Press Release: RFI Global Announces Australia’s Banking & Finance Awards Winners for 2026

EMBARGO 4 PM AEDT/5 AM UK - Thursday 12 February 2026 

Sydney - Australia - RFI Global, the leading insights provider for the financial services industry, has today announced the winners of its eighth annual Australian Banking & Finance Awards. The awards recognise institutions that are setting the benchmark for performance across consumer banking, business banking and insurance, based on how effectively they meet the evolving needs of Australian customers.

At a time when customer expectations are being reshaped by digital-first experiences, economic uncertainty and increasing competition, managing customer loyalty is a primary challenge for financial institutions. This year's winners stand out for their ability to respond to their customers' evolving needs by delivering relevant, intuitive and trusted financial solutions. Recognising the growing importance of digital engagement, the 2026 awards introduce a new category acknowledging excellence in digital performance across consumer and business banking.

Unlike traditional industry-judged awards, RFI Global's Banking & Finance Awards are grounded exclusively in customer feedback. Winners are determined using insights from more than 62,000 consumers and 18,000 businesses surveyed annually through RFI Global's Atlas research programme, alongside thousands of real consumer and business banking app interactions captured via the iSky platform with the new digital experience category. This robust, evidence-based methodology ensures the awards reflect genuine customer outcomes rather than perceptions alone.

2026 award highlights

All this year's winners demonstrate strong customer engagement, a clear focus on innovation, and an ability to respond effectively to rapidly changing customer expectations.  

Stand-out performers include:

• Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) delivered another exceptional performance this year, securing 17 awards across business banking, consumer banking and product categories, reinforcing its market-leading position in Australian financial services.
• Up continued its rise as a leading digital-first bank, securing five awards across consumer banking, including Most Recommended Everyday Account (Non Major Bank) and Most Recommended Online Savings Account (Non Major Bank), demonstrating its sustained appeal to digitally savvy consumers.
• Macquarie demonstrated clear leadership in home lending, winning the Most Recommended Home Loan award across owner-occupied, investor and first home buyer categories for non-major banks, and was also recognised for Best Consumer Website, highlighting its strong customer-led digital experience.
• Westpac excelled in the new digital experience category, winning awards for both consumer and business iPhone app experience as well as website user experience, underlining its strong investment in digital capability.
• NAB Private Wealth captured both Private Banking awards, for portfolios above and below $10 million, highlighting its strength in serving Australia's high networth clients.

Julien Wilson, RFI Global's Chief Customer Officer, Asia Pacific, said,  

"In a year shaped by increasing price differentiation, rewarding customer loyalty and the facilitation of simple self-service, the institutions recognised in this year's awards have demonstrated a clear understanding of their customers and an ability to meet their evolving needs consistently. By balancing competitive pricing with value-led propositions and meaningful customer experiences, these winners have built strong foundations for loyalty and trust. Congratulations to all of this year's winners for setting the benchmark for customer-centric performance in the region.

See the full list of winners here.

ENDS.

About RFI Global

RFI Global is the only global data and insights company focusing exclusively on financial services. It empowers financial service leaders with the market intelligence they need to drive innovation and accelerate growth.  

Partnering with the world's top financial institutions, its expert team delivers tailored insights through a unique hybrid syndicated research model, drawing from more than 200,000 consumer and 60,000 business interviews annually.  

About Atlas

Atlas delivers powerful insights for Australia's financial services industry through monthly reports based on 80,000+ consumer and business surveys annually - totalling over 800,000 interviews to date.

Designed to drive smarter decision-making, Atlas provides actionable intelligence on key metrics like NPS, share of wallet and product ownership and experiences, helping organisations identify growth opportunities, strengthen customer relationships, and optimise products and experiences.

About iSky

iSky is a global leader in digital user experience (UX) intelligence for financial services. It combines tactical journey mapping with robust performance benchmarking. Through its bespoke portal, Radar, it provides a unique view into the evolving digital customer experience, powered by insights from thousands of channels and tens of thousands of consumer and business interactions.

For more information or to speak with the team, contact: pr@rfi.global