Mobile banking is on the rise, now used by 33% of mobile consumers, up from 24% in 2011. Of the top 25 US financial institutions by deposit, about half are offering mobile person-to-person (P2P) transfers and mobile remote deposit capabilities, a figure that has more than doubled since 2011. Javelin Strategy & Research’s latest report examines and evaluates the 25 leading U.S. retail financial institutions (FIs) mobile banking offerings by comparing features, mobile access, app, web and text banking, and mobile alerts.

Javelin awarded Best-in-Class to Chase for the second year in a row, citing such advanced offerings as P2P transfers, mobile deposit, and near real-time, actionable alerts. Bank of America came in second place and scored highest for providing the widest mobile accessibility both through device and mode. USAA, a perennial mobile banking powerhouse, placed third. FIs can use the benchmarks in the report to evaluate themselves against top performers, identify specific areas for improvement, and bring their mobile banking offerings up to speed.

One area of concern is that the number of consumers reporting problems accessing mobile banking services at their bank has more than tripled since 2009 from 4% to over 14% in 2012. Without access there is no mobile banking. One of the most difficult issues facing mobile banking today is providing access to the multiplicity of devices that customers use.

FIs need to consider mobile device and mode to optimize mobile banking access for their particular customer base. More than two-thirds of FIs now offer the “triple play” – that is, mobile banking through the mobile web, downloadable app, and SMS text – which can be accessed through smartphones, feature phones, and tablets. Most notably, mobile app banking has steadily risen over each of the past three years, while mobile web banking has dropped. FIs will need to alter their mobile banking strategies to correlate with these technology trends.

“Mobile access continues to improve, yet year after year more consumers say, ‘My bank offers it, but I can’t access it.’ Considering the multiplicity of devices that consumers use for mobile banking, providing access is a service provider’s headache,” said Mary Monahan, Executive Vice President and Research Director, Mobile at Javelin. “Our report shows key user demographics and shifts in consumer mobile banking behavior and what FIs need to do to meet mobile banking demands for services, device proliferation, and mode of access.”

Javelin Strategy & Research’s 2012 Mobile Banking Financial Institution Scorecard: Three Keys to Mobile Money Movement Success benchmarks the mobile banking service offerings of the 25 largest U.S. banks by deposit, highlighting areas of growth and areas where FIs are falling short. The 59-page report includes ratings and comparisons for each FI and over 1200 data points, allowing FIs to benchmark themselves against the FIs in the report.

Learn More: 2012 Mobile Banking Financial Institution Scorecard: Three Keys to Mobile Money Movement Success

Related Javelin Research

• Road Map to Alerts 3.0: A New Channel Emerges for Interactive Finance
• 2012 Online Banking and Bill-Payment Forecast: How to Boost Profitability when Facing Flat-Lining Adoption
• 2011 Mobile Remote Deposit Capture: Creating a Compelling Business Case for Mobile Servicing

About Javelin Strategy & Research: Javelin Strategy & Research provides strategic insights into customer transactions, increasing sustainable profits for financial institutions, government, payments companies, merchants and other technology providers. Javelin’s independent insights result from a uniquely rigorous three-dimensional research process that assesses customers, providers, and the transactions ecosystem.