Banks Race To Add AI Assistants, But Customers Still Hit Frustrating Dead Ends
By CU Today Staff —
TROY, Mich.— The nation’s banks and credit card providers are rapidly expanding the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered virtual assistants across their mobile apps and websites, but the technology can sometimes introduce more headaches than solutions. While virtual assistants handle simple, transactional tasks effectively, they struggle to support customers through more complex scenarios, according to a series of recent studies of bank and credit card mobile app and online users, released by JD Power.
The studies—JD Power 2026 U.S. Banking Mobile App Satisfaction Study;SM JD Power 2026 U.S. Online Banking Satisfaction Study;SM JD Power 2026 U.S. Credit Card Mobile App Satisfaction Study;SM and JD Power 2026 U.S. Online Credit Card Satisfaction StudySM —track overall customer satisfaction with banking and credit card providers’ digital offerings.
“While AI virtual assistants can streamline simple tasks, they consistently fall short in resolving complex customer service and fraud-related issues, where limited escalation options often trap customers in frustrating self-service loops that erode trust instead of connecting them to the help they need,” said Jennifer White, managing director of financial services intelligence at JD Power. “Banks and credit card providers need to move beyond basic automation and prioritize virtual assistant designs that can reliably handle complex service and fraud-related needs, with seamless escalation to human support when needed.”
Key findings of the 2026 study:
“When virtual assistants hit that sweet spot of being both easy to use and comprehensive in terms of overall capability, bank and credit card customers end up having an incredibly positive digital experience,” said Jon Sundberg, director of digital solutions at JD Power. “Right now, however, while many providers have adopted virtual assistant capabilities, very few have managed to deliver both ease of use and task breadth simultaneously. This is really the next frontier for bank and credit card providers, and a critical piece of the equation to get right as customers increasingly become comfortable seeking financial information using AI-powered tools.”
Chase ranks highest in banking mobile app satisfaction among national banks, with a score of 730. Wells Fargo (728) ranks second and Bank of America (727) ranks third.
Capital One ranks highest in online banking satisfaction among national banks for a second consecutive year, with a score of 725. Wells Fargo (711) ranks second and Truist (707) ranks third.
American Express ranks highest in credit card mobile app satisfaction for a third consecutive year, with a score of 746. Wells Fargo (739) ranks second and Chase (732) ranks third.
American Express ranks highest in online credit card satisfaction for a third consecutive year, with a score of 733. U.S. Bank (727) ranks second and Bank of America (713) ranks third.
Huntington ranks highest in banking mobile app satisfaction among regional banks, with a score of 719. Regions Bank (717) ranks second and Fifth Third Bank (703) ranks third.
Huntington and Regions Bank rank highest in online banking satisfaction among regional banks in a tie, each with a score of 724. Fifth Third Bank (717) ranks third.
The U.S. Banking Mobile App Satisfaction Study; U.S. Online Banking Satisfaction Study; U.S. Credit Card Mobile App Satisfaction Study; and U.S. Online Credit Card Satisfaction Study were redesigned for 2026, JD Power explained. Each of the studies measures overall satisfaction with banking and credit card digital channels based on four factors (in order of importance): information; tools and capabilities; system performance; and design. The 2026 studies are based on responses from 18,028 retail bank and credit card customers nationwide and were fielded from January through March 2026.
Originally reported by CU Today.