Citizens Bank’s Mobile Banking apps for iPhone and Android have been named the “best integrated apps” in the industry by Javelin Strategy & Research following its review of customer ratings in the Apple App Store and in Google Play. Citizens Bank’s average customer rating of 4.25 out of 5 stars was the best in the industry, tied only by USAA, Javelin reported this week.

Earlier this year, Citizens Bank added new features to its Mobile Banking app for iPhone users and introduced a similarly fully featured app for Android users. The new features and the increasing popularity of the Android platform together have driven a significant increase in customer activity – from October 2011 to October 2012, Citizens Bank’s Mobile Banking apps have seen use by the bank’s active mobile customers grow by more than 130 percent.

“We are honored to receive this recognition following our recent enhancements to Mobile Banking for iPhone and our launch of the Citizens Bank app for Android,” said Michael Cleary, Executive Vice President and Head of Consumer Banking Distribution for RBS Citizens Financial Group. “This finding is especially gratifying because it is based directly on what our customers are saying in their own reviews. Increasingly, our customers turn to their mobile devices to do their banking, and we are committed to continuing this level of investment to ensure we will continue to meet the needs of our customers.”

Recent customer comments in the App Store and in Google Play underscore the convenience and ease of mobile banking with Citizens Bank:

• “This app is awesome. I love that I can get my balance at my finger tips! It is easy to use and has everything I need from my bank. I especially love the one click to helpful phone numbers. Overall=Very helpful. Thanks, Citizens.”
• “Being able to pay bills from my mobile phone coupled with the ability to save the screenshot is a great assist to record keeping…An indispensable app.”
• “RBS Citizens truly got this app to be perfect!!!”
• “Can do anything, check balances, transfers, I like this app a lot, I recommend this to everyone.”

Citizens Bank customers interested in its Mobile Banking app for iPhone can find it in the App Store. Customers interested in the Mobile Banking app for Android can find it in Google Play.

Javelin Strategy & Research’s 2012 Mobile Banking Financial Institution Scorecard benchmarks the mobile banking service offerings of the 25 largest U.S. banks by deposit. Javelin’s independent research provides strategic insights into customer transactions, increasing sustainable profits for financial institutions, government, payments companies, merchants and other technology providers.

In addition to ranking mobile apps across the industry in its research, Javelin’s report noted that mobile banking is now used by 33 percent of mobile consumers, up from 24 percent in 2011.

For more information about Citizens Bank, visit citizensbank.com or call the bank’s 24/7 customer service center at 1-800-922-9999. The bank also is active on Facebook and Twitter.

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About Citizens Bank

Citizens Bank is a division of RBS Citizens, N.A., operating its seven-state branch network in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. It has 50 branches and 127 ATMs in Connecticut. It has 24 branches and 58 ATMs in Delaware. It has 254 branches and 752 ATMs in Massachusetts. It has 80 branches and 203 ATMs in New Hampshire. It has 159 branches and 378 ATMs in New York. It has 83 branches and 192 ATMs in Rhode Island. It has 21 branches and 40 ATMs in Vermont.

RBS Citizens, N.A., is a subsidiary of RBS Citizens Financial Group, Inc., a $132 billion commercial bank holding company. It is headquartered in Providence, R.I., and through its subsidiaries has more than 1,400 branches, approximately 3,600 ATMs and approximately 18,950 colleagues. Its two bank subsidiaries are RBS Citizens, N.A., and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania. They operate a 12-state branch network under the Citizens Bank brand in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Charter One brand in Illinois, Michigan and Ohio. RBSCFG has non-branch retail and commercial offices in more than 30 states. RBSCFG is owned by RBS (the Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc). RBSCFG’s website is citizensbank.com.