SANTO DOMINGO. – Mobile applications of financial intermediation entities (FIEs) constitute the preferred channel for users with 77% usage, according to the 2025 Banking Sector Digitalization Ranking , published by the Superintendency of Banks (SB).
According to the findings, the use of apps experienced a growth of 10 percentage points, going from 67% to 77%, displacing ATMs as the most used alternative channel, although the latter increased five points in relation to 2024, remaining this year at 73%.
According to the study, this growth in the use of applications goes hand in hand with the confidence of bank customers in this channel, which stands at 91%.
It highlights that the use of alternative channels has allowed approximately 16% of users aged 18 to 44 to use financial products and services for at least five months without needing to visit a branch.
To a lesser extent, users use online banking (38%) , banking sub-agents (24%), teleservices or telebanking (16%), international electronic wallets (13%) and local electronic wallets (9%).
The report reveals that, to date, thanks to the digital onboarding circular 011/22, approximately 1.5 million financial products through digital channels. Of these, 1 million are digital savings accounts , representing 70% of acquisitions. This progress reflects not only technological adoption but also the positive impact of digitalization on financial inclusion and access to more agile and accessible financial services.
On the other hand, 67% of financial institutions implemented multi-factor authentication and biometric technologies, consolidating it as the main authentication method, especially in mobile applications, which is key to the security of digital channels.
Similarly, nearly 70% of entities have API connections on their platforms, reflecting significant progress towards future implementations and greater openness to open banking.
Of this group, 33% already use them for external purposes, mainly to share information on tariffs, location of access points or statistical data with third parties, among other uses.
Act of recognition
The SB launched the fifth edition of this report at an event where the institution's authorities recognized the financial institutions that achieved outstanding performance in their digital transformation.
During the event, the Superintendent of Banks, Alejandro Fernández W., highlighted the profound transformation experienced by the financial market in recent years, allowing digitalization to become a reality and be present in the daily lives of millions of people.
“At the Superintendency of Banks, we have supported this process with an analytical and strategic approach. Over the past five years, we have gathered valuable information from both users of the financial system and from you, the supervised entities. This effort has led to the creation of the Dominican Banking Sector Digitalization Ranking, a tool that not only allows us to measure the sector's progress but also guides the digital agendas of financial institutions and promotes continuous improvement in service offerings,” he stated.
During the event, Spanish expert Marta Echarri, who has a renowned professional career of more than 20 years in the financial sector and digital transformation, gave a keynote address on digitalization and the prospects for banking in the future.
