Mobile banking in the United States has been making impressive gains in usage, reflected by the launch of higher-end services by top banks. JPMorgan Chase's (NYSE: JPM) new remote deposit app falls into that category. But the rest of the world seems a little farther down the adoption curve.

We're seeing top banks roll out some impressive services in countries where mobile banking is more established. The latest example: Taiwan.

Citibank (NYSE: C) has recently launched Taiwan's "first comprehensive banking service--Citi Mobile," the China Post reports. "With just one click on their cell phones, consumers can transfer money, pay utility bills, buy high-speed rail tickets with special discount, check maps of Citi dining and merchant offers, make restaurant reservations and even buy groceries anywhere, anytime to finish their daily chores."

I doubt we'll see anything comparable domestically soon. But it certainly points to the mobile phone as a powerful tool of every day commerce. The big question in the United States is the degree to which banks will drive this movement as opposed to piggy back it. Some think banks are taking a back seat to phone markers, retailers, card companies, which may or may not be smart.

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