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Making Change on a Mobile Handset: Four IPA studies explore how to make digital financial services more effective and affordable
There are 203 million registered mobile money accounts worldwide and 256 mobile money services in operation. But only 30 percent of registered accounts are used regularly. More rigorous research is needed to maximize the sector’s impact on the poor. To this end, Innovations for Poverty Action is implementing several studies on digital financial services, four of which are discussed in this post.
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- Education
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Four Barriers – and Four Solutions – to Financial Inclusion Through Payment Innovations
Enabled by the exponential expansion of mobile phones, social media, “big data” and internet access, financial players throughout the world are inventing new ways to transact. These innovations are especially pronounced in emerging markets, where many new entrants have chosen to dive directly into digital financial services. But in spite of this momentum, some challenges remain.
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- Uncategorized
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Bringing Mobile Money up to Code: GSMA Code of Conduct for providers puts customer experience at the center
Only 17 percent of respondents in CGAP’s recent global survey on consumer risks in digital finance felt that service providers are doing an adequate job of protecting customers. The GSMA’s Code of Conduct for Mobile Money Providers is part of a growing movement to try to change that, with a number of the Code’s eight principles directly addressing key customer concerns.
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- Uncategorized
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Is India approaching a perfect storm in digital financial services?
In the use of digital technologies, financial services in India lag behind other sectors. But a perfect storm may soon come and enable technology-led disruption at a far greater scale.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
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Three Key Steps for Boosting Mobile Money in Nigeria: Grameen Foundation explores ways the struggling sector could reach its potential
As the largest of Africa’s fast-growing economies, Nigeria is a promising market for mobile finance. Yet though almost 57 percent of Nigerian adults have no access to formal financial services, only 0.1 percent actively use mobile money. Grameen Foundation explores the reasons for the stunted growth of mobile services, and outlines some key steps that could increase their adoption and continued use.
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NexThought Monday – 12/15/14 – The Over-The-Counter Paradox: Dependence on agent transactions is holding digital finance back – but could agents also move the sector forward?
Over-the-counter (OTC) transactions are mobile money transactions facilitated by a provider’s agent network - and they’re an integral part of most successful services. But while MicroSave founder Graham Wright argues that dependence on OTC transactions is hobbling the development of the digital finance ecosystem, he says these agents could also present a solution.
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- Uncategorized
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MasterCard Sees Opportunity with Nigerian E-ID Cards
There’s a lot of untapped potential in the Nigerian commerce market — which is growing — and MasterCard has discovered a marketing niche with the country’s national high-tech e-ID card pilot project.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa