National Survey: U.S. Consumers are Highly Satisfied with Digital Banking Channels

U.S. consumers are highly satisfied with their bank’s digital banking services, according to a new survey conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the American Bankers Association. Survey highlights include: 

• 95% of consumers rate their bank’s online and mobile app experience as “excellent,” “very good,” or “good.” 
• When considering the growth of digital and online tools as well as traditional branches and ATMs, 93% of respondents characterized their overall access to banking services today as “excellent,” “very good” or “good.” 
• Three-quarters (75%) said innovation and technological improvements by banks are making it easier for all Americans to access financial services, an acknowledgment of the role technology is playing in reaching even those Americans in remote areas of the country. 

“America’s banks are investing in technology that puts banking within reach, wherever life takes you,” said ABA president and CEO Rob Nichols. “From the morning commute to an evening at home, this survey shows Americans greatly appreciate their banks’ online and mobile offerings and ability to choose from a wide variety of banking options that best meet their needs.” 

Consumers Rank Mobile Apps as Top Banking Option for 7th Straight Year 

The survey also found that for the seventh year in a row, U.S. consumers are conducting their banking via mobile apps more than any other method. Consumers continue to embrace digital banking channels: 

• 44% of bank customers use apps on phones or other mobile devices as their top option for managing their bank account.
• 20% use online banking via laptop or PC most often.
• The next most popular banking methods include visiting a branch (10%), telephone calls (6%), and ATMs (6%).
• The percentage of those using mobile banking apps the most has increased significantly since ABA first teamed with Morning Consult to conduct this survey in 2017 (26% said mobile app was their preferred banking method that year).

A breakdown of age demographics shows preferences vary among different generations [See infographic for a full breakdown of top banking preferences by age]: 

• More than half of Generation Z (54%) and Millennials (54%) use mobile banking apps most often, while 40% of Generation X do so.  
• Baby Boomers said they use mobile banking apps the most (32%) nearly as frequently as they cited a preference for online banking via their laptop or PC (34%). 
• When it comes to branches, nearly 1 in 5 Baby Boomers (18%) visit bank branches the most often, while only 4% of Gen Z prefer to visit a branch. 

“This survey shows that for many Americans, banking is as much a part of their daily routine as picking up their phone,” said Nichols. “Mobile banking pairs easy access with safeguards like biometric and two-factor authentication that help protect personal and financial information. However, this survey also makes clear that the convenience of a screen doesn’t completely replace the value of a conversation. Branches remain an essential option for customers who prefer personal interaction, especially when navigating more complex transactions.”

ABA released an accompanying infographic highlighting the survey findings. The data released today is the latest in a series of results gauging U.S. consumers’ preferences and opinions regarding banks and their services. ABA recently released additional survey data showing that Americans are wary of AI agents handling their money and bank account information, as well as data revealing that consumers recognize banks’ efforts to protect them from fraud and support policy actions to combat fraud. The full results for today’s survey questions are as follows:

When asked “On a scale of 1-5, where “5” is excellent and “1” is poor, how would you rate your primary bank’s online and mobile app experience?” respondents who have a bank account provided the following responses: 

• Excellent – 40%
• Very Good – 33%
• Good – 22%
• Fair – 3%
• Poor – 2%

When asked “Given the growth of digital and online tools as well as traditional branches and ATMs, how would you characterize your overall access to banking services today?” respondents who have a bank account provided the following responses: 

• Excellent – 33%
• Very Good – 34%
• Good – 26%
• Poor – 1%
• Don’t know/No opinion – 6%

When asked “Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Innovation and technology improvements by banks are making it easier for all Americans to have access to financial services” consumers provided the following responses:

• Strongly agree – 32%
• Somewhat agree – 43%
• Somewhat disagree – 8%
• Strongly disagree – 3%
• Don’t know/no opinion – 14% 

When asked “In the past year, which method did you use most often to manage your bank account(s)?” consumers responded as follows: 

• Mobile (apps on smartphone or tablet) – 44%
• Internet/Online (Laptop or PC) – 20%
• Branches – 10%
• ATM – 6%
• Telephone (calls to your bank) – 6%
• Mail – 3%
• Don’t Know/no opinion – 10% 

Age breakdown:

• Gen Z (1997-2012)         
  • Mobile — 54%
  • Online — 10%
  • Telephone — 6%
  • ATM — 4%
  • Mail — 4%
  • Branches — 4%
• Millennials (1981-1996)             
  • Mobile — 54%
  • Online — 13%
  • ATM — 9%
  • Branches — 6%
  • Telephone — 5%
  • Mail — 4%
• Gen X (1965-1980)         
  • Mobile — 40%
  • Online — 20%
  • Branches — 11%
  • Telephone — 8%
  • ATM — 6%
  • Mail — 2% 
• Baby Boomers (1946-1964)      
  • Online — 34%
  • Mobile — 32%
  • Branches — 18%
  • Telephone — 6%
  • ATM — 3%
  • Mail — 1%
    

About the Survey
This poll was conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the American Bankers Association from October 9-12, 2026, among a national sample of 4,402 adults split into two representative groups for specific question sets (Split Sample A n=2,191 | Split Sample B n=2,211). The interviews were conducted online and the data were weighted to approximate a target sample of adults based on age, race/ethnicity, gender, educational attainment, and region. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of plus or minus 1 percentage point.