4 Banking Services You Won’t Be Able To Use in Less Than a Decade As technology advances and society evolves, banking services are changing, too. From the decreased use of cash and checks to changing banking account password requirements, the industry is undergoing some significant changes. In fact, some of the banking services you use regularly might not even exist in less than a decade. Traditional In-Person Banking Traditional in-person bank branches are poised to undergo significant changes. According to Seth Perlman, global head of product at i2c Inc., the traditional branch banking model, in which customers visit a physical branch to perform routine transactions, like deposits or withdrawals, is quickly being replaced by digital tools. National Community Reinvestment Coalition data indicates that 9% — about 7,400 locations — of all bank branches in the United States closed between 2017 and 2021. “The new standalone bank branches that are opened will likely be smaller and stand a greater chance of being co-located in grocery stores or other retail outlets,” Perlman explained. But he doesn’t believe that physical branches will disappear entirely — they will instead change their operations. Perlman predicted that bank branches will focus on high-value interactions, such as providing financial advice, mortgage planning or business consultation services. “At i2c, we’re seeing this transformation firsthand,” Perlman said. “Our clients are investing in hybrid branch models that pair digital self-service kiosks with virtual consultations to strike a balance between efficiency and human connection.” ATMs and Cash The use of cash is changing, too, though it’s unlikely to vanish entirely. According to the Federal Reserve Financial Services’ 2024 Diary of Consumer Payment Choice, there’s a growing generational divide among those who use cash versus electronic payments. In 2023, consumers younger than age 55 used cash for 12% of payments, while those age 55 and older used cash for 22% of payments. For the first time, cash wasn’t the most-used payment method for transactions of $25 or less, indicating a substantial shift toward cashless payments. Perlman explained that, while use of cash may be declining, cash is still important as a backup during digital outages or emergencies. He added that it’s possible that we could see the penny disappear, since as inflation drives up prices, the United States might follow other countries’ lead in removing the smallest denomination from circulation. With less cash, there might be fewer ATMs, but Lisa Hrabosky, vice president of bank and network partnerships at Marqeta, predicted that ATMs won’t become entirely obsolete and may exist alongside new payment options. “I certainly expect that digital payments and digital wallet usage will continue to increase in popularity, and new payment methods and capabilities will continue to evolve, instead of existing methods becoming obsolete,” Hrabosky explained. Personal Checks Personal checks may soon be a thing of the past, predicted Perlman, since person-to-person payment apps essentially make checks redundant. Additionally, he said online bill payment and card transactions will continue to increase as customers shift away from paying with checks, which are slow and inconvenient. “In the next ten years, we will see more and more banks offer accounts that only come with a debit card and no checkbook at all,” Perlman said. He suggested that business checks might continue longer, particularly in industries that rely on legacy systems or manual processes. “But as real-time payment systems like FedNow gain traction, businesses are rapidly moving to digital invoicing and money transfer services to save time and cut costs,” Perlman said. Simple Passwords and Pins The days of entering a simple password or four-digit pin to access your online banking account may soon be over, too, as new security technologies emerge. According to Gates Little, CEO and president at altLINE and The Southern Bank Company, fraud in the consumer and commercial banking industries is increasing, so identify verification and account protection may become more advanced to defend against sophisticated fraud schemes. “Already, we are seeing changes in the name of security, such as two-factor authentication, liveness detection and AI-enabled verification,” he explained. “These new security technologies will likely become supplemental to older security methods, creating multiple layers of protection.” Perlman explained that behavioral biometric technology is an exciting advancement in banking security. “This technology analyzes user patterns — such as typing speed, navigation behavior and even how a user holds their device — to authenticate identity in the background,” he explained. “It’s seamless for users and highly effective in preventing fraud, as these patterns are difficult to replicate.” Perlman predicted that we’re likely to see passwords and PINs become secondary security layers as biometrics are increasingly implemented. “Many banking apps already use facial recognition or fingerprint scans, and these methods will only become more sophisticated,” he said.

4 Banking Services You Won’t Be Able To Use in Less Than a Decade

The article discusses how banking services are evolving due to technological advancements and changing consumer behaviors. It highlights the decline of traditional banking services like in-person visits to bank branches, the shift from cash to electronic payments, the potential demise of personal checks, and the increasing use of advanced security technologies to protect against fraud.