Are online banking users second-class citizens?

eastcorkram

Hoenir said:

Given the choice of a 25 inch monitor or a tiny phone screen. It's PC for me every time when it comes to serious tasks.  

Good job I never do anything serious. Haven't had a desktop since 1997, and haven't had a laptop since 2015. 

Sarahspangles

Businesses typically now focus more on their mobile apps than their websites. More transactions go through apps because that’s what customers want. Remember you don’t need to use a phone, I use an iPad which seems the best of both worlds - it’s got a bigger screen, but it’s portable and I still get the user friendly interface of apps.

Wherever there are transactions that can’t be done in the app, that’s because they’re lower priority to build functionality for, but in time they probably will be delivered. I logged onto my bank this morning to close an account, for example.

retiredbanker1

I can see in the next 10/15 years protests not about branch closures but bank websites to concentrate on app only banking. Believe me this is coming!

DullGreyGuy

Hoenir said:

Given the choice of a 25 inch monitor or a tiny phone screen. It's PC for me every time when it comes to serious tasks.  

Not sure it's anything to do with the seriousness of the task but what size screen and input method best suits the task...

Working on a 400,000 row spreadsheet for work, thats going to be the computer because I need the screen size and the fine input control of a mouse rather than my fat fingers. 

Writing my memoirs, if I get round to it would be the same as I want a keyboard and be able to see the best part of a page at a time but wouldn't call that a serious task. 

Sketching a drawing I'll use a tablet as the pen input is vastly better than a mouse and the larger screen better than a phone. I've used that to draw out all sorts of serious business diagrams and mind maps etc

My banking is fairly simple and for most use cases a phones portability, security and screen size is more than adequate. If I need to double check I've got the funds to pay for X whilst in a shop I'd much rather use the phones app than get a laptop out to check... for one, dont walk about with my laptop all the time. 

Rich1976

I never use online banking for our current account. App is so much faster and easier and whatever I need to do can be done in 2 minutes.
i only use online banking to access our main savings account and that’s only because the bank we use doesn’t have an app.

Even our pensions are all app based so see no need to use an online version these days 

danny13579

Sarahspangles said:

Remember you don’t need to use a phone, I use an iPad which seems the best of both worlds - it’s got a bigger screen, but it’s portable and I still get the user friendly interface of apps.

This. I very rarely use online banking, but find apps far nicer, faster and easier to use. As I don't own a smartphone I find the iPad perfect for doing this. 

Barkin

Hoenir said:

Given the choice of a 25 inch monitor or a tiny phone screen. It's PC for me every time when it comes to serious tasks.  

What on earth's a "serious" task?

I'll be in Sicily next week, doing some "serious" stuff (spending money etc) but I'll pass on carting a keyboard, mouse & widescreen monitor with me.

Almost all of the banking apps that I use are optimised for a phone screen - amazing, eh? - and doing "stuff", even "serious" stuff really isn't difficult. 

gravel_2

In my experience if you want features then the web tends to allow you to do more, but the app has convenience (especially if you use biometric login). This may be changing though as most of my apps have recently seemed to enable adding payees/confirming payment requests with my face.

Rob5342

I'd say there is more focus on developing the apps, thats simply because people prefer them as they are more convenient. That's the same across everything though. It does depnd on the bank, Monzo is app only and have a very good app, Nationwide on the other hand are hopelessly old fashioned and seem to have only just worked out what a mobile phone is. I do all my banking on phone apps as its so convenient, checking my balance is as quick as telling the time. 

Hoenir

eastcorkram said:

Hoenir said:

Given the choice of a 25 inch monitor or a tiny phone screen. It's PC for me every time when it comes to serious tasks.  

Good job I never do anything serious. Haven't had a desktop since 1997, and haven't had a laptop since 2015. 

Been a spreadsheet user for over 4 decades now.  

The ability to see more is a huge time saver. When it comes manuals, technical diagrams flow charts.

Who wants to squint at pages of contractual terms and conditions. I can scan read rapidly through pages effortlessly.