Blog

Collaborative Customer Due Diligence: New Ways Forward

Financial services providers, regulators and financial intelligence agencies around the world are working more closely together on customer due diligence, often with the help of new technologies. How can financial inclusion benefit?

It's Time to Slow Digital Credit's Growth in East Africa

New research from Kenya and Tanzania reveals that digital credit is often used for consumption purposes and that delinquency and default rates are high, suggesting funders of digital credit markets should prioritize consumer protection.

How Bangladesh Digitized Education Aid for 10 Million Families

In just months, Bangladesh digitized financial aid payments for education to millions of families. What can other countries learn from this rapid transition to digital payments?

4 Cyber Attacks that Threaten Financial Inclusion

Cybercrime is a growing problem for financial services providers and their customers in developing countries. Here are four attacks every provider should guard against.

Listening to the Voice of the Customer: Social Media and Beyond

Financial services providers can engage customers in new and exciting ways on social media, but call centers and other types of direct interaction still matter.

A Digital Platform to Manage Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenses

The M-TIBA mobile health wallet combines savings, remittances and other digital financial services to help low-income customers cover health care expenses.

China's Super Platforms: The Impact Question

What impact are super platforms having on low-income customers and small businesses? CGAP and Mastercard Foundation traveled to China to see firsthand.

India Moves Toward Universal Financial Inclusion

The 2017 Findex shows India has made significant financial inclusion progress in the past four years, but use remains a challenge.

Building Rural Digital Ecosystems, One Small Payment at a Time

New research shows that digitizing everyday payments as person-to-person transfers can be a sustainable way for providers to reach customers in rural areas.

3 Myths About Data Localization

Data localization is often pursued as a way to make financial data safer and easier for the government to access, but it can have unintended consequences for financial inclusion.

What Can Traditional Giving Teach Digital Fundraising Platforms?

What can today’s digital fundraising platforms learn from long-held traditions of giving? We spoke with givers in Kenya to find out.

Customer Due Diligence and Data Protection: Striking a Balance

If financial services providers are going to work together to improve customer due diligence, more flexibility will be required to exchange customers’ information responsibly.

Financial Inclusion: Is the Glass Half Empty or Half Full? (Pt 2)

The number of people with financial accounts has grown rapidly, but account dormancy remains a problem, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa and India.

Off-Grid Solar Company Helping Customers Pay School Fees

In Africa, some of the most innovative ideas in education financing are coming from an unlikely source - an off-grid solar company.

Financial Inclusion: Is the Glass Half Empty or Half Full? (Pt 1)

The rate of access to new accounts has slowed in recent years, but there are reasons to be optimistic about the future of financial inclusion.

6 Things You May Not Know About Biometrics

Biometrics are likely the future of identification and identity verification, but it's important to understand their strengths and limitations to ensure they advance financial inclusion.

2017 Global Findex: Behind the Numbers on Bangladesh

Bangladesh has made great strides toward financial inclusion, but many challenges remain -- including one of the largest gender gaps in the world.

Protecting Consumers Means Thinking Like Consumers

People often make unexpected, even counter-intuitive, financial decisions. Understanding why is the starting point for good financial consumer protection policy.

The Case for Off-Grid Solar Companies as Mobile Money Agents

Off-grid solar companies could boost revenue and reach more low-income customers by becoming master mobile money agents in remote areas.

Building Payment Rails in Frontier Areas Through Off-Grid Solar

Many off-grid solar companies are familiarizing customers with digital payments and helping them find mobile money agents. Should they go a step further and start managing agent networks?