By 2017, more than 1 billion people around the world will be using mobile banking services. That’s the number that will be using their mobile phone handsets. Nearly 200 million users will be using their tablets to conduct transactions with their banks and for making online purchases in a trend now called “couch commerce.”

The data comes from the latest report from Juniper Research on mobile banking. The research firm predicts that tablet users will adopt purchasing and transaction activity at the expense of laptop and desktop PCs:

With online payments accounting for a significant proportion of all bill payments, especially in developed markets, BPP (Bill Presentment and Payment) transactions will indeed migrate from the desktop towards tablet devices. Consumers often prefer managing bill payment and transactions via tablet devices compared to smartphones.

Tablets, with their larger screens, are easier to use than smartphones and more portable even than laptops. And because more tablets are sold with a WiFi-only interface, they are more likely to be used from the privacy of your own couch.

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