Analysis of Bank of Ireland customer behaviour during the first three months of this year shows that contactless payments rose while ATM usage was down compared to the same period in last year.
eCommerce contactless transactions including digital wallets, Apple Pay and Google Pay, increased by 3%, with contactless ‘tap and go’ payments rising 1% compared to the first quarter of 2024.
Over 3 million eCommerce and ‘tap and go’ contactless payments took place on 28 February, making it the busiest day during the first quarter.
While contactless payment levels increased, the number of ATM transactions fell 11% compared with Q1 last year, partly driven by the busy Easter period not falling in the first quarter this year.
The research found that biometric logins to the mobile banking app continue to grow in popularity, up 41% for Q1 compared to the same three months in 2024.
It said that 12 million biometric logins were recorded in total during January, February, and March 2025, whilst logins via the traditional ‘3 of 6’ PIN method fell by 10%.
On Thursday, 27 March over 1.5 million digital banking logins were recorded across Bank of Ireland’s iOS and Android mobile apps, the busiest day in Q1.
Digital logins to the Mobile app increased by 1% for Q1 2025 from Q1 2024, despite Easter coming later this year – the busiest day in Q1 2024 was during Easter holidays on Holy Thursday.
“While cash remains popular with many, it’s clear that customers are embracing seamless and secure ways to manage their finances, with a shift towards digital-first banking behaviours,” said BOI Chief Operating Officer Ciarán Coyle.
“The continued growth in digital banking usage highlights the evolving preferences of many of our customers, who are increasingly choosing the speed, convenience, and security of our mobile banking and payment services.”
