PUBLISHED DATE: 2025-08-14 23:25:58

Strong online communications and support are critical for banks to maintain and grow customer relationships in the wake of COVID-19.

While 55% of U.S. consumers are satisfied with their bank’s response, a significant portion feel that banks could have done more—such as providing more information about financial relief programs, offering more flexible payment options, and proactively reaching out to customers to offer COVID-19 assistance.

Consumer Agreement with Bank’s Response to COVID-19

People in the United States are more satisfied than the global average, but 37% remain neutral or dissatisfied. Satisfaction drops sharply for those under 35 years old.

After 25 years, most banks have achieved a degree of digital maturity. The challenges facing the industry today are less about technology and more about delivering a truly differentiated experience and deepening relationships with existing clients.

Considering Changing Banks or Financial Institutions in the Next Year

A majority of people in the United States feel confident in their ability to manage their money online, with 46% feeling very or somewhat confident, compared to 41% for the global average.

Confidence in Understanding How to Smartly Manage Money Online

Consumers use a mix of channels to interact with their banks, but online banking websites are the most frequently used channel in both the United States and globally.

Most Frequently Used Channel to Communicate or Interact with Banks

Globally, 77% of respondents, regardless of age, use online or mobile channels to interact with banks most frequently. In the United States, 74% use online or mobile channels most frequently, with only 19% saying they visit their bank most frequently in person.

Diversification in the banking experience is key to satisfaction, as people regularly use multiple channels to manage money. Lack of connected customer experiences, delays in new service adoption, and a sense of being treated as a “number” are leading reasons for dissatisfaction, often related to receiving irrelevant content or missed offers.

Satisfaction with Different Digital Channels for Interacting with Banks

Reasons for Dissatisfaction with Ability to Perform Banking Activities (United States vs. Global)

To improve the digital banking experience, people want more personalized products, proactive communication, and the ability to manage their finances holistically. Banks should prioritize digital tools and content, providing real value for their feature seekers.

Desired Features from Financial Services Companies (United States vs. Global)

Online Shopping Trends

Online shopping continues to grow, as consumers have become more comfortable shopping online in the wake of COVID-19 lockdowns. The vast majority of shoppers say they plan to continue to shop online the same amount or more in the future.

Future Online Shopping Intentions

In the first half of 2021, 82% of U.S. shoppers bought something online, and 60% bought from websites or apps based outside their home country. 44% expect to buy directly from a brand’s website, and 39% expect to buy products and services directly through a social media platform.

Channels Used for Online Shopping in the Past Six Months (United States vs. Global)

In the United States, consumers are most likely to shop online using a desktop or laptop computer (52%), followed by a smartphone or tablet (47%).

Device Used for Majority of Online Purchases (Selected Countries)

Consumers prefer to shop with and make purchases directly from brands. For shopping (60%), social campaigns and digital loyalty programs are the primary drivers of brand choice.

When Shopping Online, Consumers are More Likely to Buy from a Brand that Offers:

Consumers are confident in their ability to use new technology (60%) and are more likely to adopt it when they see value in it. However, only 30% feel that companies are transparent about how their data is used. 60% of consumers say they are willing to share their data in exchange for offers, including discounts or free products. Offering real value is essential to build high engagement and trust.

More than half of consumers (57%) say they try to sign up for something new every month, and 41% say they have bought something online that they saw advertised on social media. However, 36% say they have bought something online that they later regretted. Retailers need to design for discovery and inspiration, and provide personalized incentives to keep shoppers engaged.

Agreement with Statements about Technology and Online Shopping

Further Agreement with Online Shopping Behaviors

To improve the shopping experience, consumers want more relevant content, personalized offers, and the ability to manage their accounts and checkout with a single, unified payment option.

Most Requested Retailer Features that Influence Purchase Likelihood (United States vs. Global Average)

More than half of consumers (57%) say they try to sign up for something new every month, and 41% say they have bought something online that they saw advertised on social media. However, 36% say they have bought something online that they later regretted. Retailers need to design for discovery and inspiration, and provide personalized incentives to keep shoppers engaged.

Telehealth Adoption and Preferences

Telehealth adoption is also increasing. Forty-one percent of U.S. respondents say they are more likely to use telehealth for their health care needs, outpacing other countries.

Have You Ever Seen a Health Care Provider Using Telehealth?

In the first half of 2021, 80% of U.S. patients say they had a visit with a doctor or other health care provider, and nearly half say they delayed or put off seeing a health care provider during this period.

In the Past Six Months, Have You Had a Visit with a Doctor or Other Health Care Provider?

In the Past Six Months, Have You Delayed or Put Off Seeing a Health Care Provider?

While the majority of the visits were in-person, nearly one in four U.S. patients saw their provider via telehealth, in addition to their in-person visit.

Where Did You See Your Health Care Provider?

For U.S. patients who decided to delay care, the top reasons were COVID-19 concerns (47%), lack of available appointments (27%), and lack of telehealth options (20%).

Factors Affecting Decision to Delay Care (United States vs. Global)

Patients in the United States anticipate using telehealth more often going forward (49%) after the pandemic subsides.

After the COVID-19 Pandemic Has Subsided, Do You Think You Will Use Telehealth Services More or Less in the Future?

Men in the U.S. are slightly more open to using telehealth more in the future:

By Age Group in the United States

To improve telehealth experiences, patients want the ability to schedule appointments online or with a mobile app, receive reminders and instructions before the visit, and have more comprehensive communication before and after the visit with continued outreach.

Desired Services to Improve the Telehealth Experience (United States vs. Global)

Summary

In summary, in the first half of 2021, 80% of U.S. patients had a visit with a doctor or other health care provider, and nearly half delayed or put off seeing a provider during this period. To improve telehealth experiences, patients want the ability to schedule appointments online or with a mobile app, receive reminders and instructions before the visit, and have more comprehensive communication before and after the visit with continued outreach.