Online banking adoption: We should know better 20 years on

During the 20 year lifetime of the Journal of Financial Services Marketing the study of online banking adoption has emerged and matured as a field. Now 20 years on, we reflect on the accumulated online banking adoption knowledge and consider what this tells us. On the basis of an audit of published research over a 10-year period, 1998–2008, we identify the core theories and approaches utilised to study online banking. The findings reveal the widespread application of the Technology Adoption Model (TAM). Drawing on the current debate regarding TAM within the Information Systems domain, we critically evaluate the ongoing appropriateness of TAM for online banking adoption research, and call for a refreshed approach to the study of bank technology adoption. The paper concludes by highlighting other theories that offer potential to extend knowledge in this area.