Telephone banking pioneer first direct is now mobile-first

Mobile has become the channel of choice for customers of direct banking pioneer first direct, overtaking desktop interactions for the first time and far surpassing the original dial-in telephony pipes.

  3 5 comments

Telephone banking pioneer first direct is now mobile-first

Editorial

This content has been selected, created and edited by the Finextra editorial team based upon its relevance and interest to our community.

The switchover to a mobile majority took place in August and was confirmed in September’s figures.

Joe Gordon, head of first direct, says: “Our customers want an omni-channel approach to banking but they’re now choosing the app as their primary way of managing their accounts.”

On average, first direct’s customers now interact with the bank through digital channels around 25 times more than telephony each month.

“Mobile offers our customers more and more functionality, and we’re seeing a rapid migration towards mobile becoming the digital channel of choice," says Gordon. "We’re seeing fewer calls per customer, but we’re always there with real people to help with complex queries.”

Sponsored [On-Demand Webinar] 2025 Fraud Trends: Synthetic Identity, AI and Incoming Mandates

Related Company

Channels

Comments: (5)

A Finextra member 

As a First Direct customer I'm not surprised that their mobile app is more widely used than their desktop solution. With the mobile app, once registered, you can simply log on with a fingerprint. If using the desktop version, it's a user name; passwrd (or security question) followed by the generation of a security code on your mobile device and then inputting that! I right pain. 

Ketharaman Swaminathan

Ketharaman Swaminathan Founder and CEO at GTM360 Marketing Solutions

As in the example cited by @Anon, I'm seeing a large and growing "login arbitrage friction" between desktop and mobile web / apps. On the desktop version, my eBrokerage now tells me to enter DOB and PAN # in addition to Username and Password; one of my banks requires Mobile OTP in addition to Customer ID and Password. OTOH, one of my go-to mobile wallets has buried its sign out button so deeply within the app that 99% of its users stay logged in all the time; another mobile wallet now asks me twice if I really want to log out.

Not sure if this arbitrage is a feature or bug but it surely drives more people to the mobile version.

David Gyori

David Gyori CEO at BANKING REPORTS, LONDON

I love the expression: "login arbitrage friction", this is very smart! Kudos Ketharaman.

Ketharaman Swaminathan

Ketharaman Swaminathan Founder and CEO at GTM360 Marketing Solutions

@David Gyori: TY for the kind words! On second thoughts, "login friction arbitrage" might be a more apt expression. Would you agree?

David Gyori

David Gyori CEO at BANKING REPORTS, LONDON

Agree! Even better.

[Webinar] Trusted Transactions: The Future of Risk-Based AuthenticationFinextra Promoted[Webinar] Trusted Transactions: The Future of Risk-Based Authentication