In their search for revenue, it was only a matter of time before banks turned to online advertising. The customer online bank statement maybe the ideal place to offer Groupon-like advertisements based on the customer's spending patterns.

The New York Times notes that upstart BillShrink has worked with more than 2,000 banks to offer such a service, called Statement Rewards. Other vendors, like Cardlytics, have also made a splash with similar efforts. So this would appear to be win-win, as the advertisers love the access while banks and vendors generate revenue from online and mobile operations. As for the customers, we would hope that some sort of opt-out will be offered.

In any case, given the rise of Groupon and its many competitors, there is every reason to think that customers would welcome the deals and promotions. They may ultimately start thinking of the advertising in the bank statement as a way to help save money, and that would help reverse the rather poor image that banks have been saddled with in recent years.

It really comes down to the perceived value of the offers. One of the more popular offers at Ohio Valley Bank has been a $50 Wal-Mart discount card offered at $40. We'll have to see if this takes off. But the idea seems as sound as ever. There are a few advertising-supported online banks that have made headway in this area. They'll be watching closely to see if other banks validate their concept.

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