APAC finance app sessions surge 50% but stickiness now drives ARPU

Telcos and fintechs are using AI and embedded finance to counter slipping session length and fragmented user journeys

Asia-Pacific finance apps are seeing heavier repeat use, with sessions rising 50%, but the next challenge is turning that activity into retention, trust and higher revenue per user.

Holly Fang, President of the Singapore FinTech Association, said the region’s finance app growth reflects how Asian markets moved from cash-based economies into mobile-first financial systems, skipping much of the desktop banking phase. Smartphone adoption, affordable internet, super apps and national payment rails have made mobile the main channel for payments, banking and daily services.

“So with all of that combined, mobile is the default mode of access to financial services for many of us here in this part of the world,” Fang said.

Suchit Huria, Senior Growth Lead for India and Southeast Asia at Adjust, said finance app installs in APAC grew 5% year on year, whilst sessions increased 50%. Users are returning for payments, banking and personal finance management. However, average session length declined from 7.07 minutes in 2024 to 6.94 minutes in 2025.

That split shows why app owners cannot rely only on acquisition. Huria said retention depends on “delivering frictionless user experiences, personalised services, which ensures their users keep coming back to their app.”

Stickiness is now a revenue issue. Huria said more frequent users tend to have stronger lifetime value, whilst Fang said repeat use creates more payments, balance checks, notifications and real-time activity. Users who trust a platform are also more likely to adopt credit, insurance or wealth products.

“Users are not just transacting on it, but they're actively managing their financial lives within the platform,” Fang said.

Multi-platform behaviour adds another challenge. Huria said telecom operators need to stop viewing engagement in silos as users move between apps and services. Fang said fintechs are responding through embedded finance and API-led partnerships.

The commercial test is whether finance platforms can follow users across digital journeys while maintaining safety, security and privacy.