Demand for Mobile Financial Services Poised to Grow
A study, carried out by comScore of how mobile users access their banking accounts found that mobile Web browsing ranked as the most popular method for both smartphone (44.1 percent) and 3G users (53.3 percent), followed closely by mobile applications (48.1 percent of 3G users and 40.6 percent of smartphone users).
The relative parity among usage of browsers vs. applications for access to mobile banking indicates the growing importance of ease of use for accessing accounts and conducting transactions. Interestingly, the percentage of mobile bankers who used texting (SMS) for access to their account information was substantially higher among 3G users (41 percent) than Smartphone users (25 percent).
"The increasing adoption of smartphones and access to 3G networks, along
with the rapid development of mobile apps, have created a fertile environment
for the acceleration of mobile banking," said
Convenience of Mobile Banking Important, Even at Home
The comScore report offers unparalleled insight into the usage patterns of mobile financial services users, including their preferred points of access. The largest percent of mobile customers, 31 percent, access their financial accounts primarily from home, even though many households have PC-based Internet available as well. Another 25 percent conduct transactions when running errands, while 15 percent do so during their commute. Nine percent of respondents indicated that they primarily access their accounts while on vacation, and 8 percent do so primarily while traveling for business.
Posted to the site on 10th July 2009
