UK leaves rest of Europe trailing in its embrace of digital banking

• People in the UK have embraced digital and online banking in a way that those across the rest of Europe have not, new research by CRIF finds
• UK consumers are now twice as likely to prefer to apply for financial products and services online via website or in-app, compared to people in other parts of Europe
• More than half of Europeans still prefer to apply for new financial products in-person
• The research comes during the cost of living crisis where people in the UK are increasingly looking for greater support from their financial providersUK consumers are significantly ahead of their European counterparts in their embrace of digital forms of banking, new data shows.

The research, commissioned by Europe’s leading provider of consumer and business credit information – CRIF – surveyed thousands of people in countries across the continent including France, the Czech Republic, Italy, Germany, Slovakia, and the UK, to better understand their attitudes towards financial services.

The findings show that people in the UK are nearly twice as likely as other Europeans to apply for financial products and services online via a website or app, including through online chat or video call functions (59% vs 33%)

It also finds that over half (53%) of Europeans still prefer to apply for new financial products – such as current accounts, credit cards or loans – in-person at a local bank branch. In comparison in the UK, only around one in five (23%) would now prefer to go in-person, showing consumers’ embrace of a digital-first approach to banking.

The data underlines the advancements and innovations that the UK’s financial services and fintech sectors have made when compared to other sectors across Europe. The UK continues to be Europe’s most attractive location for international investment into financial services*, with the UK’s fintech sector securing more than $9bn of investment in the first half of 2022, ahead of Germany, Europe’s second biggest fintech destination, with $2.4bn.**

Sara Costantini, CRIF’s Regional Director for the UK & Ireland, said:
“In a digitally dominated world, the way in which we go about our daily lives has changed. And nowhere more so than in banking and financial services. Our research shows that the UK leads the way in Europe when it comes to embracing digital and online methods, but there is still more we can do to utilise digital technologies to help more UK consumers to manage their finances.
“While some are reluctant to share data as they are worried about fraud and security, we should work to allay these fears. Technologies such as open banking are not only safe but can lay the foundations for increased financial support during the current economic crisis.

“Financial providers must do more to educate their customers about the benefits of online and other digital forms of banking to not only help them during the cost of living crisis, but also to drive widespread financial wellbeing and inclusion for all.”

While the UK’s embrace of digital financial services in comparison to the rest of Europe is positive, the research identifies several key challenges to furthering this progress and providing consumers with better services at a time when the cost of living is putting considerable pressure on people’s finances.
Despite growing demand in the UK for more tailored financial products and services – with 34% saying banks should doing more here to meet people’s specific needs at this time – nearly one in five (18%) are still concerned that they would be sold products which aren’t right for them.

When the issue of data is raised, this distrust only increases, with over two-thirds of UK consumers (67%) expressing concern that sharing financial data leaves them more open to fraud, showing a clear need to educate and reassure customers that innovations like open banking are safe, have high security standards and enables a range of consumer benefits.
However, despite this hesitance, more UK consumers are acknowledging the benefits that sharing more of their financial information with providers can bring. CRIF’s research finds around a third of people in the UK would be prepared to share more financial information if it helped providers to better assess their financial situation and improve their ability to borrow (35%) or increase their credit limit (31%). The fact that there are more than 6 million active users of open banking services in the UK reflects this change*** and makes the country the leading adopter of open banking in Europe. ****
The research also shows that younger generations (18-34s) in the UK are significantly more willing to share their data with financial providers, with 53% saying they’d be comfortable doing so if it enabled them to qualify for higher levels of borrowing.

These findings are part of wider research by CRIF into the cost of living crisis in Europe, and its impact on consumer attitudes towards banking and financial services. The full report, Banking on Banks, will be published later this month.

* EY’s UK Attractiveness Survey for Financial Services: https://www.ey.com/en_uk/news/2022/06/the-uk-remains-europe-s-most-attractive-destination-for-financial-services-investment-but-the-gap-with-france-narrows-further
** Innovate Finance 2022 Summer Investment Report: https://www.innovatefinance.com/capital/2022-summer-investment-report/
*** OBIE May update: https://www.openbanking.org.uk/insights/three-open-banking-milestones-for-may-2022/
**** Yapily European Open Banking League Table: https://www.yapily.com/blog/european-open-banking-league-table/