Digital banking has “transformed the speed of service” offered to UK customers, Anthony Browne, the chief executive of the British Bankers’ Association (BBA), has said.

But High Street branches “will remain important for those bigger moments”, such as taking out a mortgage, discussing financial advice or resolving a complaint, he explained.

“The reality is that compared to the supposed golden age of banking, the way we bank now is far easier and faster,” Browne wrote in a column for yesterday’s Sunday Telegraph.

“Today millions of us can check our balances, make payments and apply for credit with the help of mobile phone apps whenever and wherever we please. We can talk to our bank whenever we want, by phone, email or social media.

“Many banks are surprised at how astonishingly fast we’re adopting mobile phone apps, contactless payments and other types of banking technology,” he continued. “According to recent polling we commissioned, 77 per cent of customers use mobile or internet banking at least once a month.”

Browne went on to say that branch numbers would continue to fall in the UK. “Most of our major banks are seeing a 10 per cent fall in branch transactions each year,” he said. “When you can do so much of your basic banking tasks from the palm of your hand or at a cash machine, why bother taking time out of your day to trudge off to the High Street?

But he did acknowledge that not all customers preferred new digital channels, writing: “There will always be those customers who don’t want all this whizzy technology. Many banks are already emphasising their commitment to the High Street as their selling point. The Swedish bank Handelsbanken and Metro Bank are good examples.”

Browne’s article comes ahead of tomorrow’s annual Mansion House dinner, at which the BBA will launch its second ‘Way We Bank Now’ report, which will show how digital banking capabilities – such as mobile apps and contactless cards – have transformed the face of retail banking.

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