Nearly 78% of U.S. banks plan to increase their fintech spending in 2025-2026, a new survey found.

York Public Relations recently published its 2025 State of Fintech report, which provides a comprehensive look at banks’ fintech investment plans.

The survey was conducted from November to December 2024.

A total of 802 C-level executives at U.S. banks with assets ranging from $30 million to $7 billion participated in the survey, providing insight into whether banks plan to increase, reduce, or maintain investments, where those investments are targeted, why they are being made, and what criteria are used to select fintech partners.

“We wanted to better understand banks’ decision-making process to develop highly strategic programs that allow our fintech clients to succeed,” said Mary York, Founder and CEO of York Public Relations. “Second, we saw this as an opportunity for both banks and fintechs to understand what technology is critical, and how banks’ peers are evaluating technology partnerships.”

The survey also found that 44% of bank executives cite integration capabilities as the top criterion for selecting fintech partners – highlighting the critical need for seamless technology integration into existing banking systems.

Additionally, 55% of respondents ranked digital banking solutions as their top investment priority, driven by the need to grow deposits (48%), acquire new account holders (45%), and improve the customer experience (40%).

“Ultimately, our research identifies key fintech priorities for banks while simultaneously providing fintech companies with valuable insights into banks’ evaluation criteria. The findings are vital for informed strategic planning,” York said.

Payment technologies secured the second spot in banks’ investment priorities, with 33% of respondents ranking it as a top investment area. And more than 35% of bank executives cited improving operational efficiency as their top objective for fintech partnerships.

The State of Fintech report also includes detailed analysis from York Public Relations, Q&A profiles with fintech executives, and contributed insights on key industry trends. Forty organizations, including fintechs, investment banks and advisory firms, participated in the annual report. Topics covered range from digital transformation and deposit growth strategies to compliance, cybersecurity, and the role of AI in banking.

York Public Relations bills itself as the nation’s leading public relations and marketing firm dedicated exclusively to financial institutions and fintechs. The firm offers public relations, media relations, social media marketing, content marketing, creative marketing and crisis communication services.

The total funding of York PR’s client base exceeds $2 billion and represents more than 8,500 financial institutions.

“Ultimately, our research identifies key fintech priorities for banks while simultaneously providing fintech companies with valuable insights into banks’ evaluation criteria. The findings are vital for informed strategic planning.”

 – Mary York
Founder and CEO
York Public Relations