BIMI for US Banks

Why Banks Need BIMI

Banks are the number one target for phishing and email impersonation attacks. Customers receive dozens of bank emails — statements, alerts, fraud notifications, marketing — and attackers exploit this familiarity to steal credentials and money. BIMI provides a visual trust signal by displaying the bank's verified logo directly in the inbox, making phishing attempts immediately obvious.

The Problem

Without BIMI, a phishing email from "security@yourbank-alert.com" looks identical to a legitimate email from the real bank. Both show a generic initial or avatar. Customers — especially those less technically savvy — can't tell the difference. The FBI's IC3 reports that business email compromise and phishing targeting financial institutions costs billions annually.

What BIMI Does for Banks

• Visual verification — Customers see the bank's official logo next to every legitimate email, making phishing attempts visually obvious
• Fraud reduction — When customers can identify real emails at a glance, they're far less likely to fall for credential-stealing phishing attacks
• Regulatory alignment — BIMI builds on DMARC enforcement, which banking regulators and the FFIEC increasingly expect from financial institutions
• Customer confidence — Branded emails build trust in digital banking communications, reducing support calls about suspicious emails
• Higher engagement — Branded emails see up to 10% higher open rates, improving the effectiveness of statements, alerts, and marketing

How to Get Started

1. Enforce DMARC — Set your DMARC policy to p=quarantine or p=reject. DMARC Report can help you get there safely.
2. Create your BIMI logo — Convert your bank's logo to SVG Tiny 1.2 PS format. BIMIHosting does this for free.
3. Publish your BIMI record — Add a DNS TXT record pointing to your hosted logo.
4. Get a VMC/CMC (recommended) — For Gmail and Apple Mail display, purchase a Verified Mark Certificate from DigiCert or Entrust. For banks handling sensitive financial data, a VMC is strongly recommended.