Banking

More than two million U.S. households used online banking and bill payment last year, according to a survey sponsored by Fiserv and conducted by Harris Interactive. A total of 69.7 million households with Internet access now use online banking services to access balance, account history and to transfer money between accounts. In addition, 64.4 million households pay at least one bill online at a bank website or at a company website.

The adoption of mobile financial services is dependent on device technology and 3G networks, according to a new report from comScore. The study looked at how mobile users access their banking accounts and found mobile Web browsing to be the most popular way for both smartphone (44.1%) and 3G users (53.3%), followed by mobile applications (48.1 % of 3G users and 40.6% of smartphone users.

U.S. consumers think mobile banking is important but do not want to pay for it and are hesitant to use their mobile devices for financial transactions and online banking, according to a survey by accounting firm KPMG. The survey of about 500 U.S. consumers found the majority (91%) had never tried banking on a mobile device. Of those respondents who have never done banking on a mobile device, 48 percent said security and privacy were the main reason.

An estimated 63.1 million U.S. households are now doing their banking online according to a survey from CheckFree.Security concerns about online banking decreased from 17 percent in 2007 to 13 percent in the latest survey. Overall, online security was third among barriers to online banking this year compared to its number-one spot in 2007.

When it comes to online banking, Canada is one of the world's most developed markets according to a new report from comScore.Out of 37 global markets Canada was number one in adoption of online banking, with 67.1 percent of Canadian Internet users banking online in April 2008. Other English - speaking countries had much lower penetration, including the UK (49.5%), U.S. (44%), and Australia (41.7 %).

People who bank online have a higher level of customer satisfaction then when they use other online financial services like credit card sites and investment sites,  according to a new study by ForeSee Results and Forbes.comThe study, which uses the methodology of the University of Michigan's American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), found that online banking scores 82 on ACSI's 100-point scale. Credit card and investment Web sites both score 75.

Mobile phone users are becoming more comfortable making banking and purchase transactions while on-the-go according to a new study from Harris Interactive.The study found that 16 percent of mobile phone subscribers currently use mobile banking services, with 60 percent doing so at least once a week. Thirty-five percent of those who do not use mobile banking or buy on-the-go are interested in checking bank account balances and transferring funds using their mobile devices. Thirty-three percent said they would like to receive text messages from their banks.

An otherwise mild write-up of how Google sends checks to AdSense publishers for their earnings has a strange twist that hints at a relationship with Citibank that defies common banking practices.