If you’ve ever tried — and failed — to open and fund an online checking account, you’re not alone. A new report from Javelin Strategy Research finds that only a little more than half of consumers who try to do so are successful.

The other half meet with frustration and a quarter abandon the process, Javelin’s report says.

The finding doesn’t bode well for banks, especially larger ones, that are facing a great deal of consumer backlash of late, especially over the growth in user fees. Most people apply for accounts online because they expect it to be faster and more convenient (and possibly cheaper, for online-only accounts) than doing it over the phone or visiting a branch, says Mark Schwanhausser, a senior financial services analyst with Javelin.

(There may also be, Bucks suspects, a risk for smaller banks and credit unions hoping to win new accounts on the coming “Bank Transfer Day” on Nov. 5. If their online account-opening process isn’t smooth, some prospective new customers could give up in frustration.)

As part of the research for the report, a team of Javelin “secret shoppers” tried out the online application process for various types of accounts at 10 major banks, as well as five other institutions including credit unions and online banks, and found convenience sorely lacking in some cases. Some banks boasting of online applications actually direct customers to download paper application forms for submission.

At ING Direct and Wells Fargo, the report found, some online applications are restricted to existing customers. In the case of Wells Fargo, for instance, existing customers were allowed to apply online for a credit card, but newcomers were directed to apply at a branch.

At Citibank, an application for a home-equity line of credit led to a “cycle of frustrating links” that forced the user to call a bank representative on the phone for help. (Citibank corrected the navigation problem shortly after the interaction, the report notes.)

In another case, Bank of America seemed overly aggressive in following up on an online application. A Javelin researcher began an online application for a mortgage at Bank of America, providing contact information as an initial step, but abandoned the process before completion. Within a minute, a bank sales representative called on the telephone. While that might make sense from the bank’s perspective, Mr. Schwanhausser said, it could unnerve some applicants.

“If you’re trying to be anonymous in shopping habits, it could be jarring or even somewhat creepy,” he said.

Have you opened an account online recently? What was your experience?

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