Mobile-Banking Adoption and Usage by Low-Literate, Low-Income Users in the Developing World

Examination of variations across countries in adoption and usage of existing m-banking services by low-literate, low-income individuals finds that variations are along several parameters: household type, services adopted, pace of uptake, frequency of usage, and ease of use.

Abstract

Due to the increasing penetration of mobile phones even in poor communities, mobile-phone-enabled banking (m-banking) services are being increasingly targeted at the "unbanked" to bring formal financial services to the poor. Research in understanding actual usage and adoption by this target population, though, is sparse. There appear to be a number of issues which prevent low-income, low-literate populations from meaningfully adopting and using existing m-banking services. This paper examines variations across countries in adoption and usage of existing m-banking services by low-literate, low-income individuals and possible factors responsible for the same. It is observed that variations are along several parameters: household type, services adopted, pace of uptake, frequency of usage, and ease of use. Each of these observations is followed by a set of explanatory factors that mediate adoption and usage.