Why my dad won't use Apple Pay and my son already can

My dad is an (ex) Financial Director. He has spent his entire career managing, protecting and navigating money. Yet, he still refuses to use Apple Pay and would think twice to open a banking app on his phone. For him, safety exists in a firm physical boundary.

Meanwhile, my five-year-old son is growing up in a completely different world. In more ways than one! He already knows the passcode to my phone and explores screens with an ease that blows my mind. But as a parent, it also terrifies me. He might have the skill to open an app, but he doesn't have the context or life experience to know what on the broader internet is safe, who to trust, or how to spot a scam.

I want him to grow up financially literate, but more than that, I want him to be educated in the best possible way about finance both online and offline.

I look at them both and see two totally opposite worlds: one generation that intimately understands financial risk and chooses to stay outside the digital world he doesn’t fully understand; and another that is already inside that world but lacks the tools to understand the potential danger.

ThE Trust Paradox

The reality is we’ve landed ourselves in a really strange spot.

According to our own consumer research of over 1,000 UK banking customers, 76% of consumers now classify themselves as digital-first bankers*. In fact, separate industry data shows roughly 28 million people have used AI tools like ChatGPT to help manage their money over the last year. (And obviously my dad isn't one of them!)

But here is where the friction lies: while consumers are perfectly happy using AI as a financial advisor (the research phase), they draw a hard line at AI acting as an autonomous decision-maker.

For example, nearly 40% of people are uncomfortable with having a credit limit automatically altered by an automated system*. Why? Because efficiency is fantastic for processing data, but it’s terrible at holding space for human anxiety. When a customer's financial peace of mind is on the line, a frictionless, automated transaction feels less and less like convenience.

But technology alone can’t fix this. The data shows a massive gap in how we are communicating: 66% of UK banking consumers feel there is a clear lack of transparency around how AI is being used*.

As financial brands prepare to pump billions into generative AI, we don’t have a digital adoption problem, we have a trust problem.

Moving beyond the transaction

For years, the financial sector has raced to market its tech capabilities. Obsessing over slick interfaces and rapid automation.

Think about the industry-wide rush to launch front-line digital assistants, like NatWest’s chatbot, Cora. It was a big feat of engineering, designed to process basic queries and route customers instantly. On paper, it was a triumph of efficiency.

But when a customer is logging on because they are panicking about a fraudulent charge, or because they’ve unexpectedly hit a sticky financial patch, a clinical, automated "I don't understand your request" from a chatbot doesn't feel like innovation. And we have all been there right?! A digital brick wall.

In 2026, a fast app or clean UI  isn't a differentiator anymore; it’s just the bare minimum.

As humans, we don't build relationships with algorithms; we build them with people. Today's consumers aren't looking to be wowed by flashy tech. They want to feel understood, looked after, and above all in control of their own financial lives.

To bridge this trust gap, we have to move beyond the cold transaction and design for digital empathy.  That starts by focusing on two simple, human principles:

1. Radical transparency

A staggering 83% of users believe every single use of AI should be clearly signposted*. If an AI engine is helping to make a decision on a loan or flag a transaction, we need to say so in plain, honest language. Don’t hide it in the terms and conditions.

2. Human escalation

Tech works best when it works in harmony with people. 60% of banking customers want an explicit safety net*: the ability to easily speak to a real person to verify or challenge an AI outcome.

the bottom line

Even the FCA has made its stance clear. They aren't writing standalone AI rules because the existing Consumer Duty already demands fair value, clear communication, and robust customer support. Point made!

The most successful financial brands of this era won’t be the ones with the most autonomous tech. They will be the ones that use AI to clear away the logistical noise, so their human teams can focus on delivering clarity.

Consumers aren't rejecting the technology. They are simply defining the conditions under which they will trust it. It’s our job to meet them there. Be that at age five or 85! 

Want to explore the research?

This article only scratches the surface of what we uncovered. Our full whitepaper explores how more than 1,000 UK banking consumers really feel about AI, automation, transparency and human support, and what those insights mean for financial services organisations looking to build trust in a digital-first world.

If you're shaping digital experiences, customer journeys or AI strategy, download the full whitepaper to explore the complete findings and practical recommendations.

*Unless otherwise stated, all statistics are taken from Enjoy Digital's exclusive 2026 research of 1,027 UK banking consumers, exploring attitudes towards AI, trust and digital financial services.