Mox Bank has the highest-scoring app among Hong Kong banking apps in Sia Partners’ Mobile Banking Benchmark, the South China Morning Post reported.

The consulting firm scored more than 140 apps in 20 markets on features, ease of use and user feedback.

Apps from Bank of China (Hong Kong), ZA Bank and Citibank Hong Kong ranked second to fourth in the city. All four lenders made Sia’s Asia-Pacific top 10.

Mox placed fifth in the region with 67. BOCHK came seventh with 65, followed by ZA Bank at 64 and Citibank Hong Kong at 63.

The four apps also moved up the global ranking from last year. Citibank Hong Kong rose the furthest, up 51 places to 45th.

HSBC, the city’s largest lender, scored 57.9. Its app fell from third to eighth in Hong Kong and dropped 13 places to 54th worldwide.

Jack Campbell, senior financial services consultant at Sia, said Hong Kong apps improved most in AI chatbots and predictive money management tools.

He noted that banks want their apps to serve as a one-stop shop where customers can grow their wealth.

Campbell said HSBC had released a large volume of features, nearly too many, and that this had not translated well into the user experience.

Sia found Hong Kong banks trail many mainland and Western peers in partnering on services beyond banking.

No Asian lender made the global top 10, which European banks dominated.

Camilo Ramirez, head of financial services at Sia Hong Kong, said European apps offer more AI functions and partner services. Most Asian banks, he noted, still focus on banking transactions.

Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Hong Kong, based on image by yudism via Magnific.