WASHINGTON — One in seven Americans have deposited a check using a mobile device within the past year—up from one in eight Americans last year, according to a recent survey by the American Bankers Association. Of those who have used mobile deposit, 54 percent report using it at least once per month.
“Mobile deposit continues to attract more consumers because this bank service is incredibly convenient, ,” said Nessa Feddis, ABA’s senior vice president and deputy chief counsel for consumer protection and payments. “In the short time it takes to post an Instagram, you’ve deposited your check.”
The annual survey of 1,000 U.S. adults was conducted for ABA by Ipsos Public Affairs, an independent market research firm, July 8-13, 2015. This is the second year the question was asked as part of ABA’s annual survey.
Fifteen percent of consumers replied “yes” when asked “In the past twelve months, have you deposited a check into your bank account by taking a picture of the check with your mobile device?” (82 percent said they have not, while 3 percent were unsure). Those who responded yes provided the following responses when asked “How often?”:
• Once per month – 27 percent (46 percent in 2014)
• Twice per month – 12 percent (23 percent in 2014)
• Three or more times per month – 15 percent (11 percent in 2014)
• Less than once per month – 45 percent (19 percent in 2014)
• Unsure – 1 percent (1 percent in 2014)
While the overall number of mobile deposit users increased this year, the number of people who utilized the feature at least once per month declined from 80 percent to 56 percent. Feddis noted that decreased use of checks—due in part to increases in direct deposit and electronic payments—likely contributed to this change.
“People are receiving checks less frequently, but when they do they’re increasingly turning to mobile banking to deposit them,” said Feddis. “Mobile has become a bigger part of how people interact with their bank, and we expect banks to continue to expand and enhance customer services available through mobile devices.”
About the Survey
These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted July 8-13, 2015. For the survey, a national sample of 1,000 adults aged 18 and older were interviewed by telephone. Weighting was employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the universe. A survey with an unweighted probability sample of this size and a 100% response rate would have an estimated margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points 19 times out of 20 of what the results would have been if the entire population of adults aged 18 and older in the United States had been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.
Click here for additional insight into the key findings of this survey and more.