IDC says mobile banking use has nearly doubled since last year but warns that the platform has yet to generate new sales for financial institutions.
According to results from a survey of more than 1,000 U.S. adults, IDC says the challenge with mobile banking continues to be that it introduces a new cost structure without providing opportunities for revenue.
“Consumers have become accustomed to having more for free, and the convenience of mobile banking so far does not appear to be something that people are willing to pay for,” IDC said in its report.
The research firm did not disclose specific estimates, but said that usage was up across all channels and that SMS is the most popular form of mobile banking. IDC also said customized alerts and payments outside of network are gaining in popularity, while check image view and getting rate information on the mobile device appear to be fading. Demographics for mobile banking customers were skewed toward a younger male audience, but all demographics are showing usage.
Marc DeCastro, a research manager at IDC, said that while bank’s brick-and-mortar locations continue to be the foundation of the financial services industry, consumers are getting more comfortable opening accounts outside of a branch location.
