Consumers put faith in online banking

Online banking has made personal financial management significantly easier

The convenience and availability of online banking are overcoming concerns around security, according to the latest European figures from online monitoring firm comScore.

A total of 104 million European internet users visited an online banking property during February, equating to more than a third of the region's online population.

The most popular online banking property in Europe was France's Credit Agricole with 8.9 million visitors, followed by the UK's Lloyds Banking Group with 7.3 million and The Royal Bank of Scotland with seven million.

HSBC, despite being the world's most popular non-US bank, ranked only seventh with 5.3 million European visitors, followed closely by Barclays Bank with 5.2 million.

"Banking has become an important online consumer activity, and this is especially true in these uncertain economic times," said Gian Fulgoni, co-founder and chairman of comScore.

"The global recession has made people more aware of the value of money, more focused on their savings and more determined than ever to keep a close watch on their spending.

"Online banking has made personal financial management significantly easier, but it also represents an important channel for banks to manage customer relationships during a time when trust and loyalty is paramount."

ComScore analysed figures from 17 European countries, and found that online banking usage was highest in the Netherlands, where 52.9 per cent of the total online population visited a banking site in February.

This was followed by France and Sweden with penetration rates of 52.9 and 49.9 per cent respectively. The UK ranked fourth with 46.1 per cent, while Russia had the lowest reach with just six per cent.