MSE News: Four out of 10 people in the UK now use mobile banking apps, logging in 275 times a year

I find those figures hard to believe. I don't have a smartphone, use online banking on my desktop once or twice a month. Visit my bank around once a month to pay cheques in and there is always a queue.

I only use apps when the financial institution offers something I want, but they don't offer a website. So: Revolut (exchange currencies at morningstar rate during UK working days), Tandem (0.5% cashback credit card and no forex fee) and Curve (treat £200 cash withdrawal per month as a purchase).

If a website is offered then I prefer to use the website, even when on my phone (which I only use when on outdoors or in bed...)

spenderdave wrote: »

I find those figures hard to believe. I don't have a smartphone, use online banking on my desktop once or twice a month. Visit my bank around once a month to pay cheques in and there is always a queue.

I find the figures believable. I use a banking app once a day so I'm above average.

I remember saving as a teenager about 20 years ago when apps were non-existent. To check a bank balance from home - start up the old desktop or laptop (which took 5 minutes), start up the dial-up modem (during which no one could make incoming/outgoing phone calls from the landline), log on to the bank's website, check balance etc. Either that or I had to walk into town to go in branch or get a balance from an ATM.

Now, whip out the phone, check balance, transactions, payments, etc. - all done within seconds. I can deposit cheques with Halifax via my phone too. No wonder more branches are closing down.

Times are changing and we need to move on.

Which means 6 in 10 people do not use mobile banking apps. I have friends who bank online, but refuse to use their phone for mobile banking apps incase they lost their phone etc. I know people who check their online banking everyday, which is ridiculous. I check once a week, after I've been in branches, to ensure transactions have gone through. I could quite easily not even do that.

I'm 26 and haven't used a mobile banking app. I don't need to. I don't want to. I don't have to.

Average branch visit now 104 a day. That's still more than 630 visits a week (Monday-Saturday). Which means some branches are considerably higher than that.

People who say they haven't got time for branches etc (sorry, but no one is that busy) probably spend more time looking at their accounts online (not actually making transactions) than someone who goes in branch once a week.

Whenever I go in bank branch, there are always people in there. Banks are willingly forcing people online to maintain already swelling profit margins and directly contributing to unemployment by closing branches.

We've seen with Tesco Bank and TSB how insecure their security protections can be. If that doesn't put people off banking online and on mobile where you can be intercepted by bugs, viruses and scams then I don't know what would. It is for me. Technology is great when it works, but terrible when used against you. Don't get anything of this in branch.

"Mobile and online banking systems are easy to use, safe and reliable. Many customers prefer to use this technology rather than making time to visit a bank branch." The exec of UK Finance. Clearly isn't safe or reliable as highlighted above.

spenderdave wrote: »

I find those figures hard to believe. I don't have a smartphone, use online banking on my desktop once or twice a month. Visit my bank around once a month to pay cheques in and there is always a queue.

Exactly my experience. Except I go to branches weekly. And I'm 26 (but do have a smartphone)