The big four U.S. banks are adding more active mobile users than overall digital users on both a quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year basis, earnings reports for the first quarter of 2019 show. Combined, these banks now account for more than 136 million active digital users, of which nearly 96 million are active mobile users, in North America.
JPMorgan Chase reported 50.7 million active digital (online and mobile) users in the first quarter, up 3% from 49.3 million the previous quarter and up 6% from 48 million a year ago. Meanwhile, the bank reported 34.4 million active mobile users in the first quarter, up just 3% from 33.3 million the previous quarter, but up 11% from 31 million a year ago.
Bank of America reported 37 million active digital users, up less than 2% from 36.3 million the previous quarter and up more than 4% from 35.5 million in 1Q18. There are now 27.1 million active mobile users at the bank, up 2.7% from 26.4 million the previous quarter, but up nearly 9.3% from 24.8 million a year ago.
The bank also counted 6.3 million users of its AI-powered virtual assistant, Erica. Bank Innovation reported last month that Erica had crossed 6 million users, representing growth of more than 29% over the previous three months.
Wells Fargo‘s 29.8 million active digital users in 1Q19 represented a 2% increase from 29.2 million the previous quarter and a 3% climb from 28.8 million a year ago. The bank attributed the growth, modest as it was, to “growth in the customer base and ease of digital payment options,” in its earnings presentation.
Active mobile users, in the meantime, reached 23.3 million, up 2.2% from 22.8 million the previous quarter and up 7% from 21.8 million a year ago. This increase, the bank said, was “driven by growth in the customer base and increased adoption.”
Citigroup reported 18.7 million active digital customers in North America in 1Q19, up just slightly from 18.5 million the previous quarter and up 5% from 17.7 million a year ago. While mobile active customers in North America this quarter only inched up to 11.1 million, from 11 million the previous quarter, this still represents a 12% increase from 9.9 million a year ago.
Growth in Citi’s active digital and mobile customers also slowed down internationally. The bank’s 11.2 million digital users represented just a 2% climb QOQ but a 21% increase YOY. Likewise, the bank’s 8.3 million mobile users represented a 4% climb for the quarter but a 43% increase for the year.

A study by FIS released today found mobile remains the channel of choice for 42% of banking customers, outperforming online channels (31%), ATMs (12%), branches (10%), and telephone (6%). The findings are based on a survey of more than 1,700 U.S. banking consumers from millennials through baby boomers.
The study, which can be found here, said:
It’s time to acknowledge new realities in the U.S. retail banking sector. Mobile adoption has plateaued, and 73 percent of all consumer interactions with banks are done digitally (similar to what was seen in 2018). Digital banking is no longer a trend. It is the way.






