The news: Bank of America (BofA) and U.S. Bank lead US retail banks in digital experience, per Keynova’s Q2 2026 Online Banker Scorecard, with customers valuing control over their data, customer support, and ease of use.

Zoom in: Despite some progress, many banks still fall short in giving customers meaningful control over their data and marketing preferences. Only about half offer privacy controls within online banking, Keynova found, and even fewer allow users to tailor communications. 

Banks are making better strides in the account opening process with tools like progress indicators and live assistance. But gaps remain in providing help early enough to prevent customer drop-off. With 3.36 abandoned applications per every account opened online, improving this experience presents a clear growth opportunity for top-performing banks.

Omnichannel banking is also expanding, with more institutions enabling customers to move between devices and channels. But fewer than half have fully integrated, seamless support systems.

Zoom out: While BofA and U.S. Bank performed well across Keynova’s categories, they also secured top spots in EMARKETER’s US Mobile Banking Emerging Features Benchmark 2025. This shows their advantage is not a single standout feature, but consistency—delivering a cohesive, low-friction, and transparent digital experience across the customer journey. Many other competitors are strong in isolated areas but fragmented overall.

Implications for banks: Leaders like BofA and U.S. Bank are pulling ahead by systematically reducing friction at key moments, from data transparency to account opening to cross-channel support. This raises the bar for competitors: Patchwork improvements won’t be enough to close the gap.

Privacy and preference controls are becoming marketing differentiators. With few banks letting users tailor communication preferences, there’s a clear opportunity to stand out with more personalized, opt-in engagement. Instead of blasting generic campaigns, banks can let customers decide how and when they hear from the bank. That shift can increase engagement rates and reduce unsubscribes by aligning messaging with user intent.

This content is part of EMARKETER’s subscription Briefings, where we pair daily updates with data and analysis from forecasts and research reports. Our Briefings prepare you to start your day informed, to provide critical insights in an important meeting, and to understand the context of what’s happening in your industry. Non-clients can click here to get a demo of our full platform and coverage.