For decades, building societies have differentiated themselves through community roots, personal service and long-term relationships. But in 2025, a new currency of loyalty is emerging – digital trust.
This year’s Building Society Experience Report makes the shift impossible to ignore: members now judge their society not by its heritage or high street footprint, but by the clarity, speed and security of every digital interaction. And for societies that get this right, the opportunity is huge.
Digital adoption is no longer the story – digital confidence is.
Member behaviour has changed faster than many societies realise.
- 86% of members now manage their accounts online, up from 74% in 2024.
- 91% rate their digital experience as good or very good.
- Strikingly, 100% of members aged 60+ in the study now use digital channels.
Digital is not a “younger member preference” anymore, it’s the default expectation across every demographic.
Yet despite this adoption, only 52% of members describe their digital experience as excellent. The appetite is there; the experience is not yet matching it. That gap is where trust is either strengthened or quietly eroded.
Communication is now a trust indicator
Members are overwhelmed by fragmented communication and unclear document journeys. They want simplicity, certainty and a single source of truth.
The data is unequivocal:
- 95% want all communications in one secure digital place (up from 87% last year).
- Only 39% currently receive updates digitally.
- 88% would prefer to receive important documents digitally if security is guaranteed.
This “preference vs. reality” gap is becoming a loyalty risk.
When communications arrive late, inconsistently, or across multiple channels, members begin to doubt reliability; not of the message, but of the organisation.
The societies that win trust in 2025 will be those that make communication clear, unified and visibly secure.
Speed now signals credibility
Members no longer tolerate slow or paper-heavy processes.
- 76% signed documents with their society in the past year.
- 89% would prefer to sign digitally (up sharply from 70% in 2024).
Every unnecessary step – printing, posting, phoning – reduces satisfaction and increases the likelihood of switching at renewal. Members directly associate speed with trustworthiness. If a process feels outdated, they assume the service is too.
Self-service tells the same story: while basic online actions are common, fewer than half of members can apply for new products or update accounts digitally. In a world of instant everything, these gaps matter.
Security reassurance has become part of the user experience
Although 87% of members say they feel comfortable using digital services, 58% still express concerns about data protection.
This tension defines a key insight:
Members are willing to embrace digital – when reassurance is visible.
Older members want confirmation prompts. Younger members want seamless journeys that still feel secure. All want clarity about how their data is used.
Security can no longer sit in the background. It needs to be experienced.
The takeaway: trust is built in the details of every digital moment
Across the findings, a clear pattern emerges:
- Members don’t just want digital – they want digital that feels human, safe and effortless.
- They reward societies that communicate clearly, act quickly and demonstrate reliability in every interaction.
- And they penalise societies that make processes feel disjointed, slow or uncertain.
In 2025, trust is not a brand value, it’s a user experience.
Why this matters now
With more than eight in ten members managing their accounts digitally, societies are no longer competing on access. They’re competing on experience quality – and the winners will be those that can demonstrate digital trust consistently, not occasionally.
This is where technology platforms such as Legado’s CommsHub and LegadoSign are already helping societies meet expectations through:
- Unified communication
- Secure, compliant digital signing
- Transparent audit trails
- Faster, frictionless member journeys
But the bigger picture is sector-wide: Building societies now have the opportunity to set a new standard for mutual trust in a digital era – and the members are ready for it.
Want the full insight?
This blog only scratches the surface of what the 2025 report uncovers – from shifting expectations to the emerging role of AI in member experience.
👉 Download the full Building Society Experience Report 2025 to access the complete data and strategic recommendations that will shape the next phase of transformation.