2026 Banking Humanity Index Study

The Banking Authenticity Deficit: Consumers Crave Human Connection in a Digital World

The Community Premium: Local Banks Win on "Care"

KEY TAKEAWAYS — Banks are racing to automate everything, but Better Buyer's 2026 Banking Humanity Index Study℠ reveals what Americans actually want: convenience for the easy stuff, and real people for everything else.

The tension is real. Consumers expect digital tools to work flawlessly for routine tasks. But loyalty? That comes from fair pricing, fast problem resolution, and honest communication. And despite the industry's AI push, trust in artificial intelligence remains remarkably low. Many consumers find "humanity" closer to home, as 35% of consumers cited community involvement and local sponsorships as a top factor that would persuade them to switch banks.

Quick Background

The "Brand Humanity Index" (BHI) is a unique framework from Better Buyer that measures something that can't be automated: emotional intelligence in commerce. This year's banking study asked a nationally representative sample of more than 1,100 U.S. consumers what makes a financial institution feel "human." With a ±3% margin of error at a 95% confidence level, the results are statistically sound and culturally revealing.

The portrait that emerges is of consumers who are tired of corporate scripts and suspicious of bots. As banks pour money into new technology, the data suggests they're missing something more fundamental: their own humanity.

What "Human" Actually Means: It's Complicated

When choosing a bank, consumers prioritize a specific blend of efficiency and ethics. Convenience first—the majority cite easy access and minimal effort as a top priority. Transparency about fees and policies (50%), Trust (50%), and Reliability (47%) matter to roughly half of all respondents, far above softer measures like Fairness (25%) or Empathy (20%).

But open-ended responses tell a richer story. People want access to a real person, particularly when something goes wrong. Authenticity—defined in the survey as "genuine interaction, not scripted or fake"—was flagged by 24% as a key decision factor, yet surfaced repeatedly in verbatims:



• "Being able to conduct business with a real person"
• "Being able to speak with a human being when I have a problem"
• "Human interaction when calling customer service"
• "Live agents available when wanted"
  

The AI Trust Gap: Show Me a Human

The study measured consumer attitudes toward AI-generated search results (like ChatGPT or Google AI summaries) compared to traditional search methods. The resistance is striking.

Only 6% of consumers trust AI summaries "much more" than standard search when looking for a new bank. Meanwhile, 38% trust AI "somewhat less" or "much less."

When asked where banks should invest marketing dollars, "Improving AI search visibility" ranked near the bottom at just 16%.

What does work? Better financial incentives (54%) and community involvement (35%) are the top factors that would persuade someone to switch banks. Brand advertising comes up short.

"Authenticity" Often Means "Not a Robot"

Here's the irony: while consumers rely on digital tools for speed, they define "authenticity" largely by what it isn't. In open-ended responses, people repeatedly described an authentic bank as having "Real people (not computers or robots)" and offering the ability to "Talk to a person not a robot."

Automation is accepted for transactions. But when support is needed, bots feel like obstacles.

The Age Gap in Convenience

The conventional wisdom about digital natives gets challenged here. Older consumers—supposedly less tech-savvy—are actually the most demanding about ease of access.

60% of respondents aged 45-60, and 60% of those over 60, listed convenience as a top attribute. Among 18-29 year-olds? Only 45%.

For older demographics, a "human" bank respects their time by functioning smoothly. Younger consumers appear to weigh a broader set of considerations, including values and social media presence.

Study Awards & Distinctions

The Brand Humanity Award honors companies that consumers identify as caring and people-first based on perceptions of empathy, transparency, fairness, trust, reliability, and authenticity.

The Community Premium

While national giants compete on digital features, many consumers find "humanity" closer to home. In the study, 14.5% of respondents bypassed every major national brand to write in local credit unions and community banks—a category that collectively outranked every individual national institution named in the survey. This preference is deeply tied to values; 35% of consumers cited community involvement and local sponsorships as a top factor that would persuade them to switch banks.

This "human" connection is reinforced by a physical presence. Despite the industry’s push for total automation, 34% of respondents still discover new banks simply by seeing a branch location in their daily routine. For a large segment of the population, a bank’s humanity isn't found in a chatbot, but in its physical visibility and its investment in the local neighborhood.

Other Findings

Several additional insights emerged from the data:

• Discovery is analog. Despite living in a digital world, 60% of consumers would use recommendations from friends or family to find a new bank. Only 16% would turn to AI search results.
• Professionalism wins online. When engaging with banks digitally, consumers prefer a tone that is "Professional and informative" (35%) or "Friendly and conversational" (20%). The third preference was "Sincere and thoughtful" (18%).
• Authenticity matters. A combined 51% rated it "Extremely" or "Very" important that a bank's online presence feels authentic rather than corporate or scripted.
• The cost of "human." While 41% refuse to pay more for services, higher-income consumers (>$125k) are significantly less price-sensitive—only approximately 16-24% refused to pay more. Unlike the general population, these high-earners specifically prioritized "Honest communication" and "A bank that listens" as the top services worth a premium.
  
  

Final Thoughts

Technology should enable human connection, not replace it. That's the message from this study. Consumers will be loyal, but only under specific conditions: fair pricing, transparent policies, and access to real people when problems arise.

There's a boundary to this demand for humanity, though. 41% of consumers explicitly stated they would not pay higher fees for any bank services, even those delivering a warmer, more personal experience.

The challenge for 2026 and beyond isn't to offer the human touch as a premium feature. It's to make it the baseline.

Methodology

This study was conducted by Better Buyer using a national survey of 1,105 U.S. consumers. The margin of error is ±3% at a 95% confidence level. To ensure data integrity and eliminate order bias, all answer choices were randomized. The demographic breakdown includes approximately 57% female and 43% male respondents, with age groups spanning from 18 to over 60, encompassing diverse income levels and geographic regions across the United States.

About Better Buyer

Backed by real consumer feedback, Better Buyer’s ratings, reviews, studies, and videos help people make better purchasing decisions while equipping businesses with practical insights that guide improvements across the customer experience. Better Buyer is a brand of RivalMind, LLC. Website: betterbuyer.com

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The Better Buyer Brand Humanity Index℠ awards are derived from independent consumer perception research conducted through nationally representative surveys. All award titles, names, badges, and logos are proprietary to RivalMind, LLC.

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