NCR Survey Shows U.S. Consumers Still Value Personal Touch in Banking
PRNewswire, May 17, 2025

Americans may have learned to bank by ATM, phone, and home computer, but an old-fashioned visit to the teller window is still the most popular way to complete a transaction, according to survey results released by NCR Corporation today.

"This survey makes it clear that people appreciate the sense of security and personal interaction that teller transactions offer," said Per-Olof Loof, senior vice president of NCR's Financial Solutions Group, which supplies banks with customer-oriented solutions ranging from ATMs to data warehouses and branch automation systems. "If banks want their customers to accept new technologies, then they must preserve that personal touch through their interactive offerings," Loof said.

Highlights of the survey include:
* 73 percent of people make deposits via a bank teller.
* 62 percent use ATMs.
* 48 percent telephone their bank at least once a month.
* 45 percent still visit a bank teller at least three times a month.
* 11 percent use a personal computer to do banking.

Overall, the survey showed that teller transactions are still the most popular way to bank, followed by ATMs, telephone banking, and computer banking. However, computer banking did make a strong showing given the number of American homes connected to the Internet. Nearly half of the 25 percent of Americans with online access at home use their computer for banking.

"Perhaps the reason why banking via PC is catching on is because it is personal. It's information and services tailored to consumers' particular needs," said Loof. "A majority of people we surveyed said that they wanted companies to have a 'personal relationship' with them, but they didn't express a strong preference for interacting with a human as opposed to a machine. It's the 'personal' part that seems to matter to them," he said.

"Banks have traditionally used new technologies to save money and for efficiency. But if they want people to actually use those technologies comfortably, it's crucial to make sure that it's seamless, and personal," Loof added