Digital banking has officially moved from a “new and innovative feature expectation.” At 61% importance, it’s now the second-most critical factor in choosing a bank, right behind customer service at 71%. That’s a massive shift that changes how we need to think about technology investment. 

Customers now expect banking apps to work as smoothly as their favorite consumer apps. No patience for clunky interfaces, slow load times, or features that only sort of work. This spans all generations, though how they want to use these tools varies dramatically. Younger customers want advanced features spending analytics, goal-setting tools, social payments, AI-powered insights. Older customers prefer clean, simple interfaces with easy navigation and clear paths to human help when needed. 

Here’s the pressure point: technical problems now equal trust problems. System crashes, app glitches, or security issues don’t just inconvenience customers they actively damage the relationship. When someone can’t access their money because your app is down, that’s a trust-breaking moment that can drive them to switch banks. 

The opportunity is huge though. When digital tools work well, they don’t replace human service they enhance it. Imagine predictive analytics that help staff anticipate customer needs, or AI assistants that handle routine questions so human experts can focus on complex problems. The best digital experiences make both customers and employees more effective, creating better relationships all around. 

Download the full report to learn what it takes to build trust, reduce churn, and create meaningful experiences across every generation.