Innovation infrastructure

Defining and Measuring Payment Interoperability

This WEF report explores how redefining and measuring the way digital payments interact with one another can help drive economic growth and financial inclusion.

Ethiopia Maps Out Digital Payment Strategy

Handbook of blockchain, digital finance, and inclusion: cryptocurrency, fintech, insurtech, regulation, Chinatech, mobile security, and distributed ledger

The handbook emphasizes the financial opportunities made possible by digital banking, such as financial inclusion and impact investing and summaries standard models of various new technologies.

WSBI contributes its expertise to the Better Than Cash Alliance in shifting cash to electronic payments

In joining the Better Than Cash Alliance, the World Savings and Retail Banking Institute will work to increase the number of electronic transactions undertaken throughout its global membersh…

In the IMF’s Fight Against Corruption, Digital Payments are a Powerful Weapon

IMF managing director Christine Lagarde is to be applauded for her recent leadership in the fight against corruption, and her recognition that there is an increasingly limited role for cash …

The next frontier in Asia payments

Despite the near-term disruption to revenue growth related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Asia’s payments sector remains positioned for long-term success and is poised for a swift return to healthy growth.

Managing digital money

This editorial highlights the significance of digital money as a transformational innovation and emphasizes that banks and financial institutions need to develop strategies to respond to opportunities and threats of digital money.

Mobile Financial Services In Bangladesh

The report provides an overview of the MFS progress in Bangladesh and discusses how selection of staff and beneficiaries from USAID agriculture and health projects are using both traditional and mobile financial services.

Get in the fast lane through digital payments

In this 4-part blog series, we examine key aspects of the transportation sector: tolling, urban transit, and ride-sharing with a focus on emerging economies.

Inclusive Growth Through Branchless Banking: A Review of Agent Banking and Its Impact

The paper explores the opportunities to overcome barriers to financial access in Bangladesh through branchless banking and emphasis that financial inclusion and inclusive growth could be advanced through existing work by Bangladesh bank on favorable agent banking policies

Peru’s banks push through a unified digital payment system.

“Ti Manman Cheri” Experiments with Mobile Government-to-Person (G2P) Payments in Haiti

This is one in a series of case studies that was made possible by a grant from the Government of the United Kingdom’s DFID to the CGAP in support of the work of the Better Than Cash Alliance.

Digital payments as transformative as new vaccines?

News from BTCA financial inclusion UN General Assembly week event

Business model innovation: pervasiveness of mobile banking ecosystem and activity system–an illustrative case of Telenor Easypaisa

“Purpose – The paper provides a holistic overview of already available academic literature of mobile banking, business model innovation and ecosystem and activity system perspective of busin…

Aadhaar: Digital Inclusion and Public Services in India

Aadhaar, India’s program to provide a unique identity number for every resident, is the largest biometric identification program in the world. Launched in 2008, the program has created biome…

Fostering digital payments and fintech development 

This ADBI working paper discusses measures to foster digital financial innovation in Indonesia.

Mastercard: New Payments Index

The Mastercard New Payments Index, conducted across 18 markets including Colombia, India, Kenya and Mexico, shows 93% of people will consider using at least one emerging payment method in the next year.

Bargaining to work: the effect of female autonomy on female labour supply

The use of digital cards for government safety net transfers enhanced women’s decision-making power in the household and led to a 92% increase in women’s likelihood of participating in the l…

McKinsey: The future of payments in the Middle East

Through surveys with consumers and payments practitioners, McKinsey share anticipated trends which will shape the region’s ‘payments revolution’ over the next five years.

Ethiopia: “Mobile money doubled my number of customers in just three years”

In Addis Ababa, the vibrant Ethiopian capital, lies a busy Somali community market where Bisharo runs a small shop.