unbanked


Wirecard’s Newest Service Enables Mobile Money Transfers from Migrants

In an attempt to take its share of the exploding cross-border payments market, which hit about $600 billion last year according to some estimates, Wirecard is launching a new mobile money remittance service in Europe, targeting consumers including unbanked migrants sending funds home.

Starling Bank First Digital Challenger to Join Faster Payments

U.K.-based Starling Bank has become the “first of the digital-only challengers” to join Faster Payments this week. The 13th direct participant of the Faster Payments Scheme, Starling says its customers will be able to see where their money is flowing and when in real-time, 24/7.

Mastercard: Europe Not Immune to Unbanked Problem

More than 138 million Europeans do not have access to formal banking services, says Mastercard in a new report—news that could present an opportunity to prepaid providers and so-called “challenger banks.”

FDIC Study: Unbanked Rate Drops; Prepaid, Mobile on Rise

The number of households without bank accounts fell to its lowest level since the FDIC first began conducting its biannual survey in 2009. Seven percent of U.S. households were unbanked last year, according to the FDIC’s 2015 National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households, released Oct. 20.

Ericsson to connect banks, telcos and the unbanked

Using Sibos as a springboard into the wider financial services community, mobile technology giant Ericsson is hoping to persuade more banks to join Peru’s La Asociación de Bancos del Perú (Asbanc). The Association connects unbanked consumers, telcos and banks together to offer a full range of services across the globe.

Mobile money goes global in 2015 reports GSMA

Mobile money is expanding rapidly as global smartphone penetration grows. This year, many providers are looking to expand their range of mobile money services to areas such as credit and savings – but operators must be wary of the remaining challenges, including regulation and market sizes, according to a new report by the GSMA.

“Unbanked banks” suffer from tougher KYC rules

Senior transaction banking executives have called for a political discussion to resolve the issue of emerging market access to banking services caused by the reduction of the correspondent banking services network.

Connecting the unbanked key to easing poverty

Globally, around 50 per cent of the population do not have a bank account. Whether that is perceived as a surprisingly large or surprisingly small ratio is questionable; what is certain is that there is a potentially significant opportunity to provide those financial services

MasterCard and EFL partner to underwrite unbanked SMEs

MasterCard and Entrepreneurial Finance Lab (EFL) have announced a global partnership to promote small business growth in developing countries. The partnership, agreed yesterday at Sibos, provides international issuers in developing markets with new tools to help to improve credit underwriting for unbanked small businesses.

M-Payment Platform Targets Colombia’s Unbanked Mobile Users (Aug. 20, 2013)

Aug. 20, 2013 A mobile payments network aims to bring financial services to Colombia’s unbanked consumers and move the country’s economy away from cash. The Miami-based network, known as YellowPepper, thus far has signed up 12 Colombian banks for its system, which includes a virtual payment card, P2P and mPOS capability, according to a report […]

Vesta E-Wallet Targets Unbanked, Prepaid Mobile Users (May 30, 2013)

May 30, 2013 Vesta Corp., an Atlanta-based electronic payments services provider with offices in Ireland and China, has teamed up with three firms to develop Vesta PayMobile, a white-label e-wallet to help MNOs provide financial services to their prepaid customers. The smartphone application will launch with, yet unnamed, major mobile operators in the U.S. in […]