NetBanker, the blog that has long championed online banking, is projecting that online banking in the US will “slowly head down” in favor of mobile banking.

The blog made the projection as part of a release of some elements of a new report on online and mobile banking.

The report reads:

While our reading of the tea leaves is unlikely to be perfect, it seems clear that the demand for online banking in the United States is clearly plateauing. In fact, we are likely within a year or two of online banking penetration peaking and slowly heading down.

How could that be? Mobile of course. In fact, through the end of 2020, we project an increase of 40 to 45 million U.S. households using mobile banking, to a total of nearly 60 million. During the same period, online banking penetration is actually expected to drop by a few million households.

If we are right, sometime near the end of the decade mobile banking will surpass online. Although, by then the two will look pretty similar.

As I wrote here, I agree with NetBanker’s assessment and believe the shift to mobile demands greater attention from banks, particular those lagging on the innovation curve.