Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Mobile, Online Banking Lines Blur

Online banking and mobile banking are quickly becoming the same thing, according to Forrester Research.

Forrester researchers defined online bankers as consumers who have checked account balances, transferred money, or paid bills at a bank’s website in the past three months.

Mobile bankers were defined as those who have ever used mobile banking services via text alerts, mobile Internet, or a mobile application to check account balances, transfer money or pay a bill.

That doesn't mean all mobile banking will involve mobile payments, a subset of mobile banking activity. But the study does suggest that consumers are becoming more comfortable using mobile devices for banking operations. That's important for banks, among others. It took some time for people to get comfortable with automated teller machines as well, but that level of acceptance has major implications for the cost of supporting banking operations.

ATMs made "bank branches" affordable and abundant. Mobile phones should do the same, to a wider extent.

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