Smartphones are the king of digital banking. Eight out of 10 Italians use them to check their accounts, and seven out of 10 use them to make bank transfers.

Smartphones are increasingly the primary channel for accessing digital banking services. The mapping of information and transactional operations reveals less overlap in use between digital devices (tablets and PCs), favoring smartphones.

Therefore, mobile is increasingly used as the primary channel for all transactions: 78% use it to monitor balances and card transactions (37% online), and 72% for bank transfers (44% online). Frequent use of banking apps reinforces the perception of simplicity, and 82% of respondents are inclined to purchase payment cards online, and 64% are inclined to purchase insurance policies online. Forty-six percent say they are inclined to purchase a mortgage online.

This is the snapshot captured by the survey conducted with online interviews by Abi Lab, the consortium for research and innovation for banking promoted by Abi, in collaboration with doxa.

Over half of the interviewees also showed openness towards extra-banking services, with a particular interest in “mobility-related services”, “initiatives based on missions, quizzes and challenges to obtain refunds/discounts”, and “tourism and leisure services”.

Regarding security, 87% of surveyed customers consider using the banking app safe, and it continues to be perceived as the most reliable of all app types. Only 23% feel safer using a PC, while 58% already perceive no difference in security between the devices they use (PC or smartphone). Finally, satisfaction with digital banking services remains high, with particular praise for the speed and simplicity of operations.

"The culture of digital security guides the commitment of the ABI and the entire sector and is embodied in the work of the ABI 'digital security' committee," said ABI Director General Marco Elio Rottigni, who chairs the committee together with Roberto Parazzini, Deutsche Bank's CCO for Italy. "The banks, within the committee, have defined several strategic priorities: strengthening the sector's resilience, protecting customers when using digital services, and promoting a shared culture of cybersecurity."

The manager then explained that "the committee works in synergy with the other bodies promoted by ABI—Certfin, which plays a key role in cybersecurity in the financial sector, along with ABI Lab and Abiservizi—to comprehensively address the challenges of digital security, from cyber threats to data breaches, to the evolution of financial crime."