Journal of Computing Theories and Applications
Vol. 3 No. 4 (2026): JCTA 3(4) 2026

Understanding Customer Churn in Retail Banking through Explainable Predictive Analytics: Evidence of a Product Paradox

Patrick Ndabarishye (Jain University)
Ajay Kumar Singh (Jain University)



Article Info

Publish Date
10 Apr 2026

Abstract

The retention of customers in the retail banking sector is a critical economic imperative; however, predictive modeling is frequently hindered by severe class imbalance and the “Black Box” nature of complex algorithms. This study proposes a Heterogeneous Stacking Ensemble framework integrating XGBoost, CatBoost, and Random Forest base learners with a Logistic Regression meta-learner to forecast customer attrition. To overcome the pervasive “Majority Class Bias,” we introduce a “Dual-Imbalance Defense” that synergizes the Synthetic Minority Over-sampling Technique (SMOTE) with algorithmic cost-sensitive penalization. Furthermore, moving beyond standard accuracy metrics, the framework mathematically derives a dynamic classification threshold to guarantee a strict 0.90 recall rate, actively optimizing the capture of at-risk capital. Model opacity is addressed through the integration of a SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) TreeExplainer. This cooperative game theory approach provides localized, patient-level “Reason Codes” for regulatory compliance and reveals global systemic vulnerabilities, including non-linear drivers such as the “Product Paradox.” Achieving a 0.90 recall rate and an AUC of 0.8654, this framework provides a statistically robust and operationally transparent tool for targeted customer retention.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

jcta

Publisher

Subject

Computer Science & IT Decision Sciences, Operations Research & Management

Description

Journal of Computing Theories and Applications (JCTA) is a refereed, international journal that covers all aspects of foundations, theories and the practical applications of computer science. FREE OF CHARGE for submission and publication. All accepted articles will be published online and accessed ...