TORONTO - For the 2nd consecutive review period, TD Canada Trust leads the charge in consumer online banking services with RBC Royal Bank a very close second, according to the recently released 2nd edition of Surviscor's Online Banking scorCard. Scotiabank takes 3rd spot, followed by west-coast credit union Coast Capital Savings.

The top five scores are: TD Canada Trust (66.23), RBC Royal Bank (64.14), Scotiabank (58.56), Coast Capital Savings (55.35) and Vancity (53.86).

OVERALL
Rank	Firm	Out of 100
1	TD Canada Trust	66.23
2	RBC Royal Bank	64.14
3	Scotiabank	58.56
4	Coast Capital Savings	55.35
5	Vancity	53.86
6	CIBC	53.19
7	National Bank of Canada	52.29
8	BMO Bank of Montreal	50.23
9	President's Choice Financial	48.58
10	Desjardins Bank	46.75
11	HSBC	46.32
12	Meridian Credit Union	36.01
13	ATB Financial	35.45
14	ING Direct	33.89
15	Citibank Canada	22.94

Surviscor's Online Banking scorCard is a comprehensive, impartial audit of online features and functionality at major Canadian banking institutions. This unique simulated-usage study measures over a thousand objective criteria within multiple service categories that are weighted according to industry-defined importance. The design and execution of the scorCard is powered by CorbinPartners Inc., a leading provider of business intelligence in Canada.

Online banking is not just another access channel for the customer, but a valued customer experience" said Glenn LaCoste, President of Surviscor. "To compete in today's online business, just offering the basics will no longer suffice to retain current customers or acquire new ones. Online banking institutions need to deliver a wide range of features and functionality tied to a variety of customer needs. If not, they surely risk losing current and potential business to the competition."

TD Canada Trust leads all institutions in both the 'Web Design' and 'Customer Support' categories, with strong performance in criteria tied to customer navigation and customization. RBC Royal Bank attains the top spot in the all-important 'Website Transactions' category, as well as the 'Getting Started' category, which measures features targeted to prospective and existing clients prior to website login. The 'Service Rates and Fees' category is dominated this review period by the credit unions with Coast Capital Savings, Canada's 2nd largest credit union, capturing 1st prize. Scotiabank consistently scores well against the field and, as a result, places 3rd in three of the five main categories.

"The overall scores highlight the fact that there is significant room for improvement," LaCoste says. "For example, there are considerable differences from one institution to the next for service rates and fees. In addition, customer e-mail responsiveness initiated outside of the secure website, on the whole, leaves much to be desired. As well, while practice accounts and security guarantees are becoming commonplace in online services elsewhere, online banking is slow to adopt them."

The Online Banking scorCard makes it abundantly clear that if Canadian banking institutions are going achieve their fair share of the online banking market, continuous efforts to expand and improve the online experience must be labeled 'PRIORITY No. 1'.