Press release

Minister Donohoe publishes Consumer Sentiment Banking Survey 2025

From: Department of Finance
Published on: 2 October 2025
Last updated on: 12 October 2025

The Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has today (Thursday 2 October) published the Consumer Sentiment Banking Survey 2025.

Since 2022 an annual tacking survey has been carried out on behalf of the Department of Finance to get an in-depth understanding of consumers’ experiences and perceptions of the retail banking sector in Ireland.

For the 2025 Survey, interviews were carried out face-to-face with more than 1,500 individuals by Ipsos Behaviour and Attitudes (B&A).

The 2025 Survey findings are relatively in line with last year. In terms of overall satisfaction with their main financial provider, 89% of respondents expressed satisfaction. This is up from 86% in 2024. Around 3% of respondents expressed dissatisfaction.

Consumers in Ireland continue to use multiple financial providers, with 66% having more than one provider, which is in line with 2024 and up from 57% in 2023. Forty three per cent use fintech providers at least occasionally; up from 39% in 2024, 33% in 2023 and 18% in 2022. Thirty four per cent use credit unions at least occasionally, with little change from 2024 (36%).

Switching continues to be relatively limited amongst mortgage holders, with just 8% in last 5 years. Half of all the switches in the past five years, which also includes switching current accounts, savings account and credit cards, were driven by the recent exits from the domestic retail banking market.

Minister Donohoe welcomed the findings of the 2025 Consumer Sentiment Banking Survey, saying:

"The Consumer Sentiment Banking Survey provides an important annual insight into the behaviour and experiences of consumers in the retail banking sector in Ireland. This is particularly important given the ongoing evolution of the financial services sector, especially in terms of digitalisation and technological change.

“The 2025 Survey highlights the ongoing, and emerging, trends in the retail banking sector. The preference, for instance, of consumers to pay by cash remains relatively steady at 22%, but those who prefer to pay by contactless smartphone has risen to 27%, up from 19% in 2022.

“The results of the 2025 Consumer Sentiment Banking Survey help to provide an insight into these developments from the consumer’s perspective. They also help to inform policies that underpin the robust consumer protection framework in place in Ireland for consumers of financial service.

“I also welcome the Survey’s findings that awareness of a range of statutory bodies that provide important services for consumers of financial services has increased; Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) (64% up from 61%), Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (52% up from 44%), Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (50% up from 43%) and the Insolvency Service of Ireland (37% up from 34%).”

Notes

The 2025 Consumer Sentiment Banking Survey was undertaken by Ipsos Behaviour and Attitudes (B&A) on behalf of the Department of Finance.

The now annual survey is conducted and published on foot of a 2022 Retail Banking Review recommendation, that the department should commission an annual survey of consumers’ experiences and perceptions of the retail banking market.

The survey was conducted in the field between 13 June and 19 July 2025 amongst a nationally representative sample of 1,511 adults aged 18 plus years.

Key results of the Consumer Sentiment Banking Survey

Overall satisfaction with the main provider overall has increased from 86% in 2024 to 89% for 2025, continuing a positive trend since 2023.

44% are very satisfied with their main provider overall, with an additional 45% being relatively satisfied.

c.3% are dissatisfied overall.

Most people said they had their main current account with AIB (41%) and Bank of Ireland (33%) or PTSB (15%). Similar to 2024, 66% of respondents have more than one financial service provider.

34% use credit unions at least occasionally.

3% use Revolut as their main current account. 43% use fintech providers at least occasionally (almost exclusively Revolut), up from 39% in 2024, 33% in 2023 and 18% in 2022.

The main perceived benefits of fintech providers versus the more traditional banks, is that they offer instant money transfers, free banking, allow customers to split bills and a user-friendly app.

Switching continues to be relatively limited amongst mortgage holders (8% in last 5 years), current account holders (5%), savings account (4%) and credit card (3%). Approximately half of these switches over the past five years were driven by recent exits from the domestic banking market.

Among those who considered switching, but have not done so, there is a perception that it is difficult to change provider, while others state that they haven’t had to time to do so.

Among those who switched current account provider in the past five years:
44% found the switching process very easy and overall 76% were satisfied with the process
however, 10% of switchers were not satisfied with the process to switch current account provider

Preference to pay by cash remains relatively steady (22%), with an increase in those preferring to use contactless smartphone in place of debit cards (27% contactless v 47% debit card compared to 19% versus 57% three years ago).

ATMs continue to be main method of cash withdrawal (78%).

88% of those with a current account have used online banking, up from 84% in 2024 – with 83% using online banking at least monthly.

There is a perception that the greatest level of choice in the marketplace is for savings accounts (44%), and the lowest for mortgage (28%).

Complaints against financial service providers remain steady at 3%.

There is growing awareness of state bodies which assist consumers: