TORONTO, ON - May 26, 2015 /CNW/ - Scotiabank announced today that it was one of two banks to earn the highest overall score for Canadian mobile banking functionality, among five of the largest retail banks in Canada, by Forrester Research Inc.’s 2015 Canadian Mobile Banking Functionality Benchmark.

In the May 2015 report, Forrester evaluated the mobile banking functionality of the five largest retail banks in Canada across 41 criteria including a range of customer touch points, enrollment and log-in, account information, transactional functionality, cross-channel guidance, and marketing and sales.

The Forrester benchmark cited Scotiabank for its best-in-class help service for mobile bankers. Other highlights for Scotiabank include:

• Enrollment and log-in: Scotiabank ranked among the highest scores in this category. The report notes that leading banks meet customers’ expectations for a balance between convenience and security by “letting them enroll in banking directly from their smartphone…”
• Account and money management: Scotiabank received the highest score in this category. The report states that “Scotiabank leads in this category of our benchmark, in part because it offers the best transaction-history search tools.”
• Service features: Scotiabank received the highest score in this category as well. The report says that “Scotiabank’s help feature is always on throughout the Bank’s smartphone app and provides task-specific content as well as the option to search for other information or move to another touchpoint if needed.”

“Scotiabank is committed to making it easier and more compelling for our customers to bank with us by delivering the best, most secure solutions that enable them to do their banking wherever it is convenient for them,” said Jeff Marshall, Scotiabank’s Vice President, Self Service Customer Experience. “Our continued investment in technology and mobile banking speaks to our commitment to meet our customers’ evolving needs and expectations.”

Scotiabank’s continued mobile innovation

In 2014, Scotiabank became the first financial institution in Canada to bring banking close at hand with the launch of the Quick Balance App on a Samsung Gear 2 watch. Scotiabank also recently launched the Quick Balance App on the brand new Apple Watch.

Scotiabank is the only financial institution among the top five banks in Canada to offer customers access to industry-leading features on its mobile banking platform including cheque viewing capability and access to up to seven years of statements. In addition, Scotiabank’s Quick Balance App offers customers the chance to move and control their money as they prefer, wherever they are.

Mobile banking continues to deepen relationships with customers

Scotiabank’s mobile banking offerings have continued to evolve since they were first introduced in 2010, allowing for opportunities to deepen customer relationships by providing customers with convenient ways to bank on the go.

“We have seen a definite shift in the way consumers are accessing their banking services, and it is our goal to stay ahead of the curve by developing self-service banking solutions for Canadians before they know they need them -- ultimately delivering a richer banking experience for our customers,” continued Marshall. “Features such as mobile messaging, targeted product offers, and pre-filled mobile product applications enable customers to do more with their mobile devices and get access to the Scotiabank financial products and services that meet their unique needs.”

About Scotiabank

Scotiabank is Canada’s international bank and a leading financial services provider in North America, Latin America, the Caribbean and Central America, and parts of Asia. We are dedicated to helping our 21 million customers become better off through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking. With a team of more than 86,000 employees and assets of $852 billion (as at January 31, 2015), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto (TSX: BNS) and New York Exchanges (NYSE: BNS). Scotiabank distributes the Bank’s media releases using CNW. For more information, please visit www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @ScotiabankNews.