Nearly 30 million Americans accessed financial services accounts through their mobile phones in the fourth quarter of 2010, a 54% rise on the same period the previous year, according to comScore.
Of the 29.8 Americans that used their phones to access bank, credit card, or brokerage accounts, 18.6 million did so through a mobile browser, up 58% on Q4 2009.
Less people used applications - 10.8 million - but this was a massive 120% rise on the same period the previous year. SMS was used by 8.1 million, a modest 35% rise.
Among mobile banking and credit card users, the most popular way of accessing accounts is still online through a fixed device, cited by nearly half as their primary method.
However, 36% of mobile credit card users and 26% of m-banking customers say their handset is their primary method of accessing their accounts, far ahead of branches and call centres.
The most popular reason given for not accessing financial services through handsets is a preference for using a fixed online device, cited by 53% of smartphone owners and 45% of non-smartphone owners.
Security concerns are cited by 33% of those with smartphones and 30% of those without. Nearly a third of non-smartphone users state cost as a reason for not accessing these accounts, compared to 10% of smartphone owners. Only 11% of those with a smartphone say they don't use mobile services because their bank does not offer them.