Though big banks such as Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase led the charge into mobile banking, a growing number of smaller financial institutions are following suit.

Mobile banking can enable consumers to check account balances, transfer funds or even make deposits through text messages, mobile applications on smartphones or tablet computers, or on websites designed specifically for mobile use.

Although such services are not yet standard fare throughout the banking industry, their use is growing quickly among consumers who can access them.

A recent study by Forrester Research found that adoption of mobile banking services has more than doubled since early 2009, and it is predicted to grow by about 20 percent a year over the next five years, reaching 50 million U.S. consumers by 2015.

Riverside, Calif.-based Altura Credit Union logged 92,000 mobile banking transactions in December 2010, shortly after rolling out its first slate of mobile services, said Jennifer Binkley, chief operating officer. By July, the number had grown to more than 283,000. At the same time, call center volume has declined, she said.

Bank of America launched mobile banking services in 2007 and had already racked up 1 million active mobile customers by the following year. In March, the company announced it had also begun offering mobile brokerage applications for Merrill Lynch customers.

JPMorgan Chase began offering mobile services through the iPhone platform in 2009 and has continued to expand its offerings since. The company already has more than 11 million registered mobile users, according to company data.

Last year, Chase added mobile deposit, in which customers take pictures of their checks and deposit them through their mobile phones. Already users are depositing a combined $1 million a month.