How banking apps are redefining financial services

Since 2008, the number of bank branches in the EU has been cut in half. What once required a visit to a physical location is now just a tap away. Users expect seamless, secure, and intuitive financial services right in their pocket. According to our Mobile App Trends Report 2025, apps from ING, Rabobank, and Tikkie consistently rank among the top-rated apps in the Netherlands.

Unlike Scandinavia, where platforms like Swish and MobilePay dominate, Dutch banks opted to embed peer-to-peer (P2P) features within their own apps. Tikkie bridges convenience with strategic control, keeping banks at the center of every transaction. It may be less streamlined than standalone solutions, but it reinforces user trust and bank relevance.

Digital fintech challengers bring innovation. But traditional banks still hold crucial advantages such as trust, regulatory expertise, and deep-rooted customer relationships. The industry is at a crossroads. Fintechs are turning financial services into integrated lifestyle platforms, while established banks must ask themselves: do we adapt, seek collaboration, or risk falling behind?

Today’s users expect more than balance overviews and payment options. Apps like Klarna, Monzo, and Revolut show how finance can blend into everyday life, from shopping to saving. These apps are designed for real life, not just for the feature list.

While Scandinavian apps must diversify to stay relevant in a real-time payments world, Dutch banks focus on integrating those features into their own ecosystems. This may limit network effects, but it strengthens the banks’ role as ecosystem anchors.

Banking apps are now the public face of the financial sector. As physical branches disappear, apps take over as the primary gateway to money management. The winners will be the ones who design apps not just to function, but to remove friction, and make the complex simple and delightful.

The insights in this article are based on our Mobile App Trends Report 2025. The report offers a deep dive into the evolution of mobile banking, including user expectations, regional dynamics, and future opportunities for financial apps.