Retail payments

Why having less cash can mean a better life

A third of adults struggle to get by without basic financial services to protect against hardship and save for the future. Ruth Goodwin-Groen, of the UN-based Better Than Cash Alliance, expl…

Driving sales through digital working capital loans for small merchants

Unilever partnered with Mastercard and Kenya Commercial Bank to develop a digital working capital platform helping small merchants grow sale in Kenya, called Jaza Duka.

Financial inclusion is making great strides

2017 State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money

The mobile money industry is now processing a billion dollars a day and generating direct revenues of over $2.4 billion. With 690 million registered accounts worldwide, mobile money has evol…

Senegal’s commitment to digitizing payments at local level is setting an example for the region

Senegal has just announced a new partnership to accelerate the country’s transition from cash to digital payments, improving local governance and service delivery for its citizens.

Ghana Country Diagnostic is out!

Ghana has made significant gains, including almost 100 percent government payments to people and payments within the government now processed digitally.

New UN report reveals momentum for digital payments in Ghana could save over GHS 1 billion within next four years

With 37 percent of the value of all payments now made digitally, Ghana is on course to be a leader in the region, with great potential to expand economic opportunities for businesses

Country Diagnostic: Ghana

This Diagnostic Report shows Ghana has taken important steps toward digitizing its economy, and has several of the building blocks of an inclusive digital ecosystem already in place.

UN study: Digitization of Kenyan farmer payments helps tackle poverty

One Acre Fund cut payment losses and collection costs by over 80 percent, boosting farmers’ satisfaction and economic opportunity…

UN report: Social network payments now reach nearly US $3 trillion in China

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Cash Defenders are Wrong: Digital Finance Truly is ‘Pro-Poor’

This blog post was originally published in Next Billion…

New United Nations Study: Digital payments could boost tax revenue by nearly US$500 million each year and drive economic modernization in Tanzania

Findings illustrate how the private and public sector could work together to modernize economies, improve transparency and support financial inclusion and growth.

Five Ways Digital Payments Are Coming to the Rescue in Emergencies

The ability to make and receive payments electronically has emerged, in recent years, as a technology hero during natural disasters and health pandemics. At a time when more people than ever…

New United Nations study finds digital payments to Ebola response workers saved lives and $10 million

Sierra Leone’s experience shows the critical importance of preparing early for digital payments before crises hit.

Une nouvelle étude des Nations unies révèle que les paiements numériques versés aux équipes d'intervention contre Ebola ont permis de sauver des vies et d'économiser 10 millions de dollars

L'expérience de la Sierra Leone montre qu'il est crucial de se préparer tôt aux paiements numériques avant l'émergence d'une crise.

Cashless Nigeria: Facilitating the Transition to Digital Payments

The emergence of Nigeria as a regional economic powerhouse has presented a challenge for Nigerian policymakers: how to convert Nigeria’s growth at the macro level into greater financial inclusion, so that the rising economic tide can benefit more people.

What is an inclusive approach to digital payments ecosystems?

A new animation and working paper, developed by the Alliance, seek to better explain inclusive digital payment ecosystems.

Cashless Nigeria – Leading by example

As Nigeria rolls out one of the developing world’s most ambitious policy platforms to boost digital payments and drive greater financial inclusion, it’s important to take stock of the country’s progress to date, so that policy-makers around the world can learn from Nigeria’s experiences.

Moldova pledges to digitize payments for all public services, joins Better Than Cash Alliance

The Republic of Moldova has joined the UN-housed Better Than Cash Alliance to make digital payments for all public services a reality by 2020. …