Though online banking remains king when it comes to Canadians' preference for how they bank, an increasing number of Canadians are beginning to embrace mobile. According to a recent survey by ING DIRECT, 41 per cent of Canadians say they are open to doing more traditional banking functions, like paying bills, on their mobile devices, a number that has climbed from 38 per cent since 2012. One in 10 (10%) Canadians say they use their mobile device to do banking several times a week, a number that increases to one in five (20%) Canadians when looking exclusively at 18 – 34 year olds.
As technological advancements make banking easier and more convenient, Canadians indicate that their need to visit a branch has decreased. A third of Canadians (33%) who conduct their banking at a branch say their number one reason for last visiting a bank branch was to deposit a cheque. Close to half (46%) of respondents who use mobile banking say they would consider depositing a cheque to their bank account using their mobile device, a number that's more than doubled since 2012 when only 22% of Canadians said they would consider depositing a cheque through this method.
ING DIRECT is leading this technological shift in the financial services industry with Cheque-In™, its Remote Deposit Capture feature within the bank's existing Mobile Banking app. With the snap of a mobile photo, clients can deposit cheques to their ING DIRECT account anytime from anywhere, without the hassle of visiting a bank branch or ABM.
"Technology is rapidly changing the way we manage some of our most traditional day-to-day responsibilities, and a growing number of Canadians are downloading clever applications, like ING DIRECT's mobile banking app, to simplify their lives," said Marc Saltzman, technology expert, author and television personality. "As a freelancer who is often on the road, I – like many others – rely heavily on my smartphone to get my banking done when it's convenient for me, so it's ideal that we're moving towards a system that makes depositing cheques easier."
For those Canadians who are already mobile bankers, over half (56 per cent) indicate they use their mobile devices to check their bank account balances, while over a quarter (27 per cent) use it to pay bills. Not surprisingly, 89 per cent of those who bank on their mobile phones agree that being able to bank on-the-go has made their lives easier, thanks in large part to the amount of time it has saved them. In fact, 72 per cent reported that they save up to two hours every month by banking from their mobile devices.
"We recognize that Canadians have busy lifestyles and scheduling time to go to a bank branch is another item on a long list of to-dos. Our Mobile Banking application makes it easier for our clients to bank quickly at any time of day no matter where they might be. Cheque-In is another practical example of how we're making banking more convenient for our clients," said Peter Aceto, president and CEO at ING DIRECT.
The survey also revealed that 44 per cent of Canadians have used mobile banking to get them out of a bind, such as checking their account balance before making a purchase at the register, emailing money to a friend or making a last-minute bill payment. Canadians also admit to banking from their mobile device in some rather unusual places; One quarter (25%) of respondents say they've done it in the bathroom while other respondents mentioned banking at a nightclub, in class and while hunting.
