Online banking is now firmly established as a mainstream channel within financial services. Around a third of all Irish consumers use online banking services with some degree of regularity, while around a fifth use online banking once a week or more often.

However, it remains the case that consumers primarily use online banking for simple, straightforward transactions – checking balances, viewing statements, paying bills and transferring money. Similarly, there is an increasing appetite among Irish consumers for purchasing financial products online, but these purchases tend to be confined to non-complex, commoditised financial products such as holiday and travel insurance.

Online banking is now firmly established as a mainstream channel within financial services. Around a third of all Irish consumers use online banking services with some degree of regularity, while around a fifth use online banking once a week or more often.

However, it remains the case that consumers primarily use online banking for simple, straightforward transactions – checking balances, viewing statements, paying bills and transferring money. Similarly, there is an increasing appetite among Irish consumers for purchasing financial products online, but these purchases tend to be confined to non-complex, commoditised financial products such as holiday and travel insurance.

This report assesses Irish consumers' use of online banking service. It looks at the particular demographics that are most inclined to use online banking, how often they use it, the sort of activities they perform online and the type of financial products purchased online. It also examines developments in the area of online banking, and the factors contributing to and obstructing its further growth.