Spain's Banco Sabadell is forecasting that mobile access could become the mainstream channel to the bank for many customers, as it reveals that only one-in-five transactions are currently carried out via the branch network.
The Spanish bank is currently embarking on a major advertising campaign to push its mobile offerings, which encompass all leading platforms, including iPhone/iPad, Android, Blackberry and Windows Phone.
In January, the bank became the first in Europe to offer remote cheque deposit functionality, enabling users to take a photo of their cheque with a smartphone camera to make deposits without having to visit a branch.
Sabadell says that 80% of customer operations are currently carried out via remote banking. Of this figure, 15% of customers access their accounts via the different mobile phone channels.
Miguel Montes, the bank's deputy general manager, says: "Over the next few years, we will see major growth in operations via mobile channels. It wouldn't be a surprise if, in the medium term, mobile terminals ended up becoming the main means of connection for many users."
User interaction via social networks is likely to be a significant contributor to growth, says Montes. Sabadell's mobile apps all provide direct links to its own YouTube, Twitter and Facebook spaces.
"Queries via social networks and particularly Twitter are increasing non-stop," he says. "Some customers have even started asking for commercial offers via this channel."