East asia and pacific

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.

Uruguay makes huge strides towards universal access to financial services

Uruguay has taken a further step towards its goal to provide access to financial services to all with its announcement that it has joined the Alliance.

What does mobile money usage look like in Rwanda and Ghana?

This report discusses significant data points from the Financial Inclusion Insights Surveys in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Ghana.

Making Electronic Payments Work for Humanitarian Response

This paper analyzes how existing Digital Financial Services initiatives can better align to support humanitarian response, and uses a framework for comprehensively considering e-payment preparedness. Central African Republic, Pakistan, Nigeria, the Philippines, Somalia, and Yemen have been evaluated as per the framework.

UNFPA joins the Better Than Cash Alliance to improve programme delivery

Today, UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, joined The Better Than Cash Alliance, committing to boost the use of digital payments to improve programme delivery, by generating cost savi…

Uruguay makes great strides toward the universalization of access to financial services

The government joins the United Nations-based alliance of governments, companies and international organizations that works to accelerate the move toward digitization of payments…

Uruguay avanza firmemente hacia la universalización del acceso a servicios financieros

El Gobierno se suma a la alianza que, con base en las Naciones Unidas, reúne a gobiernos, empresas y organizaciones internacionales dedicadas a acelerar la digitalización de pagos…

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (CGAP)

The report provides evidence on how financial inclusion facilitates various Sustainable Development Goals and highlughts how governments have been able to significantly reduce cost and leakages.

Modelo Perú Webinar

The Better Than Cash Alliance recently held a live webinar with key players behind the launch of Peru’s new mobile wallet. “Bim” is the first product of Modelo Perú, which plans to bring dig…

Perspectives on Accelerating Global Payment Acceptance

The report finds that infrastructure is one of the most critical parts of delivering electronic payments and also remains woefully lacking. At present about 43 percent of all consumer payments are made with cash.

Basel standard setter: improving payments infrastructure accelerates financial inclusion

The report attempts to understand the factors that drive awareness and interest among current non-users of digital payments in India and analyzes the experience of current users and dentify potential strategies to spur the adoption among these consumers and merchants.

Money Costs Money, Whether Tangible or Not

Could the digital revolution get more women into work?

Digital Finance Energy

This brief elucidates how digital finance is enabling pay-as you-go (PAYG) energy expansion, which delivers greater access to wide-ranging financial products to the unbanked. It discusses the evidence from Kenya, Uganda, and Ghana.

In the hands of women: A reflection on the gender gap in financial inclusion

Did you ever wonder why there is not an International Men’s Day? There actually is such a day, by the way—it’s on November 19th, but there aren’t too many people marking it with a night off …

Launched! World’s first interoperable shared mobile payments platform

The Alliance contributed to the launch of Peru’s new mobile payment system, Bim, which plans to bring digital payments to 5 million Peruvians over 5 years.

Mobile money promotes messages of peace in Cote d’Ivoire

Many Ivoirians were concerned that the 2015 presidential elections would lead to renewed conflict, particularly after the violence surrounding the elections of 2010. …