USAA was an early supporter of Windows Phone 7 - back when it was less than a year old. I used the app a couple times a week. But in January 2013, when Windows Phone was experiencing a growth spurt due to the recent launch of Windows Phone 8, they pulled the app from Windows Phone 8 (http://bit.ly/usaaappgone). It is still available for Windows Phone 7 (http://bit.ly/usaawpapp).

Why was it pulled for WP8, but left in place for WP7? Well, USAA has repeatedly stated through their social media contacts that it is due to low market penetration of Windows Phone. But why is it still up for WP7?

In order to know the real reason, you must know that a few things changed between WP7 and WP8 to cause them to pull it. There was a security issue introduced, where the images of checks that were deposited with DepositMobile would be saved in the camera roll and therefore would be backed up on SkyDrive. This is a security problem because the checks would have routing and account numbers, as well as the name and address of the payor on them. If someone were to get hold of this information, it would be possible to debit an account. In WP7 this did not happen.

The fix isn't a difficult one, and in fact other banks with apps on Windows Phone made the update Chase is one example (http://bit.ly/chaseappreappears). But USAA has refused. The current app has not been updated since 4/6/2012 (http://bit.ly/usaawpapp). Yet they have a Blackberry app (http://bit.ly/usaamobileapps). In May of this year, Windows Phone pulled ahead of Blackberry and became the third most popular platform (http://bit.ly/wpthird), and the gap keeps widening (http://bit.ly/wpbb92013). And yet USAA continues to support a Blackberry app while shunning Windows Phone 8 users, many of whom have used the USAA app on WP7, and were abandoned when they upgraded to WP8 devices, only then to learn that they could no longer bank with their mobile devices. USAA suggests using their mobile website, but that doesn't allow for DepositMobile, so many are forced to get in the car and drive to a UPS store (not all of which support remote deposit) in order to deposit a check.

This petition is to show USAA that there IS demand for a mobile app on the Windows Phone platform. USAA claims that they monitor mobile demand by their website, but if their mobile website is of no use to me (it isn't), then my demand won't be there for them to count.

USAA, we come together in this petition to show you that your customers do indeed want a Windows Phone 8 app. Please REpublish the app that you've already spent the time and money to create, after you put forth the little bit of effort that other banks have put forth, to mitigate the security risk of stored check images.

PS. I work at a competing bank that DOES have a Windows Phone app. I would prefer to bank with USAA, though.