Once, customers had to physically visit bank branches to open a bank account or carry out activities like deposits, transfers, and withdrawals. Sometimes, they had to wait for long hours at the bank.
Those days are now gone. Almost all types of transactions, including opening an account, can now be done from home. To provide such services, most banks have launched their own mobile apps.
As a result, the number of customers at banks has been increasing rapidly. In some banks, both customer numbers and transaction volumes have already grown by as much as 300 per cent.
Customers are now relieved to be able to perform various banking activities from home through apps. They no longer need to visit branches in person. This has also helped reduce the operating costs of banks. However, people still need to go to the bank for business transactions.
According to inquiries made at different banks, Dutch-Bangla Bank’s NexusPay tops the list in terms of app-based customers. It is followed by Islami Bank’s CellFin. In addition, BRAC Bank’s Astha and City Bank’s Citytouch also hold strong positions. In terms of transaction volume, NexusPay ranks first, followed by Astha, Citytouch, and CellFin.
Bank officials said that customers still need to visit banks for small business transactions and foreign currency exchanges. If these services were added to apps, both the number of customers and transaction volumes would increase further.
Through banking apps, customers currently can open savings and fixed deposit accounts and pay various service bills; school and college fees; city corporation bills; credit card, cable TV, telephone, and internet bills; and insurance premiums.
In addition, there are facilities for purchasing insurance policies, receiving remittances and financial statements, and paying taxes. Some banks have integrated SME banking and Islamic banking services into their apps and even offered loan facilities. Banks that are adding new services to their apps are experiencing faster growth in both customers and transactions.
Dutch-Bangla Bank launched the NexusPay app in 2018 as an alternative service platform. Holders of Visa and Mastercard from other banks can also use this app. In addition, customers of the bank’s mobile financial service (MFS), Rocket, can also use NexusPay.
As of September this year, the number of NexusPay users rose to 8.6 million, compared to 7.163 million in September last year. During the same period, transactions increased from Tk 129.05 (12,905 crore) to Tk 238.42 billion (23,842 crore). The number of transactions rose from 5 million (50 lakhs) to 7.6 million (17 lakhs). These figures were provided to Prothom Alo by Dutch-Bangla Bank’s Managing Director (MD) Abul Kashem Md Shirin.
Islami Bank launched its app service CellFin in November 2020. As of last September, the number of CellFin users rose to 5.6 million (56 lakhs), up from 4.6 million (46 lakhs) in 2024. In September, transactions through CellFin amounted to Tk 73.90 billion (7,390 crore), compared to about Tk 35 billion (3,500 crore) in January.
Launched in 2021, BRAC Bank’s Astha app now has more than 1.1 million (11 lakhs) users. Transactions through the app in September amounted to Tk 215 billion (21,500 crore).
City Bank introduced its Citytouch service in 2015. As of September 2025, the number of Citytouch users reached 900,000, compared to 600,000 in September 2024. In September 2024, transactions amounted to Tk 88.40 billion (8,840 crore), which rose to Tk 115.74 billion (11,574 crore) last September.
Prime Bank’s MyPrime app now has 420,000 users. In September, transactions amounted to nearly Tk 20 billion (2,000 crore).
Prime Bank’s Deputy Managing Director Nazeem A Choudhury told Prothom Alo, “We have introduced Bengali language transactions in the MyPrime app. At the same time, we have launched Islamic banking and SME banking facilities. This has led to a 300 per cent growth in just one year.”
Mutual Trust Bank’s (MTB) Neo app has around 300,000 users. In September, transactions amounted to Tk 23 billion (2,300 crore). The NEO app has incorporated artificial intelligence (AI) technology and offers over 200 services.
As a result, this year customers have opened 20,000 savings accounts and 3,000 fixed deposit accounts through the app, bringing in around Tk 2.50 billion (250 crore) in deposits to the bank.
MTB Managing Director Syed Mahbubur Rahman told Prothom Alo, “We have redesigned our banking app to attract young users so that everyone can access banking services from home. We have also ensured that customers don’t face any hassle while using the app. As a result, both customers and transactions are increasing rapidly.”
In addition, several other banking apps—such as Pubali Bank’s Pi Banking, Bank Asia’s Smart App, and Sonali Bank’s eSheba—have also gained popularity.