lapsed"
}

Feature Non-Adopters

Users who have not tried a specific feature:

{
  "title": "Save automatically",
  "body": "Round up your purchases and save the change. Most users save $30-50/month.",
  "deep_link": "https://links.finapp.com/savings/round-ups",
  "category": "retarget_feature"
}

Retargeting Channels

Push Notifications

The most immediate channel, but limited by opt-in rates and notification fatigue:

Segment	Message	Deep Link	Timing
Rate browser (savings)	"Savings rates at 4.75% APY"	/products/savings/HY-SAVINGS	24 hours after browsing
App abandoner	"Your application is X% complete"	/apply/{app-id}/step/{last-step}	2 hours after abandonment
Dormant user	"You have $X in rewards"	/rewards	14 days after last activity
Feature non-adopter	"Try round-up savings"	/savings/round-ups	7 days after signup

Email Retargeting

Better for detailed content and users who have disabled push notifications:

<p>You checked out our high-yield savings rates last week.</p>
<p>Good news: rates just increased to <strong>4.75% APY</strong>,
among the highest in the market.</p>
<p>Open a savings account in under 2 minutes.</p>
<a href="https://links.finapp.com/products/savings/HY-SAVINGS">
  Open Savings Account
</a>

In-App Messages

For users who are in the app but have not explored a specific feature:

{
  "type": "in_app_banner",
  "title": "Earn cash back on every purchase",
  "body": "Upgrade to our Rewards Card",
  "cta": "Learn More",
  "deep_link": "/products/cards/REWARDS",
  "show_to": "users_without_rewards_card",
  "display_after": "3_app_opens"
}

Paid Retargeting Ads

For users who have the app but are not returning. The ad deep links directly to the relevant screen:

https://links.finapp.com/products/savings/HY-SAVINGS?utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=savings-retarget&utm_medium=paid

Segmentation

Effective retargeting requires precise segmentation. Generic "come back to the app" messages perform poorly in fintech because users' situations vary widely.

Behavioral Segments

Segment	Definition	Deep Link Target
Rate shopper	Viewed 2+ rate pages, no application	Product page with current rates
Application abandoner	Started application, incomplete	Last incomplete step
Account holder, no deposit	Opened account, zero balance after 7 days	Direct deposit setup
Active user, no savings	Uses checking, no savings account	Savings product page
Approaching milestone	Near a savings goal or payoff milestone	Goal or payoff detail
Payment overdue	Missed a scheduled payment	Payment screen

Lifecycle-Based Retargeting

User Age	Segment	Message	Deep Link
Day 1-3	New user, incomplete onboarding	"Finish setting up your account"	/onboarding
Week 1	New user, no first deposit	"Add funds to get started"	/deposit
Week 2	Active, no savings	"Start saving automatically"	/savings/round-ups
Month 1	Active, no card	"Get 2% cash back on every purchase"	/products/cards/REWARDS
Month 3	Declining activity	"Your monthly spending report"	/transactions/categories
Month 6+	Dormant	"We've added new features"	/whats-new

Implementation

Tracking Retargeting Events

func trackRetargetingEvent(segment: String, channel: String, deepLink: String) {
    analytics.track("retarget_sent", properties: [
        "segment": segment,
        "channel": channel,
        "deep_link": deepLink,
        "timestamp": Date().timeIntervalSince1970
    ])
}

func handleRetargetingDeepLink(_ url: URL) {
    // Track that the user tapped the retargeting link
    let params = URLComponents(url: url, resolvingAgainstBaseURL: false)?.queryItems
    let campaign = params?.first(where: { $0.name == "utm_campaign" })?.value

    analytics.track("retarget_tapped", properties: [
        "campaign": campaign ?? "unknown",
        "deep_link": url.absoluteString
    ])

    // Route to the correct screen
    routeDeepLink(url)
}

Suppression Rules

Not every user should be retargeted. Define suppression rules to avoid annoying users or violating regulations:

func shouldRetarget(user: User, segment: String) -> Bool {
    // Don't retarget users who opted out
    if user.preferences.retargetingOptOut { return false }

    // Don't retarget users with active complaints
    if user.hasOpenComplaint { return false }

    // Don't retarget for products the user already has
    if segment == "savings_cross_sell" && user.hasSavingsAccount { return false }

    // Respect frequency caps
    let recentMessages = messageHistory.count(
        user: user.id,
        category: "retarget",
        since: Date().addingTimeInterval(-7 * 24 * 3600)
    )
    if recentMessages >= 3 { return false }

    return true
}

Measuring Retargeting Performance

Metric	Description
Reach	Users who received the retargeting message
Tap-through rate	Users who tapped the deep link
Re-engagement rate	Users who opened the app from retargeting
Conversion rate	Users who completed the intended action
Incremental lift	Conversions attributable to retargeting vs. organic
Cost per re-engagement	Ad spend / re-engaged users
LTV impact	Long-term value change for re-engaged users

The most important metric is incremental lift: how many conversions happened because of retargeting that would not have happened otherwise. Use holdout groups to measure this accurately.

Compliance

Fintech retargeting must comply with financial regulations and data privacy laws:

• GDPR: Users in the EU must consent to marketing communications. Retargeting via push notifications requires opt-in. Retargeting via email requires consent or legitimate interest.
• CAN-SPAM: Retargeting emails must include an unsubscribe option.
• Financial regulations: Retargeting for credit products (cards, loans) must comply with TILA disclosure requirements when rates or terms are mentioned.
• TCPA: SMS retargeting requires prior express consent.

Include an easy opt-out mechanism in every retargeting message:

{
  "title": "Savings rates at 4.75% APY",
  "body": "Open a high-yield savings account",
  "deep_link": "https://links.finapp.com/products/savings/HY-SAVINGS",
  "category": "retarget_rates",
  "actions": [
    { "id": "VIEW", "title": "View Rates" },
    { "id": "STOP", "title": "Stop these messages" }
  ]
}

Tolinku for Fintech Retargeting

Tolinku supports the deep link patterns fintech retargeting campaigns need. Define product, feature, and onboarding routes in the Tolinku dashboard. Deferred deep linking ensures that retargeting ads for users who have uninstalled the app preserve the campaign context through reinstall.

For re-engagement campaigns, see re-engagement campaigns: winning back lapsed users. For fintech deep linking broadly, see deep linking for fintech and banking apps.