There was a time when opening a bank account, depositing or withdrawing money, and transferring funds all required a physical visit to a branch. Customers often had to wait for long hours, sometimes even for an entire day. That scenario is now largely a thing of the past. Today, nearly all banking transactions, including account opening, can be completed from the comfort of home.
To provide such convenience, most banks have launched their own mobile applications, resulting in a rapid increase in customer numbers. In some cases, both the user base and transaction volumes have surged by up to 300 per cent.
Customers are enjoying the ease of carrying out a wide range of banking activities via apps without having to visit a branch. This shift has also reduced operational costs for banks. However, for larger business transactions, a physical branch visit is still required.
According to bank officials, in terms of app-based customer accounts, Dutch-Bangla Bank’s Nexus Pay leads the market, followed by Islami Bank’s Selfin. BRAC Bank’s Aastha and Citi Bank’s CitiTouch are also performing well. In transaction volumes, Nexus Pay remains at the top, followed by Aastha, CitiTouch, and Selfin.
Bank representatives noted that small-scale business transactions and foreign currency dealings still require branch visits. Integrating these services into apps could further increase both customer numbers and transaction volumes.
Currently, bank apps allow users to open savings and fixed deposit accounts, pay utility bills, educational fees, city corporation bills, credit card dues, telephone and internet charges, and insurance premiums. Customers can also purchase insurance policies, receive expatriate income statements, and pay taxes. Some banks have incorporated SME banking and Islamic banking services into their apps, along with loan facilities. Banks that continually introduce new app-based services are seeing the highest growth in both users and transactions.
Dutch-Bangla Bank launched the Nexus Pay app in 2018 as a digital service platform. Visa and Mastercard holders from other banks can also use the app, and Rocket users can access Nexus Pay as well. According to Managing Director Abul Kashem Md. Shirin, by September 2025, Nexus Pay had 8.6 million users, up from 7.163 million in September 2024. Transactions during the same period rose from BDT 12,905 crore to BDT 23,842 crore, while the number of transactions increased from 5 million to 7.6 million.
Islami Bank launched its Selfin app in November 2020. By September 2025, Selfin had 5.6 million users, up from 4.6 million in 2024. Transactions through the app in September amounted to BDT 7,390 crore, nearly double the BDT 3,500 crore recorded in January.
Syed Mahbubur Rahman, Managing Director of Mutual Trust Bank (MTB), said:
“We have redesigned our banking app to appeal to younger users and ensure everyone can access services from home. Measures have also been taken to make the process hassle-free. This has resulted in rapid growth in both users and transactions.”
BRAC Bank’s Aastha app, launched in 2021, now has over 1.1 million users, and in September 2025, transactions reached BDT 21,500 crore.
Citi Bank’s CitiTouch service, introduced in 2015, had 900,000 users by September 2025, up from 600,000 in September 2024. Transactions increased from BDT 8,840 crore in September 2024 to BDT 11,574 crore in September 2025.
Prime Bank’s My Prime app has 420,000 users, and transactions in September 2025 reached approximately BDT 2,000 crore. Deputy Managing Director Nazim A. Chowdhury stated:
“We enabled transactions in Bangla on the My Prime app and added Islamic and SME banking services, leading to a 300 per cent growth in one year.”
Mutual Trust Bank’s Neo app now has nearly 300,000 users. Transactions in September 2025 amounted to BDT 2,300 crore. The app includes AI technology and offers over 200 services. This year, 20,000 savings accounts and 3,000 fixed deposit accounts were opened through the app, bringing in nearly BDT 250 crore in deposits.
Syed Mahbubur Rahman added:
“By redesigning our app to appeal to younger users and ensure ease of use, we have significantly boosted both customer numbers and transaction volumes.”
Other popular apps gaining traction include Pubali Bank’s Pi, Bank Asia’s Smart App, and Sonali Bank’s e-Service, among several others.