Mobile banking growing in the US and Europe
Forrester Research released a new report saying mobile banking is growing both here in the US and overseas in Europe. By 2017, says the report, mobile banking will be used by 108 million people in the US, or about 46% of those holding bank accounts in the US. Currently, only about 13% of account holders in the US and 9% of European bank account holders have taken advantage of mobile banking services, but Forrester says those numbers will grow greatly in the next few years.
Why? First, mobile banking's various services are growing by leaps and bounds both in numbers and ease of use. Banks today have apps that will let you deposit checks just by taking pictures of them, or transfer money from account to account with just an onscreen tap. Over time, those services will get even easier and more secure, which means they'll see more users. And don't forget, our culture is changing as well. The more we get used to using smartphones for shopping and trading money, the more we'll use them for banking features as well.
