Unlocking Financial Inclusion Using Biometrically Verified SIMs

In 2015, Pakistan became the first country to leverage biometric SIM verification for remote mobile wallet account opening. We talked to members of the Banking Policy and Regulation Department at the State Bank of Pakistan to learn more about these developments and the exciting implications for financial inclusion.

Agents for Everyone: Removing Agent Exclusivity in Kenya & Uganda

Mobile money and banking agents blend seamlessly into the daily economic lives of consumers in countries like Kenya and Uganda, offering convenience and expanding access points to financial services. But agent exclusivity clauses can limit customers' choices.

How Ghana Set Its Rules on Interest Payment on e-Money Accounts

Soon, customers in Ghana will earn interest on their mobile money wallets. How did Ghana do it differently than Tanzania, the first country where a mobile money service paid out interest?

Interest Payments on Mobile Wallets: Bank of Tanzania’s Approach

One ongoing debate in digital financial services concerns whether customers should be able to earn interest on mobile money wallets. The Bank of Tanzania decided that the benefit of interest earned by MNOs should go directly to customers. Here are key lessons to date.

Use of “Emerging Regulatory Enablers” to Promote DFS

In 10 years of research into regulatory issues surrounding digital financial services, CGAP has maintained a relatively consistent stance on the "basic regulatory enablers" necessary for DFS to flourish. CGAP’s Inclusive Markets Team has now started to examine "emerging regulatory enablers" and their role in DFS.