The vast majority of Americans like their banks' mobile app and online experience, but about one in six might be wooed to another financial institution for upgraded digital features, according to a new survey by the American Bankers Association.
The poll of 2,201 adults found that 93% rated their bank's mobile app and online experience as "excellent," "very good," or "good."
It also found that 70% of Americans are using mobile devices such as smartphones or iPads at least once a month to manage their bank accounts, and 46% did so more than three times a month. Almost half (46%) said they used remote deposit capture in the past 12 months.
However, 16% said they would change financial institutions for a better digital experience.
"As fewer people carry around cash and checkbooks, more and more consumers are turning to mobile payment apps to split a tab, send money to family or even pay their rent," ABA's SVP and Deputy Chief Counsel for Consumer Protection and Payments Nessa Feddis said. "This survey shows that Americans increasingly appreciate and like the innovative and personalized services banks offer. These data also reveal why bank investment in new technology is so important."
The survey also asked people what features would make them switch financial institutions. Seventeen percent of respondents said they would consider switching for better bill pay and mobile payments features; 14% said better budgeting features. Online loan application or origination was worth switching for 11% of the respondents, and smart-assistant integration with Alexa, Google Home or similar was a draw for 8%.
However, 61% said none of those features would make them consider switching banks.
Part of the reason may be that some forms of mobile payments are still a novelty for many. About two-thirds (67%) of people in the ABA survey said they had not used Apple Pay, Zelle or Venmo or similar to make payments or transfer money to family or friends in the past 12 months.
But among those who had, PayPal was the most popular method, with 67% using the platform. A third had used their bank's app, and 29% said they had used Venmo. Fewer than a quarter said they used Zelle (23%), Apple Pay (20%), Starbucks (12%), Samsung Pay (7%), Android Pay (6%) or Popmoney (2%). People age 18-34 were more than twice as likely as people age 45-64 to use mobile payment apps.
Earlier this year, another ABA survey of 2,201 adults found that 72% most often accessed their bank accounts online or via mobile platforms, compared to 18% who said they did most of their banking transactions in person at a branch. That survey also found that 42% preferred accessing their accounts via laptop or personal computer; 30% said mobile was their favorite way — up 4% from last year, the American Bankers Association noted.
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
