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Customer satisfaction with banking and credit card digital platforms is at an all-time high, but apps and websites are becoming indistinguishable.
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Multifactor authentication has emerged as a surprise driver of satisfaction, while virtual assistants lag behind user expectations.
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J.D. Power’s 2025 rankings highlight Bank of America, Capital One, and American Express as top digital performers.
As mobile apps and websites continue to dominate how Americans manage their bank accounts and credit cards, the latest J.D. Power studies reveal a paradox: satisfaction is rising, yet innovation is stagnating. The digital experiences offered by major banks and credit card issuers have become so similar that customers find little to distinguish one brand’s app or website from another — a trend that could spell trouble as consumers demand more than just functionality.
Released today, the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Digital Banking and Credit Card Studies show a narrow performance gap between the best- and worst-rated platforms, underscoring the industry-wide adoption of design best practices — and a growing sameness that could blunt brand differentiation.
“The digital customer experience is plateauing,” said Sean Gelles, senior director of banking and payments intelligence at J.D. Power. “With generative AI and other tools reshaping consumer expectations, banks and credit card companies are under mounting pressure to break new ground.”
Satisfaction rises, but the ‘Wow’ factor is missing
Customer satisfaction scores ticked upward across the board in 2025. National banking apps earned an average score of 669 (out of 1,000), up 18 points from 2024, while credit card apps improved to 659, up 10 points. The gains reflect improved navigation, faster login speeds, and sleeker interfaces.
However, while the basics are improving, innovation is lagging. Many digital experiences feel “highly consistent but unmemorable,” the report notes.
One standout area of improvement: multifactor authentication. Once viewed as a login burden, it now boosts satisfaction by 16 points on average, driven by better design and growing consumer concern about security.
Virtual assistants miss the mark
Despite widespread deployment, virtual assistants have seen both usage and satisfaction drop this year. Banks have rolled out basic chatbots, but many lack the conversational depth and functionality consumers expect — especially in an age when ChatGPT and other generative tools are setting new standards.
“Utility alone is not the only factor,” said Jon Sundberg, J.D. Power’s director of digital solutions. “To keep pace with consumer expectations, banks and credit card companies must innovate beyond today’s baseline.”
The top performers of 2025
The studies, based on responses from 16,781 U.S. customers collected between January and March 2025, reveal the top digital performers in banking and credit card services:
National Banks:
Credit Cards:
Regional Banks:
What’s next for digital banking?
With foundational user experiences largely optimized, the challenge ahead for financial institutions is differentiation. As customers become more accustomed to sophisticated AI and hyper-personalized service in other areas of their digital lives, banks will need to elevate their game or risk becoming interchangeable utilities.
Visit J.D. Power’s website for more on the 2025 Digital Banking and Credit Card Satisfaction Studies.
