Through all the Mobile World Congress hoopla over corporate alliances, open platforms, new players and all the rest, it seemed that the least ink (or electrons, as the case may be) covered one of the most important aspects of mobile banking and payments: Consumer acceptance.

And in light of a new survey by BT Global Services, a networked IT provider, one might infer that putting the technology together to create a worldwide mobile payments colossus is the easy part. Findings in the report indicate that consumers trust ATMs and online banking far more than mobile banking, said BankTech in an article about the report.

The BT study is based on polling of 1,000 consumers worldwide, identified by nationality. Among Americans surveyed, only 13 percent were apt to trust mobile banking more than ATM and online channels. The numbers were even smaller in Germany (5 percent) and Britain (10 percent).

Consumers felt just as iffy about alternative payments providers, such as Bitcoin. Overall less than 10 percent of respondents said they had used this type of service. And 62 percent of U.S. participants said they had no intention of doing so within the next 18 months.

According to the BT study, the branch bank is still considered a vital part of the bank experience. When switching to a new FI, the study showed, consumers first considered the locations offered by other services providers, and was even more important than 24/7 banking ability and a quality online banking experience. 

Read more about trends and statistics.