On Thursday, December 19th, nearly 1.6 million digital banking logins were recorded across the bank’s iOS and Android mobile apps, as well as its online banking platform. This marks the highest digital banking usage seen during any peak holiday or shopping period, surpassing Christmas, Black Friday, and Easter. The 2024 peak login figure represents a 4% increase compared to December 2023.

Biometric logins to the mobile banking app have also surged, rising by 45% in December 2024 compared to the previous year. More than 3 million biometric logins were recorded throughout the month.

During the pre-holiday period, contactless payments continued to grow, increasing by 2%. On December 23rd alone, Bank of Ireland customers made over 1.9 million contactless transactions, setting a new record for this payment method.

While digital banking and contactless transactions reached new highs, ATM usage declined, with the number of transactions dropping by 12% in December 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.

Commenting on the trends, Ciarán Coyle, Group Chief Operating Officer at Bank of Ireland, said:

“These latest figures highlight how much consumers value the speed and convenience of digital banking, especially during busy holiday and shopping seasons.

“We complement our digital services with telephone and branch options for more complex matters or significant financial decisions. The ability to bank anytime, anywhere—whether at home, in the office, or on the go—is a major advantage, and we remain committed to investing in and enhancing our digital banking services.”