User account handling is fundamentally wrong in most applications

Wherever I go — whether I’m logging into a webshop, a bank, a fintech app, an insurance platform, or practically any other service — I keep bumping into the same frustrating issue: I’m treated like five different people. One version of me is a private customer. Another is the CEO of Sense/Net. A third is the manager of one of our subsidiaries. A fourth is representing our startup Manfred. And sometimes I’m just a dad ordering a birthday gift for my kid.

But here’s the truth: I’m still the same person. I just happen to wear different hats. The industry’s current approach to user accounts doesn’t acknowledge that, and it creates massive friction — for no good reason.

One Account, Many Hats

Let’s take a very simple use case. Today I tried to buy some photo paper online. Nothing fancy. I went to my favorite store. Great news: I was already logged in. I picked the product, added it to my cart, and headed to checkout.

But then the problems started.

The system had somehow defaulted my account to a “business” profile — presumably because last time I bought something for the company. Only now, I was trying to make a private purchase for my home office. But there was no way to switch the context of the purchase. My only option? Switch accounts.

Sounds easy? It’s not. Switching accounts usually means having separate email addresses. Sometimes different phone numbers. Of course, different newsletters. And that’s before we even talk about managing passwords or remembering which login belongs to which context.

I don’t want five logins, five passwords, and five sets of newsletters. I want one account — just like I’m one person — and the ability to act on behalf of myself or any of my companies, as needed.

All I wanted was to use my account, as me, and decide at the checkout whether I was buying as a private individual or on behalf of one of my businesses.

This isn’t an edge case. This is daily life for anyone juggling multiple roles.

How Banks Get It (Very) Wrong

Let’s scale this up. Sense/Net is a group of companies, and we recently launched our new startup Manfred. That makes four entities I’m responsible for. Add my personal finances, and that’s five.

When I tried to open business accounts at a major bank for each of these companies, I had to create five separate digital identities within their system. That means:

• 5 usernames
• 5 passwords
• 5 PIN codes
• 5 separate logins
• 1 biometric fingerprint — but I can only use it with one of the accounts

Even if we leave the technical silliness aside (why limit biometrics to one account on the same device?), the fundamental problem is this: the system thinks I’m five different people. But I’m not.

The Right Way to Do It

Here’s what should happen. When I log into any app — whether it's a bank, a webshop, or a government portal — the system should identify me as a person. One login. One token. One fingerprint. That’s enough to confirm who I am.

From there, I should be able to choose how I want to interact with the system. Maybe I want to act as:

• Myself, Thomas Biro, a private individual
• CEO of Sense/Net Zrt
• Managing director of our holding
• Representative of Manfred
• Legal guardian for my daughter’s account

The system should let me see and switch between these “roles” or “representations” inside my account. I shouldn’t have to log out and log back in just to pay a bill from a different company. I shouldn’t need to store five different password sets in my brain (or my password manager).

It’s a classic one-to-many relationship:

One personal account → Many service roles or entities.

This isn’t just more convenient. It’s how the real world works. We don't become different people depending on the context — we just represent different things.

Practical Implementation

Let’s go back to the bank example. Here’s how it should be structured:

• I, Thomas Biro, have a single user account at the bank.
• The bank stores bank accounts separately, as objects owned by people or organizations.
• My user account is linked to these bank accounts with roles like:
• Owner (my personal account)
• Guardian (my daughter’s account)
• CEO (Sense/Net holding and Manfred)
• Manager (subsidiaries)
• When I log in, the system identifies me, then shows a list of associated accounts.
• I select which one I want to operate on behalf of.
• Done.

No duplicate logins. No identity gymnastics.

Delegation Made Easy (and Secure)

Now let’s take it a step further.

Sometimes, someone else needs to act on my behalf. Maybe my assistant needs to order office supplies. Maybe our accountant needs to access the company bank account. Right now, most systems force people to share passwords to make this work — which is a massive security risk.

Instead, user accounts should allow for delegated access. If my colleague already has an account with a bank or webshop, I should be able to link him or her to my business profile and assign the appropriate permissions:

• Can make purchases
• Can view invoices
• Cannot change settings

This kind of delegation model already exists in well-designed enterprise systems. It’s time consumer-facing applications caught up.

What About E-commerce?

Same principle. I log in once. The webshop knows who I am. At checkout, it asks:

“Are you purchasing as Thomas (Private) or as Sense/Net Zrt (Business)?”

I pick one. The system applies the right invoice info, discount policies, shipping address, and so on.

My assistant should be able to log in to her own account, and choose to buy on behalf of Sense/Net — if I’ve granted her that permission. Without ever needing access to my private login.

Why This Matters

This isn’t just about convenience. It’s about usability, security, and respecting how modern people work. Many of us juggle multiple roles: founder, parent, partner, CEO, customer, legal rep, assistant. We shouldn’t have to create fake personas or insecure workarounds just to use basic services.

Let me put it simply:

I don’t want five logins.

I don’t want five passwords.

I don’t want five inboxes.

I’m one person.

I need one account.

So do you.

Time to Rethink Identity

If you're building an app — whether it's for banking, commerce, or digital services — please stop tying everything to a single identity blob.

Think of your users as people first, not as account categories.

Let them act on behalf of different roles, businesses, or relationships — all through one secure, personal account.

It's better for UX.

It's better for security.

And most importantly, it’s how people actually live.