Considerations for Testing Your Customer-Facing Banking Apps

Digital banking will soon be the primary mode of banking. And that means your apps need thorough, specialized testing. Testing is critical to the quality of your banking apps. Web and mobile app testing ensure your apps are secure and reliable for customers. 

Keep reading to learn about specific considerations of testing your customer-facing banking apps.

The Rise of Mobile Banking

2021 will be a historic year for banks. It will mark the first time that mobile banking ousts in-person banking as the biggest channel.

With the growth of digital banking, bank branches around the world are seeing a decline in foot traffic. The typical consumer will visit a bank branch in person just four times a year, and Millennials will visit their bank just two times a year by 2022, according to the CACI.

Why? COVID-19 is certainly a factor. And it’s hard to deny the convenience of online banking. Changing demographics are part of the switch too — Millennials and Gen Z lead the way for mobile and web-based banking. Out of all age groups, Millennials and Gen Z are most likely to make mobile payments through their banking app.

But they aren’t the only ones. Over 70% of all consumers have used mobile banking in the past month, and half have deposited a check on a mobile app this year, the American Bankers Association found.

Testing Ensures Defect-Free Banking Apps

Online banking has become critical to customers. Bank members expect safe, secure, and reliable banking apps. Banks must also comply with strict regulations. And that means you need to be testing your web and mobile banking apps to provide the best possible experience.

Here are a few special considerations for testing your web and mobile banking apps:

Legal and Data Security Compliance

Banks must meet strict regulations — and be able to prove their compliance with them.

Large Amounts of Tests and Data

Banking apps require large-scale testing, which results in large quantities of data to process. You need a platform that enables app testing at scale and efficient test reporting analysis.

Advanced Authentication/Security Requirements

The sensitive information that banking apps contain require advanced authentication and security. Two-factor authentication, SMS message notifications, face ID, and touch ID are all critical to support and test.

Customer Support Chatbots

Many banks now offer assistants and chatbots for 24/7 support. For example, US Bank offers a virtual assistant, Erica — and these services must too be tested.

Banking-Specific Use Cases

Additionally, you’ll need to test a number of common use cases on mobile and web apps:

Digital Services

• Make appointment
• Locate branch/ATM
• Card services (lock, activate, unlock)
• Transactions, payments, bill payments
• Online deposits, check deposits

Account Management

• Update personal information
• Register new devices to profile
• Block transactions, capture fraud

Key Recommendations for Testing Banking Apps

Here are some best practices and recommendations for testing your web and mobile banking apps.

Prioritize Cross-Platform Test Coverage

Your web and mobile banking apps need to work across all platforms. Ensure that your banking web app works on any browser/OS combination with cross-browser testing. Test on both current and older versions of these browsers so that all your users will have good web experiences.

Your mobile app also needs to functions flawlessly across different types of mobile devices, including Android and iOS — and all the variations that these platforms offer for OS and device.

Beyond platform coverage, you also need test scenario coverage. Prioritize top use cases — such as depositing checks and making transactions — within your testing strategy.

Involve Accessibility Testing Earlier in the Cycle

Accessibility testing makes apps accessible to those with disabilities. It ensures that all users will be able to access your web and mobile apps, and also meets compliance and legal requirements, which can save you from costly fines and lawsuits. 

Oftentimes, accessibility testing is left till the end of the cycle, where it is rushed and done haphazardly. Automate accessibility testing in your existing testing cycles for the best results.

Test With Real User Conditions

Your apps may work fine under a “happy path” of ideal conditions, but what about less than perfect conditions? Apply real user conditions to your tests to see how your banking apps work with poor network coverage, competing apps, and peak usage. Real user simulation can help you provide better experiences for customers in all environments.

Deliver Faster With Better Data Analysis

Banks require a large amount of testing, which results in mountains of test data. You will be best served with a test reporting solution that is designed to handle large amounts of data. Built-in test failure analysis also helps you to find and fix defects quickly.

App Testing Is Better With Perfecto

There’s a reason the world’s leading banks rely on Perfecto for web and mobile app testing at scale.

With fifteen years of industry-leading experience, no one knows app testing better than Perfecto. No matter where your testing is at, Perfecto can take you to the next level of automation or even continuous testing. Let our professional services, support engineers, and blackbelt team guide you to success.

See why over half the Fortune 500 relies on Perfecto for web and mobile app testing. Get started with a free trial today.

In the Perfecto free trial, you can:

• Test against devices and browsers in the cloud.
• Drill down on defects with test reporting and analytics.
• Scale testing across platforms.
• Integrate with anything in your toolchain.
• And much more!

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